Pls let us b clear abt 1 main point here...

Subscription to Astro is VOLUNTARY! No one is forced to join/watch Astro prgs.

YOU know wat yu're subscribing for when yu sign up for an Astro package. If yu don't, it's yr own fault & ignorance cos yu oledi know wat yu're subscribing for. Hope/Wish is just that...yr hope/wish. Not reality. Sorry...

The Govt knows that, as well as that Astro pkgs are a LUXURY item...NOT a necessity! That's why a Service Tax can be imposed on Astro subs. Yu want it, yu pay for it! Simple as that.

If one is not happy with Astro Services, one is alwaz entitled to cancel/not subscribe to Astro. Your right as a Consumer.

Sincerely hope above clarification will help open more eyes to Reality! Me not associated nor linked with Astro in any way! Juz a neutral bystander nia. TQ.

asto should offer free satellite TV something similar to uk's freesat, where there is no subscription and no contract,  just a one-off payment for the digital box

if you are astro customer, think more like what a customer should do suggest ideas that are more beneficially to to customer, not acted as astro spokeperson 

I beg to differ,astro is not  luxury but a neccesity for some. Many of us cannot even recive our very own FTA channels clearly despite those aerials and hv to take Astro just for reception sake so here it becomes a neccesity. The govt is very unfair it shld direct astro to distribute these FTA Govt. channels FOC and not put them in the family pack and sell for RM37.95 ! Anybody who has astro shld be entitled to Govt.channels FOC.Even u cut astro ,astro CANNOT  not cut the reception of Govt.channels. Astro  is a neccesity but has been made look like luxury and as usual our minister wld say who ask u to subscribe ,when he also knows that even a fair reception of govt. channels is not possible without the astro dish!

If you have PVR, then it's quite true because schedule recording won't work if you completely off the decoder. But if you just use the normal byond, you can turn it off.

Someone here reported that byond decoder consume 18W in standby mode. If you watching astro average 5 hrs/day, 19 hrs will be in standby mode. So, do your math.

19 hrs x 30 days x 18W = 10.26 kWh per month.
If your TNB monthly bill < RM43.60 (200kWh), it will cost you RM2.24. But if your RM43.60<bill<RM110.40, it will cost you RM3.43

The government is afraid of losing their cronies such as Astro. And Astro is afraid of true competition.

Why disallow free channels from the world over ? Even china has more than 30 (lost count) free channels (more than ass throw family package  )

And as for those lame arguments that astro is a luxury item, so is your car.
In a world where there are tons of free to air channels, fast speed internet, these are NOT considered luxury items anymore, they are considered normal modern necessities.
Fast Internet in Malaysia is another item that is ridiculously expensive when compared to other countries. All because some people with a 'stone age mind' think that these are 'luxury' item.
Most of the people in the world don't own a car and that is considered a luxury item.
Maybe lapaq can switch to using public transport or riding bicycle to work because it accomplish the same task. 

If may ask. Why is HBO HD still broadcasting those old movie instead of the likes of Percy Jackson The lightning Thieves, Clash of Titan etc.

When I checked the official HBO website, their schedule are full of very decent movies unlike ours. Aren't we paying for it too?

@lapaq
How the progress to fix problem with problem (simultenouesly playing and recording) on Byond external HDD? Until now nobody from astro guys contact me.

I came to conclusion people working in Astro are either incompetent idiots or scam artist.

Astro grossly overcharged me in my latest invoice. Called up 3 times to explain and every time they agreed it was their mistake to overcharge but they never give me any rebate. May be I have to go to Small Claim Court to get at Astro and call press people to come witness what sort of arrogant b*&^% they are.

Thanks for the offer.

But which is the most effective way to humiliate Astro for treating customer like dirt? Small Claim Court? Write to press? I wanted some pay back and preferably not settle it under the table. Any suggestion?

If given lifetime free recording if swap to new pvr, I bet there is not much complaint from the subscribers.

Yes LAPAQ,
If free RECORDING FOR LIFETIME like current Astro MAX user. I believe many users out there will change to PVR. On top of that, with only ONE TUNER, Astro MAX users can record different channel while watching another channel. When I looked at the Byond with EXTERNAL HARD DISK users, they can only record ON AIR CHANNEL. Only the Astro byond PVR have the capability to record 2 different channel at the same time.