Just to share my experience after reading v1 v2 & now v3 thread on byond.

Applied online on 3rd Feb just before 5pm. Next day on 4th Feb received call from installer around 4pm saying that they are on the way to install. By 6pm, I have Byond on my TV !! really impresed/lucky with the fast service.

Signal strength is 210 ( around 80%). Told him that some have up to 225/230 (from members of this thread). I think he is lazy to go up and said that they already used satelitte tuner and that is the best config. Accepted his reason. As I also run a parallel split to my SD TV upstairs, he said that I have to use RF modulator(if not wrong), i.e using RG cable (yellow, red & white) into the unit and out using RG6 cable. He supplied to me at RM180. RG6 cable existing concealed. worked well.

As for my main area, I use the HDMI into my AV amp and component cable (blue, green,red) into my TV. Video stream into my AV amp(via HDMI) is 1080i while into my TV indicates 576i. Even though lower lower resolution using component cable, the HD channels was brilliant in PQ. Audio stream is DD5.1 using my amp but for the TV have to use stereo only as it can't decode.

Not satisfied with my set up, I went to jalan pasar to get HDMI splitter. I got a passive unit with one in and 2 out for RM80. Look at picture attached. Plug in the first HDMI out to TV got 1080i with good sound. Plugged in the second HDMI cable for my amp, BANG !!! pictures blurred / flickered with spots and no sound !!! THE PASIVE SPLITTER DOESNT WORK !! .. please dont use this pasive type.

Next day went to the shop in Jalan Pasar and exchange for the powered splitter. 1in2 out cost me RM310. 1in 4 out cost from RM450 onward. Hooked it up and my TV now video sream is 1080i and my AV amp is also 1080i with DD5.1. I'm happy with this set up.

my wishes;
1. Astro fix the audio bug as DD5.1 only works on HD channel but not others
2. red / white audio sound louder than HDMI audio
3. more HD channels. in Asia region we have Cartoon Network HD, Nat Geo HD, Travel channel HD. Hope Astro would include these or others soon.

Have a good New Year and Safe Holidays !!

tried to upload pix but no access.
attached is link from general website as reference

passive splitter ( do not buy this as it does not work !!) http://www.hdtvsupply.com/hdspseonehdo.html

powered/active splitter (similar as mine and works well) http://www.smartvm.com/HDMI-Distribution-A...v1.3-P39400.htm

my actual experience.. i have both component and hdmi linked o my tv.
component using red blue green cable and audio using red and whie cable. result: video only stream in 576i. HD channels PQ is excelent and not much drop compared to HMDI inputs which streams video at 1080i. if assume 1080i gets 100%, then component scores 93-95%.

not much differene for SD channel.

surprisingly audio using red & white cable sounds louder from hdmi cable.. weird cause HDMI supposingly carry lossless audio. Astro has to fix this.

This is from my sight and hearing test not using any special tool gadget

hd channels within this region. hope astro will keep on adding these to make our money worth;

1. Discovery
2. Food Network
3. All Sport Network (ASN) astro channel 831
4. AXN
5. Nat Geo
6. Nati Geo Wild
7. History
8. HBO
9. Fashion TV
10. Luxe TV
11. Playhouse Disney
12. Sony Entertainment TV
13. ESPN
14. Star Sport
15. E! channel (astro 712)
16. Animax
17. KBS world (astro 303)

Philipines cable provider has the most HD channels ( total 11) beside Korea & Japan.

thanks for the feedback.
if you are referring to setting audio to 5.1 on the decorder and using hdmi direct to TV, only SD channel will have audio as TV can't decode.

however if it is connected to AV home theater, there is a significant varience between HD and SD audio cause of the 5.1 and 2 channel PCM.

What I'm referring to earlier was if there is no AV amp and connection is direct to TV using component & HDMI

it is good if you could share how your current set up is.. type of amp use, what is display on amp, etc... I have an Onkyo 875 and it detects 5.1 source on HD channels and 2.0 source on SD channels using HDMI. All the speaker lights on the amp display correctly