I was wrong. It wasn't a live match hence no "HD" on the logo. But the square box on the bottom right is decoder-generated.

On a different subject, on a display with a good de-interlacer, a 1080i signal will give you a better PQ than 720p.


fuad

I believe you are confused with basic and extra service. Companies can choose to offer extra service for free or for a fee.


fuad

Interesting. I just saw the promo for Parenthood on FX HD. It's supposed to start soon. But the promo is in HD and the channel it would be on is Star World.

Don't read much into it. It's just a promo.


fuad

If you subscribe to the HD channels with B.yond/PVR and you set up your HDTV that way, it is the B.yond/PVR decoder than does the upscaling of your SD channel. Otherwise every time you switch between HD and SD, you'd see the HDTV adjusting to the input it receives when you switch channels.


fuad

With a HD signal in either B.yond or PVR, the decoder itself do the upscale. Otherwise, the HDTV will lose sync each time the incoming signal changes from SD to HD and vice versa. This change in sync will take a second or two and cause the viewer much consternation. To avoid such an issue, the decoder upscales the SD channels so that the signal it feeds the HDTV is always 720p/1080i. That way, the HDTV never loses sync.


fuad

That sounds rather odd. Either the second cable is faulty or the wiring is faulty. PVR installation requires a 2-way LNB on the dish, another wire going all the way to the PVR and those two wires going into PVR.

Somewhere along the line, something was not installed right. You need to trace the wires and how it terminates into your PVR. Take pix and if need be, send them to Astro with a note about how your PVR is not working right.


fuad

Not to my experience. I can still see flickering on Sony's 3D active glasses system. I see flickering in all first gen 3D system actually.


fuad

That question is rather ambiguous as there are two answers that I can give: 1) I know because I tried all of the commercially available systems; 2) All of the active glasses flickered in MY experience.

You just have to get organized. Get a football club or a huge number of World Cup fans to call GSC or TGV about doing a 3D screening for the final. Don't call the phone reservation number; call the head office. Talk, don't shout, and tell them politely that you, state your name and perhaps phone number, would like ___ theater to screen the final match in 3D.

Also your group effort should target just ONE theater chain - so either GSC, TGV or Cineleisure or whichever chain that's in your town. The reasons are: 1) your group may not be large enough so your members may not have all the time in the world to do this; 2) the theater chain, once they figured out there is a demand for it, will publicize it like it's the best thing ever. So when #2 happens, the others will follow suit.

It does take coordination because the chain and Astro have to iron out deals; in return, Astro have to iron out deals with FIFA. So get it going quick and fast. Hopefully, Astro can provide a separate 3D 1080p25 feed to the cinemas.

Once Astro and the chain have established this relationship, future LIVE broadcast of not only 3D sports but also concerts can be arranged.

Well if you have a PS3, 3D games are already out. And 3D BDs are slowly coming; first title available is Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. If you have the money, why not?


fuad

Thanks for the quick update, TJ. If that's the case, then I have low expectations of Malaysian 3D halls will be used for the World Cup finals.


fuad

TJ, 2 audio issues.

1) We're still getting 2.0 audio from AXN HD and FX HD while the other channels are in true 5.1

2) The Astro world cup promos are too loud, louder than the other ads and the actual program content.


fuad

I understand that. But Astro can give them feedback about their lack of 5.1. After all, Astro is their client.

My levels for all channels are fine. It may not be the promos but the World Cup result clips. And it was louder because I remember having to scramble to turn down the volume only for that. Well it's almost over now.


Yes it can. But if you have B.yond, you can't use the receiver to upscale because the B.yond decoder already handles that.
The effect is garbage in, garbage out. It only gives you the best from what it gets. So if you have a poor broadcast reception, then that's the best it can do.
Very few of the newer receivers have S-Video connections. Most would have composite, component and HDMI inputs.

