http://www.astro.com.my/byond/index.asp

For a start, we are offering five HD channels - Astro SuperSport HD, ESPN HD, HBO HD, National Geographic HD and HISTORY HD.

You may click here to subscribe online, call Astro Customer Service at 1300 82 3838 or visit an Astro service centre, to get the new Astro B.yond Box and subscribe to Astro B.yond High-Definition channels.

Existing Astro Customers:
Astro customers can swap out your current Astro box with the new Astro B.yond Box by clicking here to subscribe online or by calling Astro customer Service on 1300 82 3838.

You will receive the Astro B.yond Box, a new smartcard, a new outdoor dish unit (ODU), new remote control, and HDMI cables free of charge, on the condition that you return your current Astro box and commit to take up the high definition channels at RM20.00 per month, for a minimum of 12 months, which will allow you to enjoy the high definition channels of the standard definition channels available on your current subscription. If you want to keep your current Astro box, you are required to pay a RM80.00 standard installation fee.

Once you have confirmed your interest and agree to the Terms & Condition, we will process your requests accordingly on a first come, first served basis.

New customers:
If you are new to Astro and would like to get the new Astro B.yond Box and subsequently view the high definition channels, you will have to sign up to the current Astro standard definition packages while we process your application for the new Astro B.yond Box.

You will be given the standard definition Astro box, complete with the free standard installation, while waiting for the new Astro B.yond Box. Once the Astro B.yond Box is available, we will call you to arrange for an exchange.

You will receive the Astro B.yond Box, a new smartcard, a new outdoor dish unit (ODU), a new remote control, and HDMI cables free of charge on the condition that you return the other Astro box, remote control, smartcard, ODU and commit to take up the high definition channels at RM20.00 per month for a minimum of 12 months, which will allow you to enjoy the high definition channels of the standard definition channels available on your current subscription.

Should add a none option in Poll #3 :P

i no HD tv...

what if you have 2 decoder.? do u need to have two new decoder? if i want to maintain 1 HD and the other one as normal can ah?

subscribed d :) but waiting

haha no nid la...understood liao



wui get one la...cheaper than ur car mods la



i think u read the FAQ there ada this ques.......



me too..when u submit? i submitted on sat nite...till now no 1 called me.......

i called on Sat afternoon econs... they said 10 working days.

keep us posted nick...ty

wah..' HISTORY CHANNEL' in HD..lol

history channel got many documentary with 3D scenes.. so i think will be best to view in HD

The problem that a lot of people will have, including me is some of us connect Astro decoder to more than 1 TV. If you have previously wired your house (as most people have) with the coaxial/RG-6 cabling then it might not work with this. (disclaimer: i say might cos im not sure)

Behind the new astro B.yond decoder there is one HDMI output and also RGB and composite video connectors. It doesn't have the RG-6/coaxial cable output like previous decoders.

Scenario 1 === 2 or more LCD TV and you want to watch HD on all of them
If you have (for example) 3 LCD TV (HD) then you need 3 HDMI cables... but to do that you need to buy a HDMI splitter. and rewire your house with 3 long HDMI cables. I am not sure of the length it can go without causing problems. Related problem is how do you change the channel from the other rooms (in the old system you can use an IR repeater which the signal can send thru the coaxial cable). I guess need to find RF IR repeater.

Scenario 2 === 2 or more LCD TV but you only want to watch HD on the main LCD and the others SD pun ok
Slightly easier in this case. Put the decoder below the main LCD and use HDMI cable to connect direct. For the other LCD TVs in the house you can use the legacy connectors (Composite Video/RGB). Remember there is no RG-6/coaxial connector.

I'm going for scenario 2 but have a lot of questions
- Can i wire composite video cable (Yellow-Video, White and Red-Audio for L/r) for 100 feet?
- Same as above RGB?
- Anyway to convert composite video/rgb to RG-6?

Still researching.... anyone know more than me please share... :p


Photos of the decoder (link taken from LYN) <--- website in chinese, dont understand but just put ur mouse on the top left of the photo then you can click on the various photos to see

http://cblog.cari.com.my/html/59/192959-216303.html

to process the app?????? fu ahhhhh....d*mn long



just sign up la..rm20 extra saja



yeah...can see the those OLD CUPS clearly



NGEO and history is worth it..but i baru cut the 2 channels .........



this is wat i call RICH MAN PROB..........my house dont haf 4 lcd tvs!!!!!!!

maybe not for now.

