The technical term for this is "Card Pairing" and is used by most broadcasters worldwide, Astro are one of the few broadcasters that allow swapping of cards and I think that this was mostly due to limitations of the old (and hacked) Nagra encryption.

Card Pairing is introduced for many reasons, first tracking, security and profit, it helps prevent "gold cards" becoming available.

The second reason, and most important to us, is that pairing is required for set top boxes that record on to hard drive. Astro intend to introduce recording later this year and, as I see it (I do not work for Astro), the pairing is the first step. Imagine you want to record a program and you remove the card and put it in your bedroom set top box, it would then be really annoying if the recording failed!

All modern "recording" boxes have their ability to record controlled by the card (usually at a monthly charge), this means you need to keep the card in the box and to not let the card "go to Penang on holiday" with you!

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Added on February 9, 2010, 12:27 pmAnalogue stereo (using the red and white RCA connectors) is only stereo. If you want 5.1 you must use either the digital audio RCA or pass the HDMI through a 5.1 amplifier. Some surround sound systems can take a stereo signal and create a fake surround sound effect, but it is no way as good!


This post has been edited by AstInst: Feb 9 2010, 12:27 PM

nice explaination...

now still waiting their installer call me ..
did u all need to replace the white cable to black cable for connecting the dish ar ?
the cs told me is need to replace to black cable coz the black cable is digital and white cable(old) is analog.

if is need to replace the black cable then i pening kepala now leh
my new house is fix the cable already with connect my living room to the top of house from level 1 to level 3 leh
the cable wiring is already fix in wall and i dont know they can replace for me or not without rewining again.

hope they can reach to contact me asap lar.

the technician will use yr existing cable to connect. if the transmission is good (like in my case) no need to change.

Black cable? The newer one is also white in colour..

abt the Digital RCA tat is available in the Byond decorder, wat kind of cable should i look for and any pic of the cable?
is it only for 5.1 system?

thx

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Added on February 9, 2010, 5:11 pmyes its white and thicker too cause mine too was changed and the signal improves more than 10% too

btw, my signal on this Byond set is 206 and quality is 100%..... wat are you guys readings?

thx

This post has been edited by digilife: Feb 9 2010, 05:11 PM

i've 1 problem using my byond remote. its doesnt functioning for volume button. it is really problem or just me?

and how bout this button:
1. .@
2. apps
3. pic of tv size pic

This post has been edited by are_joy: Feb 9 2010, 05:14 PM

Volume control doesn't work for HDMI connection, u need to sync with your tv volume control. Please refer page 1, 1st post.


That's for future
http://www.astro.com.my/byond/smartuserguide.asp

This post has been edited by eMKs: Feb 9 2010, 05:33 PM

It's a standard RCA cable. Basically, you need to plug this into a kit that can decode 5.1DD that has the necessary speakers setup. Just buy any standard long enough RCA cable with 2 or 3 heads and use one of the connectors.

This post has been edited by RAMChYLD: Feb 9 2010, 05:36 PM

it is doesnt work for the whole life ? or maybe after upgrading by astro the button only can functioning ..

This post has been edited by are_joy: Feb 9 2010, 06:02 PM

Volume control for byond decoder (by default) is for analog audio out (RCA red/white connector) only. If u using digital connection (HDMI/Digital Coax), volume won't change even when u adjust it.
So, u need to control using TV volume. If u want to control your tv volume by using byond remote, u need to sync byond remote with your tv (please refer byond manual)
Yeah, it doesn't work for the whole life

This post has been edited by eMKs: Feb 9 2010, 06:15 PM

your mean that i need to enter code for my tv right? (as per manual guide intruction). OK i will try for all codes given as at manual guide.

1 more thing ... i lost signal once raining ... its not heavy raining but sometimes just hujan renyai ... then the signal lost ... can i change the strengh of the signal ... how it is ... and what ar the good signal level ....?

Yes you need to sync your remote, check the manual for instructions.

No you can not change the satellite signal level via changing any menu settings you can only monitor its strength.
see my blog to find out how to monitor it.

http://stinkyfruit.wordpress.com/2010/02/0...tellite-signal/

wat if i use an adaptor jack to connect to my altec lansing pc speaker?

thx

Heavy Rain at my home now...no signal...die die die...dem astro

There is some rain that the signal will just not get through, but the B.yond Dish is definitely better.

