I waiting 29 days before get byond install. Ur still lucky just wating for 20 days.

29th Jan 2010 : Apply Astro B.yond through Astro website
30th Jan 2010 : Astro called to confirm my subscription
2nd Feb 2010 : Installer arrived, replaced the dish, replaced the old cable with new ones with proper wiring in 30 minutes. Asked us to wait for 1 hour for the proper account information to be updated at their HQ.

Gau Tim!

By that time, it was like 7:15 pm.....first channel to look at is HBO HD, showing the movie Twins. Not convinced at all as they are using SD contents to show it in HD channel , I even have to set the aspect ratio to 4:3 to have a proper viewing condition....Other than that, everything else is fine, Sports Channel looks brilliant.

Sorry to the other contributors for repeating myself, but setting the entry point makes ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE to your signal strength. All you are doing by setting it to #18 is measuring a different and stronger transponder. By measuring #18 does not mean #1 is any stronger, it will be the same it's just that you are measuring something else.

Changing to #18 and believing that you have a stronger signal is like measuring the top speed of a Toyota and then saying your Myvi is faster as a result! The two are totally unrelated!

I hope this clears this up. I don't want anyone with a bad (<200) installation thinking it is better by setting the entry point to #18!

The reason for these settings is to control the "default transponder", the one the satellite tries to pick up first. On most Satellite Receivers I have seen these are normally typed manually, not as a selection list on the B.yond box. If a box does not pickup a signal on the default transponder then it usually scans all frequencies for a signal, perhaps this is a scan list. This kind of configuration is used in case of a transponder or even worse a satellite failure.

I really hope this helps to clear this up.... I'll keep a copy of this post to hand just in case

Oh ya, I asked the installer, they said Astro will be converting all the channels to HD by end of the year...of cos, its not guaranteed..

All channels?? As I know, some channels just even not switched to HD yet

Personally I really dislike the stretched and upscaled content on HBO HD, the question is what do we all prefer, broadcasters have 3 choices.

1. Show any old SD content on a HD channel, this includes stretched 4:3 and really does HD no favours
2. Show pillar boxed SD (black lines either side) (Astro Super Sports HD does this for Ice Hockey I think with channel branded pillars)
3. Show only HD and use HD promos when there is no SD content

You have to bear in mind many broadcasters dont have 24x7 HD content, so what should they do 1,2 or 3?

Hey, moderators how about a poll? It might give Astro some feedback!

I prefer choice num. 2... looks natural, but make the pillarbox animated to make it plasma friendly for long runs

Well, they said they are just installers, they don't know much, just knew that's what Astro's planning to do...


Yup, i would take option 2 as well.

This will never happen, many channel cannot justify the HD transmission cost as their audience is too low! One HD channel = 4 SD channels in terms of the space on the transponder! From what I have read, measured and assumed Astro have 10 transponders on Measat 3 and an assumed 6 on Measat 3a this is space of 80 HD channels, less than they broadcast now!

Many channels around the world continue to be SD only.

If I remember correctly Astro committed to having the main shows in HD by the end of the year, even that is a tall order.

Sky in the UK have had HD for 3 years and have 37 channels in HD and 800 in SD. For Astro to have all channels in HD by the end of the year would be almost impossible, even if they could afford it there is not enough HD content, see previous post on HBO HD!

Sure need tons of ringgit to convert....

Forgot to add, yes 2 is best but I have seen 3 done really well. In the UK Sky broadcast a HD test card with instructions on setting up your TV correctly. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yatMoXGPm5o its really good! Astro take note!

I'm not optimistic as well....but if they are able to convert some of the hot channels like Wah Lai Toi(311), AXN(701), Astro AEC(301) by the end of the year, then I'm more than satisfied

Take note that not all local production houses are HD ready yet... so we see pillar boxes more often...

Maybe Premium channels have higher chances appearing in HD.

i think, astro wlt will have hd version one day, it is because most of the wlt content are coming from tvb. As u know, most of tvb production in hd.

Anyone can give it reasonable answer?

I would say 1080i as SD channel are not overscanned in native resolution of your TV

"If" i use CRT TV on B.yond, it wouldn't be same?

Else your CRT have HDMI port, u won't get any setting other than 576i.

even on HD channels, my crt bring more lively colour than my LCD .... sd sports channel is quite unbrearable on LCD tv so i watch them on CRT.