What Siriusly said. The Pioneer VSX-__20 range can do a 3D FHD video bypass so that's one line you want to look into. The higher the model in the range, the better its upscaling capability. Right now, the VSX-1019 (the previous non-3D line) is selling for RM3500. So the VSX-1020 would sell at about the same price once it comes out; expected arrival August after the KLAV show.


fuad

No subtitles.

If your billing address to both houses are different, it shouldn't be a problem. If not, just call their hotline and explain the situation.


fuad

It's ONE match. It's not like the channel will last until the end of the year.

Your argument backfires on you. Most Malaysians do not have HDTV sets in the first place either.

No. This is side-by-side 3D (not frame sequential, like 3D BD), according to TJ. If you tune in to that channel, you'll see both the left and right image simultaneously.

And slightly off-topic, the first full HD 3D projector has been released already. Made by LG, the CF3D is a dual-engine, single-lens projector based on the SXRD imager. This may mean it has 6 SXRD panels inside. Able to handle all manner of 3D input, it has dual HDMI 1.4 ports. Costs US$10,000, it has a built-in Z-screen inside which means that owners can use the cheaper circular polarized glasses to experience 3D.


fuad

Which comes first? The chicken or egg?

People boycott B.yond because there's not enough HD channels. Astro does not increase HD channels because people boycott B.yond.

Is that what you want to happen?


fuad

I agree that we want more HD channels but I disagree on the "no one". I care because it means current B.yond and PVR decoders show that Astro can make it happen. To a degree, adding more HD channels don't require additional hardware for Astro. Knowing that they can do 3D HD means that Astro is at the leading edge of HD broadcasting. So when they do add more HD channels, they can choose to include HD and 3D HD channels.


fuad

Except that it is not the same. With DVD, you bought a physical disc. With the sports package, you are buying a service. For example, do you feel that Astro should provide you with a rebroadcast of all the sports events in the past prior to you having the recording capability, just so you can record it? Would you feel cheated if they don't?

With both DVD and the sports package, you bought the right to view the recording in your own time. You didn't buy the copyright to OWN the recording. For the DVD, you own the physical disc but not the content; the same is true for CDs. That's why when you make copies of these discs for profit, it's called piracy because the rights is not yours to profit from.


fuad

It's actually not "fitted". The video is stretched vertically while the horizontal resolution is the same. It should have been 2.40 AR letterboxed. For those with anamorphic lens on their projector, that screening would have been interesting.


The auto S3D of that model is only passable as it's not meant to be used by people who actually want to see details. I've seen a larger model where it looks fine for normal footage but when it came to text and fine detail, it completely lost it.

I don't think it's pressure from the CEs. I believe that some people who are upgrading are upgrading directly to 3D. According to Sony, by 2012 half of their HDTVs will be 3D models. The effect is still the same though - to entice people to upgrade their TVs at least to HD and subscribe to B.yond. Doing so would make it faster for Astro to abandon the SD decoder and migrate to H264 broadcast.


fuad

It has but that's a matter of DVB transmission. The government has not clarified nor mandated that the DVB transmission be in H264 (it can be in MPEG-2) or in 1080i. All they did was test with digital transmission. We have a date for the end of analog transmission but we have no starting date for HD transmission.

Astro's transmission does not come into play because it is not free-to-air.


fuad

Your LED HDTV didn't by any chance come from the US did it? Most HDTVs in the US do not support 25/50Hz video signal - ie 1080i50 or 720p25. B.yond's HD channel is using that frequency. Try playing a BD with a BD player. If all of your HDMI ports able to show a video, then that is certainly the problem.

Also, you may wanna check your HDTV setting. Maybe 1080p24 playback is forced.


fuad

If you have your previous LCD HDTV, hook it up and try it out. Or just bring the B.yond box and your HDMI cable to somebody who has Astro (but not B.yond) and try B.yond there.

You didn't get them to come to your house and do a full inspection, do you?

The video signal from B.yond has less data than BD/3D BD. So the suggestion that the HDMI cable is at fault (I assume you tried other HDMI cables) is baseless.


fuad