no charge at all as the installer came to setup this morning.
package
- setup box
- remote control
- hdmi cable
- power adapter
- guide & warranty card
- 1 rim of coaxial cable (not sure how long but quite big rim)

Finding:
- configure favorite channel but no respond even press on the Fav button.

I kept my Astro Max decoder and gave the installer an old decoder instead. As long as the decoder is working, it's ok, and I didn't pay anything either.

So, yes, you got screwed!

The installer should have given you the 20 meter wire for future use if he did not install it for you. The wire was included in the package.

Greeting Guys
now me register for b.yond at the website
http://www.astro.com.my/byond/subscriptionform.asp
after install the next month bill will start charge more Rm20 ?
TQ

I'm Not Using Monster HD Cable but when i use my 24k gold plated hdmi cable.....the sd channels become much more clearer......and the hd channels have also some slight improvement..........Dark Knight on HBO HD really got diff......Can see the jokers paint very detail.... .....also if i use the astro hdmi cable....the picture will be slightly blurred when there are too much action....but with my other cable...picture is more smoother...

---

Added on January 2, 2010, 2:05 pmi nvr get coaxial cable oso...i had to buy from shop

This post has been edited by sciencefreak: Jan 2 2010, 02:05 PM

The installer have taken your coaxial cable.

Astro B.yond Campaign Terms & Conditions

This Campaign comes with a standard installation which includes:
a.Labour;
b.bare surface run cable with clips (includes 20m cable and F-connectors);
c.Transportation;
d. Basic connectivity to TV;
e. Activation of the Astro B.yond Box;
f. Demonstration on operations of the Astro B.yond Box and its features; and
g. 6 months installation workmanship warranty.

This post has been edited by dannychen: Jan 2 2010, 02:15 PM

Gold plated HDMI vs Astro HDMI cable will have no difference considering the signal of both source are digital.

If you notice any difference, its probably the placebo effect.

but they nvr include the coaxial cable in the package also....thats why i never ask....haizzzz that means i spent rm 40 for nothing......lolzz

---

Added on January 2, 2010, 2:24 pmplacebo effect?????


This post has been edited by sciencefreak: Jan 2 2010, 02:24 PM

Well, he gave me 5M because previous to this I got extend the cable myself using some cheap antenna cables. He took back the remaining 15M. Cheap antenna cable I keep.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_effect

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 2 2010, 02:38 PM

well...i'm not the only one saying there is diffrence my whole family says got diffrence...and i nvr told them that i switched my hdmi cable....

No it will not make any difference. I challenge you to find an article that supports gold plated HDMI improves picture quality.

i don't see any major noticable improvement over PQ on both SD & HD channels too when i switched from Astro provided HDMI cable and the gold-plated one given FOC for my Pana plasma purchase.

however i do notice that the Pana's HDMI cable is slightly bigger in terms of diamater as compared to Astro's.

Exactly my thoughts when i first read that post.... its digital signal... no way in hell it will improve the PQ ..its either got picture or no picture... =__=... so those watever expensive monster cables for hdmi is just monster in price but still the same thing with a brandless hdmi cable for rm20....

yeah, got screwed royally, luckily went to astro ipoh there enquired about the RM80, if not that fella sure profit a lot. Now lodged complaint against this installer, unethical pos!!!

Right now, the majority of pro HD cameras on sale to be used for news coverage or concert are in 1080p only because the price difference is minimal (the bigger cost is in storage media). But back before BD, the majority of those cameras are in 1080i only since that was the standard in HD broadcasting. Look at some of the earlier concert recordings on BD and you'll see that they are only 1080i. These are the shot-on-video productions.

Back before the RED, TV shows are shot using film then telecined to 1080i with EFX also in 1080i. With the RED (and other pro digital cameras) they can shoot at 2Kwhile still maintaining the film look and ask for VFX work at 2K as well. The final cut for archive will be at 2K then they deliver a downconverted 1080i. Some shows are still using 35mm and some are using 16mm (BBC dramas).

Astro/RTM can start investing in 1080p cameras only if they want to archive or sell their RTM concerts and shows on BD. If it's just for news coverage, they can get a whole bunch of 1080i cameras since that's the broadcast standard.

With B.yond, Astro has pushed (not like other's didn't try before) the HD bandwagon further for Malaysia. I think that in the next couple of years, the pro HD camera and post pro businesses will boom because of the amount of shows that production companies need to deliver to Astro in HD. If RTM says they are going to HD soon, that will cause a bigger boom. The HD expansion will also cause make-up artists to be extra careful with their work, and the same thing is true for set designers and gaffers.

---

Added on January 2, 2010, 3:13 pm Here's a simple analogy: Think of the HDMI cable as an intranet e-mail system (intranet is internal network system as opposed to external ie internet). It's job is to ensure that each e-mail and its attachment are sent perfectly and timely.

Now say using the "Astro provided" intranet, e-mails received look exactly the same as they did when they were sent. But using the "Monster" intranet, the e-mails received seem to look brighter, with more crispness and cute backgrounds then they did before they were sent. The rational reasoning could only be two: 1) The Monster intranet is adding things to the signal that you didn't ask it to do; or 2) it's all in your head aka placebo effect.

The same argument is used when people talk about DTS HDMA and Dolby TrueHD on BD players. The sound should sound the same whether you let the player bitstream it to a HD receiver or if the player decodes it and sends the MPCM to the HD receiver. If it sounds better decoded by the HD receiver, then the receiver is sweetening the audio without you asking it to. For purists, that's a no-no.


fuad

This post has been edited by writesimply: Jan 2 2010, 03:14 PM

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I gave a call to CS yesterday regarding to the beyond things. They told me that we are a subscriber since 1996, so they are giving us a much better deal. Everything will be free, decoder, satelite, remote control, installation. And it will be free until april 2010. Is this consider a better deal? How many of you are actually a member since 1996-1998 and get a better benefits than me?

Ok, one more thing, as i might be relocating to another house soon, they told me if i stay with my current package, they will charge me RM150 for relocating. But if i subscribed astro beyong, then they will waive all the fees, i don't know how true is that, or the installer will charge me a fee for installation?

I'm about taking all the packages, imagine that i'm now paying RM18x every month.

ehh actually all of us getting the same offer-lah free everything till Apr 2010...mana ada only for pioneer subscribers..u kena con by them liao.

lol.....not only for old subscribers between 1996-1998...everyone gets this deal......

On the 1080i60 pull up request, I don't think Astro will entertain that, especially if they somehow figured that the intention is to record off HDMI...

I believe that it is possible that up to 70% of the world population has PAL 50Hz transmission, so the 60Hz (59.94Hz to be exact) community is a minority but they like to think that they rule the world... Pulling up a 576i (50Hz) transmission to 1080i60 at the decoder is going to cause a noticeable blurriness effect every few frames, same with 1080i50 going to 1080i60.

When I was in the US for work years ago, I knew I was not impressed by British shows on cable there that has been converted from PAL 576i to NTSC 480i (fully SD back then). In fact, the picture looks much better the other way around: NTSC 480i shows converted to PAL 576i as being done by all our local TV stations, Astro included.

Anyway, so is it true that the 1080i50 broadcast is actually derived from 1080p25 feeds, if it is, it helped explain the lack of deinterlacing artifacts, and the resolution is a perfect full HD. This is the way to go...