Fixed.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1416747/distorte...pixelated-faces (related to my issue)

This post has been edited by Qash-M: Jun 22 2012, 03:01 PM

Thanks for the "fix" by giving the exact date of 31st July 2012.

I do have some personal opinions about your serious macro-blocking and pixelation issue with your Byond PVR. Remember, whatever comments below are only my "non expert" opinions based upon what I thought is logical and may not be accurate. Just for discussion purposes only.

I do agree with the others who have advised that you call Ast Cust Supp to check your Byond PVR and replace whatever parts found to be defective.

There is ONE important and obvious difference between (1) the firmware/software operating system installed in the Byond PVR and (2) the software and operating system installed in the computer... and this is... Byond PVR users cannot make full configuration setting changes, cannot install and uninstall software such as codecs, mediaplayers, choose whatever to be installed.

From the link you gave, the explanations on the "pixelated faces" relates to the HTPC (Home Theatre Personal Computer) which allows users a much higher level of control to the choices of configuration and settings changes to the codec, drivers or software installed and include the ability to choose and change to whatever hardware decoder cards used.

I believe that such macro-blocking and pixelation issues can be caused by 3 important factors...

1) Interference to the signal path to the Byond PVR causing a serious drop in signal strength or corruption such as bad weather, poor cable connections, mis-aligned LNB, etc.

2) Too high video compression and too low video bitrates used.

3) Fault caused by firmware/software and/or hardware from the Byond PVR. This included the codecs used, harddisk problems, etc.

Yes, factor (1) can cause such issues due to weather but its NOT possible to 100% happen all the time which your PVR is exhibiting. For factor (2), I believe a very very high lossy MPEG compression combined with very low bitrates is needed in order to cause such serious macro-blocking and pixelation issues from your PVR BUT I think Astro will NOT use such extremely low quality video because they will definitely face complaints and "fire" from 100% of their subscribers including myself !

If the signal is still strong, then cable connection and LNB should NOT be causing such issues. Then what is left is factor (3) which needs to be checked whether its internal hardware is faulty or not. I don't think its the software codec bug in Version 7.0s because IF it is, then the same issue will occur in everyone's Byond PVR, not just your PVR only.

I contacted my installer friend for his feedback on the Byond PVR (with internal 500 GB harddisk) and he told me that he had been called many times to check many PVR sets after complaints were made. He found many PVRs were found to have "problems" and replaced them but he cannot tell me what the various faults were because he just returned the faulty PVR to the Astro service department. Such "incidents" were quite high, even happened to PVRs installed less than a month.

There is another PVR type used for school installations, the Byond X-Plus which also can record to its 500 GB internal harddisk BUT have only 1 tuner. Here is a photo...


My friend also told me that he had never replaced any Byond X-Plus which he thinks is somehow better than Byond PVR. Mmm... I think better maybe because of less usage hours in schools and less harddisk stress without "instant replay".

Please bear in mind that I cannot check or verify what my installer friend said is true or not.

Anyway, true or not, I suspect the most likely possible fault is usually the internal harddisk. For our computer, whenever we saved any huge files (many gigs), the reads and writes to the harddisk lasts only a short while, maybe a few minutes or more and most of the time the harddisk goes to power saving mode with the disc platters and heads remaining idle. I believe the situation is different for the Byond PVR internal harddisk. This is because of the "instant replay" of any channel being watched, which the PVR is actually buffering the video to cache memory and then records at short constant intervals. This continues as long as the PVR is still on. Imagine the constant harddisk read and write activity continuously for many hours everyday which I believe many many times more stress, wear and tear put on the PVR harddisk when compared to the harddisk inside a computer ! Maybe the PVR engineers do implement some method which help to reduce harddisk stress so I don't know BUT I suspect any such "method" if any, is not working. Even the internal fan to reduce heat may not be enough. Well... only my opinion.

To be fair, I believe the same stress issues can also possibly happen to many other "non Astro PVRs" with "instant replay" function.

I connected my Byond (non PVR) HDMI directly to my LCD TV, not to my Yamaha amp. Switched to HBO Ch 411 (SD) and took 2 snapshots using my 8 MP phone camera and shown at actual size (no resize or edit). May take a longer time to load due to the size.

Slow action snapshot...

Fast action snapshot...


Enough said. Anyway, I would like to know what you and others think about my opinions here so I welcome any feedback. Thanks.



This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Jun 22 2012, 08:43 PM

questions here. If my LCD Monitor (for computer) got HDMI, can it used with beyond?

This post has been edited by vandread86: Jun 22 2012, 08:47 PM

Short answer... yes... IF you have subscribed to Byond HD service and already activated. If your computer LCD monitor do not support the exact standard 1080x720 (720p) or 1920x1080 (1080i) screen resolutions, then you may find incorrect size ratio with some side areas of the screen not shown. Example.... monitor with a maximum resolution of 1366x980 pixels.

Also, there will be no sound if your monitor do not have builtin speakers and do not accept audio from HDMI.

If your monitor have builtin speakers, can receive audio from HDMI, and cannot decode Dolby Digital audio received from HDMI connection, then the Byond "Digital Audio Setting" must be changed to Stereo (Analogue and Digital).

