Thanks for the reply, Justin. Appreciate it. I guess RM10 a month for B.yond PVR is for the ability to record using two tuners instead of one on B.yond.

The following paragraphs is my deduction and customer feedback, but I understand if you take it as a personal attack.

I personally think that the reason for the recommendation for the WD AV HDD is to discourage subscribers to buy the HDD and instead get B.yond PVR. The price is practically the same yet by paying for the B.yond PVR you get 200 GB more and the dual-tuner. The reason is to sell more B.yond PVR while the 320GB stock is still sitting in the warehouse. We all know that HDD size and price change a lot within six months but Astro can't possibly keep changing the B.yond PVR to newer drives each month.

Astro tech people I spoke to at Mid Valley said I can't change the internal HDD of B.yond PVR to a larger one either unless the B.yond firmware allows it to. But there's already a WD AV 2TB 3.5" HDD (drive only) out there, designed specifically for PVRs. Granted it costs more than B.yond PVR but I predict future owners would want the ability to upgrade easily.

Tivo allows for this and that's why they left the upgrade options open. They go so far as to include an e-SATA port at the back of their Tivo HD units; B.yond PVR does not have an e-SATA port at the back. And Tivo certainly did not specify that the HDD has to be from WD nor did they say that it must be an AV HDD. As a point of reference, Tivo US records in MPEG-2 bitstreams higher than 8Mbps that the B.yond HD channels on air. For Tivo to not demand that the HDD be of a specific model means they understand what their customers demanded. Even Sony doesn't dictate which SATA drive you can use with the PS3; as long as data can flow uninterrupted, it is a valid drive. Using PlayTV/Torne boxes (connected via USB), users can turn the PS3 as a PVR in Europe, Australia and Japan.

I believe that it is wiser for Astro to leave the choice of external/internal HDDs to the subscribers. They can have a recommended list to cover their asses, but leave the decision to the consumers. If the consumers are not satisfied with the quality of their recording, they can change to a recommended drive.

EDIT: I was told by the Astro tech person at MidValley that FX HD would be in the Family package, AXN HD in the Variety package and that Chinese HD channel in Dynasty. He didn't say when but I guess the 16th is as good as any launch date.


fuad

This post has been edited by writesimply: Jun 2 2010, 01:48 AM

Your argument here cancels each other out. I wouldn't need an upgradeable because I have a ___ device yet I can't transfer any of the recordings from B.yond to my ____ device to free up the HDD space. Essentially, what I delete will be lost forever and I'm supposed to be happy with that.

Regardless of the percentage of customers that would require an upgradeable PVR, it is another feature that is user-friendly. Most people don't know or care that their DVD player can play DIVX content but at least it's there if/when they need it, just like most laptop owners don't burn lots of DVDs either even though their drives are perfectly capable.

I said that about my 20GB HDD. Then my 80GB HDD. Then my 1TB HDD. Those who have lots of CDs to rip or Tivo-ed content would always want a bigger drive.

I know they said that. They also said that 1) you can't open up the B.yond PVR and upgrade the HDD yourself and 2) you can buy your own WD AV HDD 320GB and activate the recording function. 1 discourages user participation while 2 encourages it, thereby sending conflicting signals. As I said, they should open it up so that users can add whichever HDD they want.

By the way, you can't remotely program your B.yond PVR or B.yond + HDD using the internet. That means if you forgot to do it at home, you better hope Astro repeats the broadcast. They should have put this feature in at launch.


fuad

The things that I'd be interested in recording are not the same as yours. If I like a movie, I'd buy the BD or DVD from Amazon or Speedy. I don't download movies.

What I can't download are the full recording of last year's Grammy Awards, Oscars or Tony Awards. I can't download the NGC HD/History HD specials. Most importantly once the local HD channel comes in, you can't re-download local HD content once you delete it.

I'm not asking that B.yond be a media player even though it really isn't hard considering the SOC solution in the box. But I would prefer that the HDD criteria be left open. Things like Wifi (which would enable B.yond programming via the internet using your laptop or PDA) should not be an afterthought. When Proton first launched Saga, they didn't say, "We know developed countries have make seat belts and car stereos standard but we'll put them in our cars three years from now."