I did some testing on my own dish and there is really no reason that I can see why we all should not be getting a signal strength of at least 200 on the box. If your clear sky signal is less than 200 then you have a problem, more than 200 and its just too much rain! The thing that may affect your signal the most are:

1. Poorly aligned dish - Call your installer back!
2. You forced your installer to use old or concealed cable - Your fault!
3. You did not get a new dish (dark grey) or new LNB - Call your installed back
4. You did not get a new dish or LNB because you insisted that you kept your old one - Your fault!
5. Your cable run is more than 10m - In some instances this is unavoidable but in some instances it could be nearer, the nearer the better!
6. Your cable is a mix of old and new with joins at your request - Your cable should run from the LNB to the box with no breaks - Your fault
7. Your cable is a mix of old and new with joins - Your cable should run from the LNB to the box with no breaks - Call your installer back

I have done hundreds of pro installs, if not thousands, and the signal from a satellite is far more sensitive than you think. Your dish must be aligned correctly, the cable must be as short as possible and one continuous cable. ANY breaks, however they are joined, can cause you to loose 3db (which is almost half of the signal!).

I think that Astro have done as much as possible to fix the rain problem, as some of the forum members are seeing. What they really seem to struggle with is the quality of some of the installers, the sensitivity of the alignment and some of us insisting that they use old cable, concealed cable, old dish, old LNB or even worse old everything!

Using my "eye test" I have seen many dishes here in Ipoh that are obviously not aligned correctly, if my eye can see it then the signal strength must be terrible. As Astro are only using Vertical polarity then the horizontal alignment only needs to be good, the vertical can be a long way out but the signal strength will be bad!

This post has been edited by AstInst: Feb 9 2010, 11:13 PM

must change cables?? aiyo...

during installation - i saw my old cables - and i had a feeling that my older cable seems to be of better quality than the newer one given with beyond...the old one is kinda sturdy and the copper inside is thicker...also the centre copper doesnt go bengkok easily like the newer one...

not sure if i did the right thing, i opted to use the old cable instead of the new cheap-ish cable...the installer also agreed with me and said my older cable really looks better and of higher quality than the newer one (not sure he agrees coz it's an easier job fir him to install using older cables...hehe)

so we stick to the old cable...after installation, my reception seems to be quite good (nearly full bar - forgot the figures)...or maybe i'm just lucky?

and i even had to do some 'splitting' of cables since i have to decoders...dont think i suffer any loss of signal quality there

still the newer cable - a thick bundle of it - is still given to me by the installer...not sure what i'm gonna do with it...

it's been a month + with beyond now and so far so good...although a bit bored with all the limited programmes in HD channels

just hope i've made the right choice by not changing cables...janji boleh tengok...but dunno about the effect on heavy rain yet...



This post has been edited by silbii: Feb 9 2010, 11:47 PM

The thickness of the cable has nothing to do with the quality, what is important is the frequency range of the cable which you cannot tell by looking at it. The cable may be UHF cable (for terrestrial TV) in which case it will simply "bleed" the satellite signal, especially that on the higher frequency Measat 3a (HD!). The fact that it is so thick would say to me that it is very old UHF cable, good L-Band (satellite) cable is newer and therefore smaller.

Any splitters will give you problems. Try this, watch a HD channel on your B.yond box and try to watch ANYTHING on your other boxes, they will have a "no signal" message. This is because the B.yond box has instructed the LNB to switch to the high frequency band for Measat 3a and all your other boxes expect the LNB to be permanently tuned to the low frequency band. This type of splitting is STRICTLY AGAINST ASTRO GUIDELINES as it simply doesnt work!

The second problem you will now have is that every splitter halves the signal strength this will give you more rain fade!

What you have to remember is that you asked the installer to keep the old cable so any visit to fix it will be at your cost and any rain fade is your responsibility!

I have seen these kind of installs before, the installer takes the "easy route" and the installation is wrong!

Also, any external cable should be replaced every 5 to 10 years due to general damage and more importantly moisture in the cable, this almost kills the signal!

Sorry

This post has been edited by AstInst: Feb 10 2010, 12:52 AM

the coaxial cable is diameter is not thick, but the middle copper inside that sticks out at the f-connector is kinda thick and hard to bend...i work in a tv station too, so i (think) i'm kinda familiar with good broadcasting cables used for live broadcasts usage of OB vans etc...my old cables seem like some good quality rg 6 / rg 59 cables...but maybe i'm wrong...gotta check this with the tv engineering guys

still, i feel those new ones given by Astro seems so soft...and there's just a very thin copper inside which makes me feel like Astro's just been cost-savings by giving us average quality cables...coz it just look a tad better than an UHF / RF cable...hope not...

btw - about splitting...it's been a month++ and i've been using both decoders simultaneously everyday without any problems (touvh wood)...only one deoder is HD, the other one in another room, is still the old normal decoder ...so maybe this 'split' is ok?

well, just hope all these things do lasts... and i thought i was lucky huh? oh well...can't win 'em all

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Added on February 10, 2010, 3:05 amoops...got it wrong about the splitter...there's no splitter actually now, last time there was...that splitter is already removed...

now there's two independent cables from the sat dish to the decoders...one go to Beyond...one go to the normal one...so i guess i'm ok in this area now ...phew....glad!






This post has been edited by silbii: Feb 10 2010, 03:05 AM

The volume difference between SD & HD channels is OK for me!
Maybe Astro have done something on it!