I'm not happy with the change, tho. I want back BBCE. I watch Red Dwarf on that channel -.-

(Stupid Metrovision last time cancel the show halfway, typical of Malaysian TV stations)

An option I'd like to see is i60 pull-up. For various reasons.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 2 2010, 11:40 AM

yah, but I dun mean Astro transmit in 1080i60. I mean just include an option for the decoder to pull the signal up to 1080i60 from 1080i50 (or 720p60 from 720p50). Because currently only got two companies making HDMI video capture card for PC (Auzentech's not out yet). Only BlackMagic Design's card support 1080i50. AVerMedia's card only support 1080i60. But AVerMedia's card is very much cheaper and comes with a WinMCE plugin so can view 1080 res image on HD LCD display. Sure, they dun sell the AVerMedia here, but buying from Amazon and then sending to VPost still way cheaper than getting a BlackMagic locally. 1U MacAsia want RM1200 for the BlackMagic Intensity. My calculations tell me that the AVerMedia card comes up to only RM450 if buy from Amazon then ship to vPost. And I'm sure surely got older 1st gen HD-ready TV that cannot support 50Hz HD...

Dunno why nobody wants to support DeTV...

Oh, yeah. I remember now. Lousy internet. Nice job breaking it Streamyx

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 2 2010, 12:19 PM

Astro transmit 1080p? I thought they only transmit 1080i?

In any case tho, the idea is for support for cheaper HDMI video capture cards. RM1200 is a lot, and sumore no guaranteed support for usage in WinMCE. Otoh, Avermedia's card got support guaranteed, but won't receive 50Hz input (I had a long talk with their support staff). And there's no equivalent in Asian region. Only US have AVerMedia HDMI video capture cards.

Edit: turns out that the Auzentech's HDMI cannot be used for capture at all...

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 2 2010, 12:53 PM

I wasn't charged the RM80 either. I think the T&C is that as long as the set is complete working condition there's no charge. I return my decoder, remote and dish, but kept the wiring.

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

Thing is, I'm not interested in recording off HDMI. It's just that it's been part of the plan to relay HD satellite to the HTPC since I built it. That's why the HTPC has the biggest screen and 5.1 speakers. Besides, in the future, the decoder will have PVR function (maybe have to pay and bring your own external USB hard disk), and I can always use composite to record. Right now the composite of the decoder is connected to my ye-olde-VCR (what is that? it's a magical device from the 1980s!) which can receive the SD image from the decoder fine with no problems at all.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 2 2010, 10:38 PM

Interesting. Where to buy? Pasar road?

Above can use as real-world case for the reason to include 1080i60 pull-up option on decoder. Not only US HDTVs. Many first-gen HDTVs (i.e. early 720p only plasmas and CRT) cannot handle 50Hz input. Cheaper DVI-enabled LCD monitors cannot handle that input as well even if it can handle HDCP.

Yah, agreed. Hardwired sub aka Open Captioning is irritating. I personally don't like it, especially when it's chock full of errors i.e. RTM's. Apparently either some of their translator people cannot speak English or cannot speak Malay. I noticed a lot of English shows have laughably mistranslated Malay subtitles.

Hope they bring in Discovery HD soon. I also want it.

Ok.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 3 2010, 10:34 PM

Don't bother with monster cable. It's all digital, so either signal make it (clear picture), or signal don't at all. A possible third scenario is the signal only intermittently making it (theoretically, would be like picture resembling Astro during hujan lebat PLUS intermittent HDCP errors). The third scenario is unlikely to occur because HDMI mandates that the power strength sent by a HDMI device must be powerful enough to get through a 15 meter wire without loss at all. If got loss then either cable is faulty, cable does not meet spec (longer than 15m or poor quality due to high resistance) or Astro decoder/TV is faulty. No such thing as picture getting sharper with better cable.

Did more testing. Apparently the EPG loss is temporary. All I needed to do was to just cycle through all the channels I subscribed to and press OK twice to make the EPG come back. I'm currently still using #18.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 4 2010, 01:34 AM

Like I said earlier, there's a possibility of intermittent HDCP errors and/or picture/sound garbling, but that indicates a problem with the cable itself, or problem with decoder or TV. Point is, a working RM20 cable is no different from a working "Monster" cable when it comes to PQ/SQ in digital.

Last time I change mine, it stuck. But my decoder has different problem: it keeps resetting channel to Australia Network and volume to 50% when I switch it off. You did answer "Yes" when asked to confirm, right?

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 4 2010, 10:57 AM

K. I'll get back to you once I get home and double check.

Monitor must also support 50Hz input (i.e. 1080i50/720p25). Check monitor manual and/or contact customer support.

Depend on monitor. Most should show something like "Resolution not supported" if no support.

Actually, I think the SD channel is perpetually downscaled to 576i regardless of HD setting. For HDMI signal, picture will automatically upscale to selected resolution dispite native image res. Will let you know for sure once I get my HTPC setup up and running.

Try upnplugging it from mains, wait few minutes, then plugging back. Once plug back, leave it on standby (let LED show time) for a few hours. Mine updated as soon as the installer connected the dish cable to the box and then unplug the decoder and plug back in.

Another thing Astro should offer on the decoder: a "check for updates now" option in the setup screen, Like PS3 and Wii. Make things easier. Also, they should put the "download channel list" option. I cannot find the option on the b.yond box.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 5 2010, 10:52 AM

Tried with the BlackMagic Intensity. SD channels no problem. HD channels show picture for 5 seconds then as expected, blank screen with "Copy Protection Failed" error.

*sigh* us Asians got no love when trying to get HTPC to play nice with satellite. US got AverMedia card which is HDCP compliant. Problem is said card only work with p24, p30 and i60 sources. No p25 and i50 support.

The only thing we have is the BlackMagic Intensity which does not support HDCP.

Looks like I either cancel my HD subscription or buy yet another new TV. I dun want HDMI switch, and the Dell is the largest screen in my lair.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 5 2010, 11:33 PM

Well, it's RM1050. I got the Pro edition because the regular Intensity is discontinued.

I'm not surprised about the SD channels not being protected tho. Probably because it makes no difference if you plug in a VCR or DVD recorder into composite and record from there or if you use HDMI

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 6 2010, 02:28 AM

Will see how first. Since my intention, as I said before, it's not for recording (I already have VCR wired to composite for that), it's just that I want to output HD signal from decoder to biggest screen in my lair.

I think the card only act as video capture device, it doesn't read the streams directly to hard disk, it decompresses the stream to YUV 4:2:2 and PCM audio, and let your video capture program of choice do recompression.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 6 2010, 10:14 AM

No, monitor is HDCP compliant. Or else cannot even play DVDs (it's Windows 7, who like Vista thinks it owns all my DVDs). Problem is the BlackMagic Intensity itself has very simple HDCP control. If signal is copy protected, just drop video, dun care if system has HDCP monitor or tell windows to refuse recording. For HDCP stripper, well, I'm exhausted from trying already, going to stop trying this for a while. Plus, legality of HDCP stripper debatable.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to the recording feature too. However, anyone think they'll be like the US where they charge extra for you to use the feature? I hope they don't, because I have to buy own hard disk to record.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 6 2010, 11:01 AM

I think the terminology here is like fighter plane. Locked means can follow the signal, which is good. Unlocked means cannot follow the signal, which is bad. Not the other way around.

A few users have already went the AV to RF converter path. My advice: if getting a RF converter, get a good quality one. Also, make sure the frequency you choose for the RF output is really unused.

As for one month since first register, call Astro again. Someone here say that threaten them with SKMM/MCMC complain usually will speed them up.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Jan 6 2010, 02:11 PM