I also would like for Astro to allow the off-loading of content to the PC via wifi or LAN. Tivo has done it for years and Hollywood still hadn't collapse.

Please state your "pioneer home system" model number so that we can help you. Provide PDF links to the manual would be helpful.

That would be the best course of action, if you want recording capability. It would require wiring in two cables and installing a new LNB receiver.

I disagree. The Pacific as well as other HD movies in DD 5.1 sounded good on HBO HD.

Things may have changed but last we heard, from regular Astro to B.yond it's free. If you're from B.yond to B.yond PVR, it's RM300. If you're from regular to B.yond PVR, it's RM400.


fuad

Incorrect. Most movies are shot in 1.85:1 (US) and 1.66:1 (some European countries). These includes dramas, comedies and some action movies. Most sci-fi and action movies are/were shot in 2.20:1 (Todd-AO process) and 2.40:1 (modern anamorphic and Super35 process). 2.35:1 is the Cinemascope aspect ratio, practically not used in modern filmmaking anymore. And 16:9 is 1.78:1.

Shooting using anamorphic lenses require more lights for the set, which means more money.

HBO HD does the 16:9 version of pan-and-scan in almost every HD film they show. Very few, such as the recently shown Caddilac Records, are shown in its original aspect ratio. HBO is afraid that people will complain about the black bars on their "expensive" HDTVs.

I do agree about the SD widescreen broadcast. Just as Astro is steering Malaysians into HD broadcast, they should steer the way to SD widescreen broadcast.

I can't tell if the sports channel are mixed in 5.1. But the Dolby Digital stream that is being fed into your receivers are DD 5.1, whether it has actual 5.1 tracks or not.


fuad

We seriously don't need personal attacks here.

So far the only Malaysian company that can/should compete with Astro is TM Net. Beyond Unifi, they can install FIOS; it's a substantial long-term investment but if they can do it, Astro would seem second rate. Once Astro's monopoly clause is over, TM can launch their own satellites to cover Sabah and Sarawak (limited FIOS access) and regional countries (satellite only). But this discussion is not this thread.


fuad

Pot. Kettle. Black.

I wish. But that's not going to happen. Use it or lose it.

This is news only on June 1st.

I would upgrade to B.yond PVR if they allow any SATA HDD to replace the built-in one.


fuad

OAR all the time. Unfortunately, HBO HD does not show OAR most of the time.


fuad

This means your TV doesn't have a Dolby Digital decoder; it cannot downmix 5.1 to 2.0. Unless your TV has this built-in decoder or you have a receiver/HTiB, don't enable 5.1 on your B.yond decoder.

You complain about B.yond AND Unifi. Hmmm.

Google Tivo and see how much they charge.
Yes. Yes.

This has been going on since June 1st, I believe. Astro has been testing with additional HD channels for World Cup and the three new HD channels. The existing bandwidth for all the channels has been reduced, thereby loss of detail and more pixellation. To convert all SD to HD channels, Astro would probably need two more satellites solely for Malaysia/SEA.


fuad

The three new HD channels are LIVE.


fuad

This attitude is why HBO HD gives their subscribers pan&scan version of 2.35 movies.

Burn-in is less an issue now than a decade ago. And unless the pillarbox is on your TV for one year straight, you're not being affected by it. You do change channels and watch DVDs and BDs, don't you?


fuad

HBO original movies in the HD era are shot in 1.78. So that's fine. 1.85 movies most often are zoomed in or telecined open matte; but with most HDTV's are set to Full/16:9 (20% overscan), you won't notice a properly transferred 1.85 movie.

Most of the in-channel ads on AXN HD are not in HD. But the programs are.

No. So long as you watch other HD channels and DVDs and BDs, you're alright.

If you want to share the HD channels, you need to get a powered HDMI splitter. If only one of you wants the HD channel, then you're set.

Not all programs in a HD channel are in HD. Sometimes the same program but different episodes/seasons would be in HD or SD. For example, if and when we get to see Mythbusters on Discovery HD, you'd notice that the first three seasons, it's not in HD. The first season is not even shot in widescreen SD.

