[jmaresky]

After trying to live without cable TV for our first few months, we are starting to get bored of Pearl and World.
What are the options, what are the costs and what is recommended?
Thanks,
Jonathan

[KnowItAll]

Jonathan,

Cable TV or Now Broadband, both of them are pretty decent and run around 200-500 depending on the channels and if you use their services for broadband access.

http://www.cabletv.com
and
http://www.nowbroadbandtv.com/eng/

[jmaresky]

Great - thanks.
(http://www.cabletv.com.hk is the correct link...)

That doesn't seem to be much in the way of a competitive market... Now Broadband does not really have the same range of available channels. What about the option of satellite - is it possible/economic/hassle-free?

[jmaresky]

So I just spoke to HK Cable - either you pay through the nose for "Basic Cable" which includes 36 channels, half of them junk.

Or you can take another package with different combinations of channels, but you cannot add "basic channels" like CNN, Discovery, BBC, etc.

And there is no competition in HK so they can justofy their high prices and lack of flexibility. Does anyone out there know of any alternatives?

Quite frustrating.

[chikakeru]

Hi jmaresky,

i am planning on getting cable too, what did you end up getting ?
it seems that there are only 2 choices in HK, cabletv.com or
nowbroadbandtv ?

Can you let me know.

Chikakeru

[jmaresky]

As far as I could work out, NOW broadband has MUCH fewer channels and does not seem to be worth it.

We got HK cable (basic service), but it is very expensive and 90% of the channels are an absolute waste. Unless you pay extra, you get no movies. We generally find that the only worthwhile channels are Discovery and the nature channels - maybe BBC/CNN (whichever you prefer) - but the rest are terrible. Unless you speak Mandarin/Cantonese.

Relative to other countries - this is a terrible rip-off. Daylight robbery.

Good luck and I will be happy to hear if you are able to find anything better.
Jonathan

[chikakeru]

Thanks, Jonathan for the tip. I will try to see what my options are on getting a satellite dish instead.

Regards,

Chikakeru

[Lammarite]

In the Middle East you had a choice of service suppliers and competition was hot. There were a lot of Indian/Pakistani/Egyptian etc channels also but for the 5-6 english language channels worth watching (i.e not fashion channel etc) it ws a good rate. There isn't the need for english speking channels here so there wont be any push from the vendors.
If you are willing to go under the table, there are various suppliers who will hook you up with a shitload of channels from South Africa/UK/US etc for very little via pirate card. You get all the movie channels, sports, series, comedy etc from Phillipines, India also.

[whiskey1082]

I just got HBO and Cinemax in my Now Broadband TV!!! YIPIIEEE!!!! I hope there's more to come.

I used to be a CableTV subscriber....its just dat there rates are sky high...not satisfied with there Channel Line-up....plus...they kept on promising a very clear reception...they even once replaced my old decoder with a new "DIGITALIZED" decoder....but the reception still aint that satusfactory and not as clear as NOW Broadband which is DVD quality reception.

I have a friend working from PCCW marketing and according to him, NOW broadband's gonna expand there channel line-up soon like adding ESPN and CNN. They still have to wait for those pay channels to end their exclusivity right contract with CableTV. Whats best with NOW is there rates are per channel in which you could choose like channels of your own choice. HOORAY for PCCW!

With regarding to LAMMARITE's sat tv...since the fact that it is illegal, there are some estates here in HK that bans setting up those small sat dished inside the premises...I say that its quite suitable for those living on old flats or at village houses. (My sister has one). The set-up is around HKD3,000 but you have to get someone who is professional enough to set-up and position the dish for the best picture quality possible. You also have to replace the pirate card every three months for around HK$600. But I got to admit, the channel line-up is quite exciting...you get FOX, Nickelodeon, HBO, Disney....tons tons more!!! You name it! Plus the picture quality is very good....if it wasnt my residential estate's rules stating that setting up sat dishes arent allowed....I'd have one hehe.

[rani]

Sat TV, reminds me when we were living in Mid-Levels, we used to overlook an old low rise. The owners on the top floor installed a Satellite Dish on their roof, and it wasn't secure at all. After every typhoon or thunderstorm each family member in turn would fiddle with the dish to get it to work again. It was quite amusing.