TV Satellite dishes

[GomiGirl]

Our satallite TV provider has stopped offering their services and we own the dish and box.

Can these be reused if we hook up with a different provider? Or are we stuck with disposal?

Trying to decide between a cable over fibre service using our B-Flets (internet) or another satellite service. Any suggestions regarding the best option would be welcome.

[Taro Toporific]

....we own the dish and box.
Can these be reused if we hook up with a different provider? Or are we stuck with disposal?
Trying to decide between a cable over fibre service using our B-Flets (internet) or another satellite service. Any suggestions regarding the best option would be welcome.

Reusing the box depends on the SIMM card and the best satellite service is SkyPerfecTV that uses it's own SIMM card. Just ask any major Denki-ya, like BIC Camera for a comparison breakdown since most stores offer a chart.

Most likely the cable service you are considering is JCOM (Japan's largest cable service) which is very good. The other major cable service for Tokyo, itsCom, which is total trash for gaijin programing. My building has itsCom but all the people bought extra SkyPerfecTV sat equipment despite the cable being already is in place: itsCom's program choices are so crappy.

Whether you choose cable over fibre service using B-Flets or another satellite service TOTALLY depends on the must-have TV program choices you need. Prices are mostly the same and crappy TV program choices are not a bargan no matter how cheap they are.

If you just want gaijin TV news, no cable or satellite service is the best since NHK BS offers for "free" a spectrum of foreign news programs which you can timeshift on a DVR or VCR.

Bottomline: If you can get it, use the "triple play" JCOMM package of gaijin cable TV, fibre Internet, and fibre telephony--If you can't get JCOMM, buy the cheapest package of gaijin TV programs via cable or satellite that suits your needs especially if Aussie TV is a must-have.

----Taro, who had the first satellite CNN in a private dwelling in Japan in 1986 by registering my 8-mat 1DK as a "foreign hotel".

[FG Lurker]

----Taro, who had the first satellite CNN in a private dwelling in Japan in 1986 by registering my 8-mat 1DK as a "foreign hotel".

Taro, you're a genius.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Try the cable over fibre first before you get locked in if possible. I looked at Yahoo doing the same thing last year and wasn't too impressed. Maybe B-Flets (4th Media?) are better?

ABC Asia Pacific is free to pick up, but you need a sat dish with a 3 to 3.7m antenna, good luck in Tokyo. If you had MuraCAM before, all they were doing is relaying, so the dish could be smaller. Might not be much you can do with it.

[GomiGirl]

Try the cable over fibre first before you get locked in if possible. I looked at Yahoo doing the same thing last year and wasn't too impressed. Maybe B-Flets (4th Media?) are better?

ABC Asia Pacific is free to pick up, but you need a sat dish with a 3 to 3.7m antenna, good luck in Tokyo. If you had MuraCAM before, all they were doing is relaying, so the dish could be smaller. Might not be much you can do with it.

I was with Muracam so still have this dish etc. I was looking at either 4th media (cable over fibre) or Sky Perfect (satellite) but can't decide.

I have NTT B-Flets (only 50mps to my building buu!!) and So-Net for my broadband and I can get 4th media as an extension of this. ABC Asia Pacific is included in the line-up of channels But I was worried that it would slow down the computer connection again. I guess I should just upgrade my home computer to a mac mini from the G3 that I grabbed from the office graveyard. It is pretty damned slow.

So we have had a bad few weeks tech wise at home - the region free player crapped out and the replacement is total shit.. I need to get a new one again as the first one that was sent didn't work at all and the second one is too jumpy. The Murcam service stopped so no more ABC asia pacific and we have nothing on video worth watching.. damn at least we have other things to keep us occupied after dinner...

ABC is free you say? No decoder box? Just a decent dish?

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

All the details and links are here.
http://australianetwork.com/tuning/

Encrypted programs started this year. From the site...
In 2006 some of our exclusive sports coverage will be delivered via an encrypted signal due to broadcast rights.

Main channel is free to air. I don't think Muracam were the only one with
contract issues, a hotel in Singapore I was at had the ABC Asia listed but never shown.