UBC, worth the bother?

[AntRobertson]

Giving serious consideration to ditching my UBC subscription. Mostly on the basis that it's, well, utter crap basically.

Not that this is any sudden kind of revelation but it has become more pronounced recently as I'm lucky enough to have a M-Net (South African Sat-TV) subscription at home also and the two simply don't compare. Also didn't help when they uncermonioulsy dumped VH1 (ch.33) off of the service altogether without any notice which had been one of my favourites.

And the 'sports' channels? Great if you're a soccer fan (which I'm not) and enjoy seeing replays of the replay of last weeks replay shown just after the repeat of last years games. Otherwise forget it, utter bollocks.

So all that for around the same price I pay for my M-Net sub and what's more at least that (M-Net) doesn't suddenly drop its signal the moment a drop of rain falls from the sky - I've never worked that one out, why can a feed all the way from South Africa maintain its signal but one 'based' in Thailand not!? Even the TV schedule/menu is superior on M-Net. It never blanks out like UBC's seems so prone to and you can also see the schedule for an entire week in advance.

So yeah, I think it's a gone. Begs the question though regardless - just why is it so crap?? It's clearly not that hard to provide a better service for the same costs.

[ChiangMai noon]

I agree.
utter pish.
I most certainly don't get my money's worth.
I like "the deadliest catch" and the UFC reality show, but hardly worth the bother.

Most of all I hate advertisements every 8 minutes, on every single channel.

I prefer the soothing voices of radio 5 live.

[AntRobertson]

I like "the deadliest catch" and the UFC reality show, but hardly worth the bother.

Yep there are at least a few decent things. I wouldn't write it off completely. Still (and I realise my position is a bit more unique) you get all those on M-Net as well. About the only downside is scheduling can be difficult due to the time difference.

All tell you what prompted this - aside from the slow building rage at the crap service that is - just been downstairs to see what was on the idiot box. Sure enough more of the usual crap movies and soccer on UBC (some wrestling also I think, yay!). Flicked over to M-Net and although it wasn't much better, I mean let's face it only losers are home on a Saturday night... oh, wait , there was the SA Vs India Test on at least (SA strolling it by the way) and the Dakar is coming up.

[blackgang]

And the 'sports' channels? Great if you're a soccer fan (which I'm not) and enjoy seeing replays of the replay of last weeks replay shown just after the repeat of last years games. Otherwise forget it, utter bollocks.

I have no use for soccer, but if you watch Monday nite football on ESPN you see exactly what is listed in quote, see half of the football game and the other 1 1/2 hour is old soccer clips and other advert. bullshit

I also like the deadliest catch, I worked up there some and commercial fished and it just re-confirms my reasons for never going for a King Crab boat.

The wife and kid do like to watch TV and the programs on UBC, I don't watch that much and if it wasn't for NFL I never would have got it, and them watching it is the only reason that I pay for the way overpriced shit.

[AntRobertson]

if it wasn't for NFL I never would have got it

I don't mind the NFL. Don't watch it 'live' though, on too late for me. Try to catch the replays when I can (often better than live anyways with all the breaks taken out).

Rugby man myself so UBC is practically worthless. I remember a few years back one of the final (and most important) games of the Tri-Nations was to be shown but we found out that it was to be shown on delay because (and i shit you not) they were replaying a soccer game. WTF!?! Not bumped to show some important match but bumped to show a replay, fockers!

We ended up jumping on a plane down to BKK to watch it in a bar with M-Net.

[Gerbil]

I've been debating chucking it myself. I pay for the platinum package, but have only switched the TV on once myself in the last six months. I dont watch sports really and I get my TV and movies fix via bittorrent.

The rest of the family watch it quite a bit so I suppose it would be a bit selfish of me to cut it off. I suppose I could always tell the wife to pay the bill from her money.....

[Marmite the Dog]

I used to pay very little for a pirate UBC box, but even that was too much, so I ditched it a couple of years ago. Utter bollocks.

I will prolly get the Yarpie sat eventually, but I just don't care if I watch TV or not anymore.

[RDN]

...Most of all I hate advertisements every 8 minutes, on every single channel...

Slight exaggeration - there aren't any adverts on the movie channels: HBO, Cinemax, Star Movies, MGM, TCM, MovH, except trailers for their own channel.

But the cost is ridiculously high - almost as much as Sky TV in the UK, which has excellent features like being able to programme up to a week in advance and automatically switch to your programmed channel when the time comes.

The adverts I hate the most are on CNN and BBC World - the self-promoting ones by the reporters themselves. They make me want to puke.

[AntRobertson]

I will prolly get the Yarpie sat eventually

Definately worthwhile particularly if you're a sports fan.

Hard to get now though.

[Marmite the Dog]

I will prolly get the Yarpie sat eventually

Definately worthwhile particularly if you're a sports fan.

Hard to get now though.

J-Sat still do it for those of us darn sarf, but they don't show the Old Bangkok Bangers enough, so I think I'll pass until they sort themselves out.

[AntRobertson]

J-Sat

J-Sat? Is that the mob who push their wares outside the department stores and the like? Think it's a one-off payment but you have to update your card (encode) every month?

