I think you need to pay Rm100 to keep the old decoder, actually old decoder can be a very good digital radio

This post has been edited by neb: Mar 23 2012, 09:25 PM

asking... if i upgrade to pvr, how to pay upgrade (rm150) cost? to installer or it will appear in next month bill?

This post has been edited by Zulguamusang: Mar 23 2012, 02:18 PM

Just directly paid to installer after installation success.

thanks bro for the answer..

This is what you have done. Upgraded your Byond box to Byond PVR and subscribed to one SuperPack which have HD and recording service.

You have done correctly... returned previous Byond box and pay RM 50 less. I do have one old Astro DMT box with 50% monthly subscription and I was given a new "box" for "free".

Not necessary to keep your previous Byond box. In the future, when half price promo comes again, you can then decide to grab it. Astro will 100% provide you with a new Byond box + 2nd smartcard.

The smartcard is activated and locked to the Byond PVR box using very strong encryption generated from combining smartcard serial number with the Byond PVR box serial number.

You already know that you cannot use this same smartcard in PVR on your previous Byond box, if thinking of "sharing" the card. So, keeping the previous Byond box is useless for "card sharing". Many people knew that "card sharing" can be used for different old Astro DMT boxes BUT not for Byond and Byond PVR.

Ok, now you know that Astro will provide a new Byond box + another smartcard when you subscribe to a 2nd Byond box in the future. Remember that Astro only allow 2nd Byond box for half monthly subscription price (during promo) installed at the same address as the 1st Byond PVR box.

So you will be thinking of bringing this 2nd Byond box + its smartcard to secretly use at another location which already have an old LNB + Satellite dish. Yes, its against Astro's agreement but everyone (including me) don't care and say "go to hell with the agreement". Just don't get caught by Astro, hehe. Nay, not to worry lah.

No problem, you can do so BUT you will have some problems when you want to watch HD channels. Its because of the old Single LNB, old sat dish and RG5 cables used.


* I was one of the early pionner subscribers since 1996 so I was stupid enough to have bought the previous Philips old decoder box for about RM 1400 ! This ancient box was later changed twice for free. So when I upgraded to Byond, I decided to pay RM 100 to keep the extra Astro DMT box just for decoration and because I feel that I have paid so much for it. Yea, stupid to pay the RM 100. Photo above shows the useless Astro DMT box. Already connected to dish, switched on and still working.

I know your previous one was the Byond box, not the old Astro DMT box as shown in above picture.

The old Astro DMT box used a Single (cable input) LNB and a slightly smaller satellite dish than the one used by Byond.

In future, if you want to use the 2nd Byond box (not PVR) connected using previous type RG5 cables to the old LNB+dish, you will have problems with poorer signal quality which can affect your HD channels. For HD and SD channels reception, the slightly thicker RG6 co-axial cable is recommended for connection to LNB because of the 2 different frequencies (9.75 and 10.6 MHz). In simple explanation, HD (High Definition) have larger data size so, for proper HD reception, RG6 cables and a slightly bigger sized dish is needed.

Look at my handphone picture of my LNB used for my Byond (inside this spoiler)...


Byond box with the old LNB+dish > Okay for SD Channels only
If you intend to watch only SD (no HD) channels, I believe no problems and can use Byond box with the old LNB+dish. Problems come when HD channels are watched because HD reception is "heavier" and more "sensitive" which can be affected by higher signal loss + transmission noise caused by "smaller" dish, not recommended LNB and cable type used.

I have 3 decoder boxes (1 Byond, 2 Astro DMT). My satellite connection used Quad LNB as shown in above picture. This Quad LNB can connect 4 different cables to it. Since you only have 1 Byond PVR, I think you are using Dual LNB which accepts 2 separate cable connection.

I have a friend who is an Astro installer who also goes out to solve problems from other idiot installers. There can be mistakes done by installers who came and installed Byond PVR. Check to see if 2 separate cables are connected direct from the LNB to your 2 input behind your Byond PVR. Your PVR have 2 tuners inside for 2 channels simultaneous recording. My friend previously did tell me that there are idiots who only connected 1 single sat cable to the PVR and later the subscriber complained cannot record 2 channels. Another installer is even more "smart"... took one single cable from LNB and used cable-splitter connector (1 in - 2 out) to split to 2 cables and connect both to the PVR.