I will go for it. I think have to act fast, as next year is the world cup year, Astro will bang on it as it will be the first time in life can enjoy
World cup in HD and hopefully the broadcast is ready !

i think CJ8 knows ASTRO v well...maybe he can give us some helping hand?

This is interesting. I am interested. Does Astro B.yond Box function same as Astro MAX? Can record or not? If not, i should change the normal decoder la.. sayang my MAX .. can move the MAX to bedroom then pasang B.yond Box at living room..

if not mistaken a 120ohm coax can take up to 100 meter with minimum signal loss..

kenot record..but it has usb port to connect to external HDD...but i heard they only allow selected content to be recorded......

but it's HDMI cable. can't use coax for HD :p do u know how far HDMI lenght can go?

just browse the internet.. so far only found the longest HDMI is 50meter and cost £359.. wow..

wah 50m!!!!!!!!!

maybe u can try to hook up the astro byond with an AV receiver then from there split it up to your TVs..


u can keep the MAX for an extra rm80

Tak yah.. i just let them take the normal decoder.. the max i pakai ler.. since i got 2 astro decoders. One is Max.

maybe i'll just wait... i just reduced my package due to no time to watch...

tats what i was thinking about tao or a AV amplifier but i still need to rewire the whole house with new cables :(





hmm i heard old decoders will not work with the new dish. but do give astro a call to confirm. a lot of ppl are saying diff things lately...

u already got the answer lor..


what connection u use before? i think AV receiver can convert the signal from HDMI input to AV output

it can.. i already talked to the astro guy earlier today during my registration for astro byond subscription as my house also got 2 decoders..

then how come they providing a new dish for byond decoder?.........AFAIK u need new dish to connect to MEASAT3

hmm i think astro ppl also not sure. cos the lady at csc told me old decoder cannot be used with new dish. maybe among them also confused. i think best is ask the technician tat install...


p.s. anyone know whether can buy composite cable (RCA jack) in malaysia? (50 feet and 100 feet)

How about signal during raining?
same as old one?
or more better than that?

still prone to weather disruptions........unlike IPTV

new decoder must use new disc to receive HD content, old decoder can use new disc to receive normal content, if not why they opt for you to keep the old decoder at rm80?

if RCA jack, can custom made maa.. any length also can

yeah this makes sense...

taok-astro also told u take 10 working days?

How about those living in condos, like me, who have a centralised astro dish. Can astro accomodate ah? I'm quite interested lah.

yupp.. they told me the same, now just wait lor..

wait and see first...

who already changed and wanna sell old decoder can find me...
mau modify jadi decepticon

old decoder dont have HDMI port, so cant receive the fullest HD quality, that is the let down for old decoder.

already subscribe yesterday, they will take in about 10 days to process my order, only work on dedicated dish, centralized not accepted, i also have centralized dish in my apartment, but i opt for installer to install dedicated dish only for my use, stronger signal, no sharing.

can but astro is in nego wif property developers they mentioned..u can check under the FAQ there



ok 10working days to process means only after 10 days they will contact u to arrange installation?...i submitted online on sat...then i called yday coz no news...the fella say some1 will call me in 24 hours to confirm my app...till now no news



bro, ur condo allow that?

Heard from cousin who works in Astro that TM is launching their own cable TV next year. And that is why Astro is trying to launch this HD service eventhough they are not well prepared to do so. Just to be ahead of their soon to be competitor. Competition is good for us.
I'll wait and see for the time being

me apartment oni maa, but last time i live in condo also, can also install dedicated dish, yerp, most of the condo allow, just need to ask permission oni, some need to put deposit for installation, and its refundable.

yeah thats the main reason coz by mac 2010, tm will launch IPTV.......which is not prone to weather disruption...



just wondering coz wif centralized antenna i thought they wont allow for separate dish


anyway latest update...they just called me..free subscription till mac2010..only april 2010 need to pay!