Got them here to but I got a 'legitimate' sub with M-Net in SA. I've heard tales of woe from people who've splashed out on the install etc and then been unable to contact the 'vendor' to get the updated codes

[kingwilly]

i did it ages ago.....

buy the DVD's - movies, kids shows and cartoons, american sitcoms...

then u choose to watch something when u actually do.

rugby, cricket, footy - go to the pub - afterall that is the best place to watch it from anyway!

[ChiangMai noon]

rugby, cricket, footy - go to the pub - afterall that is the best place to watch it from anyway!

I suppose so, if you are one of those nasty halciholic types.

[Little Chuchok]

I will prolly get the Yarpie sat eventually

Definately worthwhile particularly if you're a sports fan.

Hard to get now though.

How did you get yours?

[lom]

I suppose so, if you are one of those nasty halciholic types.

Amazing how quick a little devil can become a saint

[AntRobertson]

I will prolly get the Yarpie sat eventually

Definately worthwhile particularly if you're a sports fan.

Hard to get now though.

How did you get yours?

Basically 'inherited' it. Mate of mine had it but left so I grabbed it.

Whiles back after a bunch of us became aware you could get it here a mate of ours went to South Africa and bought back some of the decoders and cards. Has been done on successive trips but is getting harder now as M-Net appear to trying to close the loophole that meant you could subscribe from overseas. Luckily however I've got a lot of Zim and/or Saffa mates so can provide a 'home' address in either place.

[kingwilly]

I suppose so, if you are one of those nasty halciholic types.

Amazing how quick a little devil can become a saint

and a sanctimonious one at that!

[Wallace]

If I didn't have UBC, I'd run out of people to hurl abuse at. I love those people in the customer support centre.

'No, sir, we're not experiencing any problems with UBC Cable at the moment in your area.'

'So why has there been no picture for the last 12 hours?'

'Where is it again you live, sir?'

'You know where I live, I've told you 3 times in the last 5 minutes, when you asked me for my address and subscription number.'

'Yes, but we're having problems with our computers.'

'So why do you need my address? Your computers aren't working.'

'I need to check for any maintenance in your area.'

'But you said there are no problems with the service in my area.'

'Please confirm your address, sir.'

'Phra Kanong, near Rama IV and Sukhumvit'.

'Ah, yes, we seem to be having problems in that area right now.'

'I know there are f****ng problems in the area, that's why I rang you 15 minutes ago, waited in your infernal queue for 10 minutes and told you my UBC isn't working.'

'Mmmm (probably contemplating my use of the f word). The engineers should be finished in a few hours.'

'So why did you tell me there isn't a problem in my area? You've said this at least twice before. And while I'm on, why did you take off MTV and VH1 without warning?'

'We no longer have a contract with MTV, sir. Your service will be back on soon. Goodbye.'

And she hung up before I could get in another expletive. The number of times I've asked for a refund for the missing service hours - you'd think you were asking for a blowjob or something.

Like most services of this kind in Thailand, they get as much out of punters as possible for the least possible effort. Appalling all round and as soon as I leave this place, I'm getting a different service.

[Little Chuchok]

Basically 'inherited' it. Mate of mine had it but left so I grabbed it.

Whiles back after a bunch of us became aware you could get it here a mate of ours went to South Africa and bought back some of the decoders and cards. Has been done on successive trips but is getting harder now as M-Net appear to trying to close the loophole that meant you could subscribe from overseas. Luckily however I've got a lot of Zim and/or Saffa mates so can provide a 'home' address in either place.

That's a bugger then.I'm fucking sick of UB fuckig C.

[AntRobertson]

That's a bugger then.I'm fucking sick of UB fuckig C.

Yeah, definately need the contacts to get the 'legitimate' one (same avenue that Irish Pub took).

The pirated service (forget what they call themselves) is definately an option, 'one time' set-up and installation fee and very little (if anything) after that.

Problem with that however is that the codes are changed every month so you're somewhat at the mercy of the mob you bought it off - if they go out of business or decide they simply can't be arsed then you're stuck with a system that does feck all.

[dirtydog]

I assume the codes are released on the internet every month anyway, just google the sat name and monthly codes or cracks and you should find them.

[Little Chuchok]

Yeah, definately need the contacts to get the 'legitimate' one (same avenue that Irish Pub took).

The pirated service (forget what they call themselves) is definately an option, 'one time' set-up and installation fee and very little (if anything) after that.

Problem with that however is that the codes are changed every month so you're somewhat at the mercy of the mob you bought it off - if they go out of business or decide they simply can't be arsed then you're stuck with a system that does feck all.

What do you pay per month for the jaapi one?

[AntRobertson]

I assume the codes are released on the internet every month anyway, just google the sat name and monthly codes or cracks and you should find them.

Yup, but it's my understanding that you still have to encode the card with them which requires an encoding machine of some sort?

What do you pay per month for the jaapi one?

USD$70 so around 2,500B or, in other words, not a lot more than what you'd pay for the UBC package yet with better programming and services.

[raycarey]

UBC is crap, and so is maxnet.

does anyone use ipstar?

[RandomChances]

I"ve got the chepest UBC package 350 bhat a month only about 5 english channels, but I don't watch that much anyway