Oh, about the cable-splitter connector... if you can avoid using it, its much better NOT to use it. Sharing same cable with such splits can cause signal loss and "interference" between old Astro DMT and Byond/Byond PVR. As you can see from my picture above, I have 3 decoder boxes which used 3 different cables directly connected to the Quad LNB. No cable-splits and no unnecessary joints.

For the most optimum quality to receive HD channels, its important to use RG6 cables, no cable-split joints, each decoder box used direct cable connection to LNB, use the bigger grey satelite dish (not the old smaller one). Not a problem if used for SD channels only.

I hope I have not confused you with my long answer, as usual, hehe.

For Others In This Forum
I also use 2 normal Astro DMT box with active subscriptions. So I did try to receive satellite radio channels after removing its smartcard. Well... silent and completely cannot hear any radio channels from the RCA (Red & White) connections. I have heard from others too.. that they can listen to radio channels without a smartcard. I hope someone in this forum can show me the secret, please. Just curious.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Mar 23 2012, 06:20 PM

Hi guys, it's been a few days since my last post. Just a small update for you guys, the HD channels seem to be fine in the morning and gets a bit worse as the time pass by. BUT nevertheless, i'm gonna change the cable to RG6 and i'll update here again.

Something is definitely wrong/not functioning as it shld be.
Why not inform Astro CS (Tech Dept) directly & let the headache be theirs, NOT yrs?
It's their job & responsibility!

Hi again,

So you decided not to use the existing in-wall cable and change to RG6 ones. Mmm... yes, does not look neat and tidy... same for my cables which can be seen running through my room walls, hehe. For me, I don't mind.

Before you start changing cables, is it possible to cut a small length and ask someone who is expert in such cables to check if it is RG5 or not. If RG6, then the correct cable was used and did not cause your signal drop-outs. Well... of course you can just change without checking, to make sure.

I do not know the full situation on the cable connection used in your home. After saying that... avoid using any cable joints or cable-splitter connectors... use only continuous cable connection direct from LNB to your Byond box, without any of such "joints".

I hope that changing to RG6 cables solve your problem. I should let you know that there is a small chance that changing to RG6 cables may not solve your problem if this is not the actual cause. If not... then you will start to get heated up again and I will start scratching my head.

I fully agree with you.

I have given this advice before at ... http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2114557/+980#

Here's a part from my previous reply...


This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Mar 23 2012, 07:30 PM

voilà, digital radio, sound is crystal clear LOL

Yea, really LOL. After looking at your pics here, I started scratching my head trying to find out where I went wrong. Switched on older Astro DMT box without smartcard to test again. Mmm... still no sound. I begun to wonder whether there was any hidden trick to this. I used S-Video and RCA (Red+White) to my amp.

Before I change to direct connections to TV to test, I decided to check my complicated connections to my amp again. Then I found the answer !! I connected the Astro box S-Video/RCA out to my amp DVD input and have also assigned my amp same DVD "Optical In" to also use [Optical Input 6] with my HD TV optical out connected to it. Woila... when I changed the DVD optical in assignment to [NONE], the radio channels can be heard !!

* My HD TV optical out was connected to my amp optical in labelled No. 6. which my amp auto disconnect my DVD RCA input when detected signal from TV. Once I disabled assignment from No.6 to NONE, I got sound !

That means the old Astro DMT box without smartcard can still be used to listen to all the radio channels.

I never bothered to check when I heard this from many people before since it was really not important for me. But when I tested, I did not get the sound. I thought wrongly that maybe got some hidden trick to make it work. Then... you posted your pics here... so this prompted me to recheck my connections again.

LOLouder... Thanks to your small push, I got it right with a 100% confirmation that the radio channels do work for Astro box without smartcard. I appreciate your indirect gentle nudge.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Mar 23 2012, 07:26 PM

huhu..how i can miss this news.thank you for highlight kawan
hmmm.. wrestler-mania coming soon, possible show in HD too ??

They are not encrypted : http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/astro.html

so dust off your old decoders and put them to good use, but don't tell astro about you new found discovery

but do it quietly, we don't want astro spies who are strolling these forum to report to report to their boss and decide to encrypt the radio signal

This post has been edited by neb: Mar 23 2012, 09:09 PM

So true... so true. It was also stupid of me not to check using one of my 2 other Astro DMT boxes which is directly connected to the TV and removing its smartcard. Sometimes my over-complicated brain failed to "see" the simple things. A simple mind is clearer, hehe.