IPTV, yeah weather proof, but how much can u expect the quality ranging from worst to best, scale 1-10, 5? I dont even think hit 2, streamyx we agree now already have 4mb, but only some area can cope that package, reason why because they dont have enough equipment yet to deploy high speed network overall the country. Underground fiber connection deployment of course will only hit major rich urban area, what about sub-urban area? I've seen house of org asli with Astro installed deep inside the jungle, but i dont think IPTV can do. I still remember one TV ads about org asli using streamyx, funny, but it doesnt happen actually in real world.

They gonna dump everything all together inside one backbone, 3g, streamyx, iptv, dialup connection, and we as a user suffer, not worth money paid.

The best video streaming i've experienced with no lag at all is from one of TM subsidiary facility, and that is under leased line worth 40K per month.

Thanks for the info you have provided. Was searching high and low for more information on the decoder input and output.

I spoke to an astro installer, it seems they have a converter to convert the signal to RF and with existing cabling (if you already have with previous decoder) then plug it into the 2nd TV. Quoted cost about RM170 for the converter and RM100 for installation. Yet to see the device and he did not mention how to use with the remote control. Additional device required?

The other option which I discovered would be to get HDMI IR CAT-5 Extender (1 set HDMI input with IR blaster and HDMI IR CAT-5 Receiver). It is using HDMI cable from decoder to device, then with 2 pairs of CAT-5 or CAT-6 (shielded) network cabling from sender to receiver and lastly HDMI cable from receiver to TV. The IR device will allow you to use the Astro remote control at all TV.

The second option is good because the flexibility of the network cabling and is cheaper than 100 feet of HDMI cables. HDMI cable has to be custom made and with distance limitation. However, in terms of cost the hardware could be expensive (about RM2,000).

I also found a similar cheaper version without IR (about RM250).

The only difference between the expensive and cheap device here is length. The expensive one allows up to 91m (300 feet) for 1080p whereas the alternative cheaper device only allows up to 30m (approx 100 feet) for 1080p and 60m (approx 200 feet) for 480p (degraded).

The other cost here will be the network cabling, CAT-5 and CAT-5e would cheaper compared to CAT-6 type cables and it has to be 2 points.

Among the options above, the RF converter is the cheapest and it may not give you the HD you want (yet to verify).

Hope these can help us explore how to get maximum ROI from our RM20 on the Astro Byond ... more $$$ to spend.

Sorry, clicked on wrong button. I have replied on your queries.

Just got the byond installed yday....so TnC confirmed on 17/12 installed on 28/12.......around 10 calendars as promised...not too bad.......

i have 2 issues though......not sure if anyone can help me

1) volume on SD channels is soft...however this only happens after changing fr HD channels to SD channels...if i on it n tune straight to SD channel, volume is ok.......weird????????

2) for audio settings only can set to analogue n not dolby..if set to digital the HD channels no sound...takkan my LCD dont support? using LG42FR......ter, can verify this?

thanks

thx. at the time of your posting i already have my astro installed. i opted to use composite video cables. So i have the main LCD connected using HDMI for HD video and the other 3 LCD using composite video (RCA cables) stretching 15m, 18m, and 23m. Got a composite video amplifier/splitter for RM85 and it works well after tests done yesterday. I can only watch SD quality on the composite video connections but it looks better than RF cable.. i think.Now i need to look for a wireless IR repeater for the remote... :s



(1) - i told u on SB yesterday ma haha. many said this too in LYN. this is cos u using HDMI cable i think.
(2) - ermm.. tak tau. must read LYN liao. lol

i think if u set to digital, u probably need to connect via the optical out? does the new decoder have optical out? or SPDIF out?

but weird if ur using HDMI and they still call it analogue...

wui speak english hahahah........anyway pics here.......

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment




so this one every1 also kena? not only me la? ada apa solution?

if thst not english what u called it?

u need to chk ur astro decoder, just like ur ps3, it has optical out. so maybe in the astro decoder settings, setting it to output digital probably means setting the audio to the optical port and not HDMI...

wui my knowledge in audio settings is at NOOB level la wei.....ok so for ps3 its thru HDMI i suppose? since i dont haf such prob.....

but how 2 confirm if setting digital on decoder is to optical port n not HDMI?

in the ps3 can set as hdmi or digital out or analogue... but not sure whether the same settings means the same thing in ur HD astro decoder