The recording function on B.yond+HDD/PVR works like this: it RECORDS whatever you are watching onto the HDD regardless whether you press the record button or not. The reason is if you suddenly find the program interesting, it'll make an official recording of it from the start of the program (or whenever you tune into the channel) so that you get the complete recording.

So adding the confirmation button is just a formality. Besides, you can always delete the program easily.

Not really. Been discussed in previous B.yond threads. You need to import one or get a new HTiB with more digital inputs.


fuad

NGC HD has been on air since the beginning.


fuad

Watch more and you'll see lip-sync issues.

The cost of this kind of recording IS common practice. DishTV has it and so do other pay cable/satellite providers. If you buy your own external recorder, then there is no fee but then good luck getting the recoder to start-stop at the moment you want it.

Would you use the same argument about Astro charging you monthly fees for channels you don't watch every moment? How about things that you rent like your house or car?

It's also standard practice in the industry.

What's not standard is the inability to use/add-on your own HDDs AND to transfer your recording to your PC so that you can archive it on DVDs/BDs. It also lacks programming via the internet.

TallJustin - can you check with AXN and FX about the sound output they are broadcasting? It's not in 5.1.


fuad

No, it's not. It's upconverted from an SD master tape. The advantage of an SD program shown in a HD channel is you see the full colors spectrum on the tape.

You're paying for the installation. Do you really think the PVR costs RM300? It's much more than that.

Those boxes are cheap. They don't even have a 500GB HDD.


The SD signal is still the same. Garbage in, garbage out. Even the best upconverter can only do so much. If you're not convinced, go to a nearest store with B.yond installation (or a McDonalds) and watch the SD channels on there.


fuad

A CD can store about 700MB worth of uncompressed PCM audio. The same audio can be stored using MP3/WMA/AAC compression at 200MB.

Analog signal consumes more bandwidth than compressed H264 signal. That's why countries are eager to migrate to an all-digital TV standards so that the analog bandwidth can be used by their governments for other money-generating usage.


fuad

Lip sync issues happen. It doesn't happen a lot and it doesn't happen on all the channels simultaneously.

EDIT: TallJustin, can Astro get History Channel to broadcast History HD using its original audio tracks? For Cities Of The Underworld and Extreme Trains the use of a female narrator, instead of the host's original narration, just don't make the programs convincing. It makes the programs lack credibility.


fuad

This post has been edited by writesimply: Jun 22 2010, 11:55 AM

The PVR records the raw bitstream off the satellite dish. That means if the broadcast is off-snyc, it'll record that too.

The analog audio can be either a stereo channel simulcast with the 5.1, or a 5.1 downmix. The stereo simulcast may not be affected by the off-sync. The downmix may use its metadata to sync with the video.

Obviously the problem affects only the 5.1 channels.


fuad

Don't know what else to tell you other than it's not happening on my end or anybody else's. If your DVD/BD plays without issues, give Astro a call for a replacement PVR.


fuad

You pay the HDCP royalty ONCE when you put the chip on the mobo. And it's a very small amount.

Yes. A higher bitrate would increase the PQ of both SD and HD. But so far we have not seen that.

Indeed they are in 5.1. But most of the surround sound activity are the roar of the crowd and their vuvuzelas.

The SD signal that you receive is the same as before. The decoding chips in B.yond may be better at handling that but the video bitrate is still the same.

Did you enable DD 5.1 in your settings?

By the way, the "HD" logo in Astro Supersports HD World Cup channels is generated by the B.yond box. The "HD" is missing when I watched the HD channels in McDonalds; a white square box appears on the screen on the bottom right corner on these channels instead.


fuad

There are only two factors for the PQ. Source (MPEG2) -> B.yond Decoder Upscale = PQ.

If the source bitstream is too low, PQ is bad. If the decoder's upscaling algorithm is incompetent, PQ is bad.

But the B.yond decoder does not upconvert the MPEG2 stream of the SD channels to MPEG4 HD and then decode the signal.


fuad