Speaking of that, why is B4U and WATV is still there?

you could send email to lyngsat asking them to update the list

Good advice ! Unfortunately my 2 other Astro DMT boxes have active subscriptions used by my father and my uncle who pays for the 50% subscription price.

As you can see in my posted pictures, this left me with 1 astro box which I paid RM 100 to keep when I upgraded one box to Byond but now it can also be used for radio listening through my amp output to my Monitor Audio floor standing speakers.

My Home Theatre AV and HiFi and computer room is also my bedroom which I always "locked" myself inside my own world. So now I can choose to use either my old Astro DMT box or my Byond box to listen to satellite radio. The PCM stereo signal from the satellite boxes is always much better than the FM signal from the traditional radio.

Me? Tell assteruk about my use for radio listening ? Not stupid enough to do that, hehe. Anyway, since I am also a subscriber and do actually legally own my Astro DMT box when I paid RM 100 to keep it after Byond upgrade, I have very strong grounds to legally use this Astro DMT box without smartcard for radio reception. I know how to present my case if they try to terminate my subscription without proper legal justification. Have always paid on time for more than 14 years. Mmm... why throw a stone on calm water and create ripples ? Hehe... I just casual kopitiam talk only.



NEW ADDITION
I spent a short time comparing the audio quality of the radio channels between my older Astro DMT box and my Byond box. This confirmed what I already suspected. The radio channels audio quality from my Byond is much much better than my older Astro DMT box.

This is because the older Astro DMT box used analog RCA (red+white) audio connections and my Byond used digital HDMI connection. RCA analog cables are more affected by EFI electromagnetic interference which causes discolourations in the stereo audio.

The digital PCM audio from Byond HDMI for radio listening have a much better sound quality. The audio has better soundstage, much less ambient noise, better vocals and musical intrument clarity and better stereo separation.

Sob, sob... I guess my older Astro DMT box will still continue to be for "decoration" only. I might decide to give the older Astro DMT box to one of my relatives for use with a mini-compo but I am a bit stingy and reluctant to give it away because of paying RM 1400 for it in 1996. This box have been replaced twice or more since the 1st generation Philips one. Too bad my stupid ears are too choosy on audio and picture quality.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Mar 23 2012, 09:10 PM

Thanks for this tip. Time to find my old DMT box...

You have added "but do it quietly, we don't want astro spies..." to your original post so I think I should make a separate reply here.

Hehe... Not to worry lah. Nothing will happen for now. If it changes in future, it will NOT be because of finding out that people listened to radio channels without a smartcard.

You think assteruk don't know about this. If they don't want us to receive the radio channels without smartcard, then they would already have encrypted the radio channels a long long time ago. They do employ many technical engineers and also have international collaborations with satellite transmission companies so these people will be the first group to know about it.

If Assteruk wanted to shut us off, they would have already shut us off a long time ago and not wait until "ah-hem" ignorant people like me to find out, hehe.

There are businesses such as small hotels, mamak shops, kedai kopi, pubs, etc that subscribed to Astro as home subscribers which have a much much lower subscription rate. I did not make a survey but I suspect many kedai mamak did not use company name to subscribe. Yes... Assteruk is not stupid... they DO know ... do really know. It will depend on whether Assteruk is strict or not and constantly take 100% action or whether they "relax" their surveillance.

I do remember a few years ago when a friend of mine subscribed to Astro using the hotel business name. Its a small hotel with 15 rooms, all with TV inside. I could not understand why my friend was so ignorant when he subscribed. Why didn't the Astro people inform my friend clearly before he subscribed ? Maybe my friend mis-understood because he's a china-man with not much education so its not his fault. He should have contacted me for advice and I only knew about it after its too late. Astro installer came and also installed "signal distributor" with a shared sat dish. My friend did not mind to pay, I think about RM 600, for the installation because of lots of cabling work to each room and additional "equipment". What happened was... later he found out that the monthly bill is about RM 1000+ and it seemed the business subscription is very expensive and also charge for each individal room too. He almost got a heart attack ! He quickly terminated the subscription after only one month and don't mind to pay the huge penalty before the 1 year contract expires. Many months later, he quietly registered his name as a subscriber and did not mention the address is in a hotel. He secretly paid some "angpau" to the installer to keep quiet about the installation location in a hotel. Business or Home subscribers ? Yes, Assteruk already knew that such incorrect subscriptions exist and it depends on whether they are active enough to take action loh.

This is what I believe and also my logical reasoning.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Mar 23 2012, 10:18 PM