My computer Samsung LCD monitor supports Full HD video at a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and have builtin speakers BUT cannot receive audio from the HDMI connection so I have to use separate stereo jacks.

ADDITION : Almost forgot... your LCD monitor must also be HDCP compliant... so if not, then no display.
HDCP : High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Jun 22 2012, 09:16 PM

My monitor is Samsung SyncMaster P2770H
My Monitor Link
HDCP = YES
AUdio = no

so, i have to use separate stereo jacks is it to get the audio? just about to subscribe new byond for my new home

Thank god i'm not the only with that issue. Also, maybe you should take the comparison pic between B.yond>LCD TV and B.yond>Yamaha amp>LCD TV.

Yes, your monitor with HDCP support maximum 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution which is compatible with Byond 1080i video setting so you can use HDMI connection.

Yes, you have to use a separate and different connection for the audio from the Byond to another audio device such as to a AV amplifier, the computer sound card, Audio DAC decoder box or others.

The Byond (non PVR) and Byond PVR (with 500 GB internal HDD) have 3 possible audio output connections... (a) from HDMI Out, (b) from Co-Axial Out and (b) from RCA Out (Red and White).

Without HDMI audio, you have 2 different possibilities for audio connection from the Byond to the computer sound card... (1) using cable with two stereo RCA (white and red) to earphone jack which is connected to the Line/Audio In of sound card, (2) I don't know if any sound card is available with Co-Axial Input but if there is, then use co-axial cable from Byond Co-Axial Out for much better surround audio.

The best connection for the maximum audio quality at Dolby Digital 2.0/5.1 surround is to use a proper AV receiver amplifier. Byond HDMI Out to Amp HDMI In... then Amp HDMI Out to your Samsung LCD PC Monitor. IF the Amp got 2 HDMI Out, then one to LCD TV and second to your PC Monitor.

Mmm... why use your Samsung LCD PC Monitor at 27 inch which is a bit small for HD enjoyment. An actual LCD/LED TV from 32 in to 52 in is much bigger and nowadays the TVs come with builtin Dolby Digital Decoder too.

On a budget and cannot afford a LCD TV ? OR intend to use your monitor as a second screen in a different location ? If the HDMI cable distance is very very long (about 12 metres), then be aware that signal quality may drop and its also difficult to find such lengths to buy. I have used 5 metre HDMI cable from my computer graphics card to my Amp with no drop in signal BUT I haven't tried longer lengths. I think not advisable to use 15 m to 20 m HDMI cables, only my opinion.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Jun 22 2012, 10:17 PM

i want to use Astro On-The-Go free trial
i already register create new account for astro site
Link Astro Account i did do i put ic and my smardcard number
then say Invalid astro account info provided.

so how i get apply for Link Astro Account please help me

So you managed to use your new Astro ID and Password to login to your account ? After login... Only have problem with using NRIC and Smartcard Number to "Link" account ?

Note : You can only login with the new Astro ID and Password after the verification link in the email received have been completed and confirmed.

After successful login BUT cannot "link" your account with invalid NRIC or Smartcard Number, then I suspect the same problem happened again. I have heard a long time ago that many people got "link" problems and it seems (oh my god !) that they still have NOT corrected it ! Phone to Ast Cust Supp and tell them that you can login successfully with your new Astro ID and Password but cannot "link". The support person will be able to help by doing "something" on their side AND request for an explanation, hehe.

If I am not mistaken, I think people have posted about this "link" problem in this thread (already over 100 pages) somewhere in pages 50 to 70... hehe... lazy to search lah.

* Astro Cust Support is closed at midnight so call early tomorrow morning (about 8 to 9 am)

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Jun 22 2012, 11:54 PM

u say Only have problem with using NRIC and Smartcard Number to "Link" account ?
yes that link account problem
here screenshot

Yes. You need to call As* Customer Support to fix your problem from their side. Too late to call now as its almost midnight now, hehe.

ADDITION : Almost forgot, when you first subscribed to Astro and used "New NRIC", then cannot use "Old NRIC". If both old and new NRIC was used during registration, then ok to use either one.

This post has been edited by jamesleetech: Jun 23 2012, 12:01 AM

ohh u also problem so u calll as customer support to fix u problem now u works right
coz i want use Astro On-The-Go free trial

In my opinion, I believe that this problem was caused by detailed subscribers info that was not properly updated in their web online system from their main accounting system so this is what I suspected. Why ? This was because I called them in 2010 to activate Auto Debit online payment using my credit card so I believe that they have "manually" updated my details in their online system because a few months after that I registered my email and Astro account ID and successfully "linked" without any problems. So no need for me to call them again.

Anyway, since I recalled that some people reported about the same "link" issue in this thread before and have solved it by calling cust supp, you can also do the same thing by phoning them. Whatever, no harm to call their support centre because only their support people can help you.

http://www.casbaa.com/media-and-resources/...wo-new-channels

Not sure if Asthrow are interesting with it...

This post has been edited by Qash-M: Jun 23 2012, 12:41 PM

Carry channels to distribute is lot of money but to carry it on astro is little money,I doubt aasto wl be interested,even skynews HD is not their choice!

Speaking of which, (temp) Isai HD on ch.222 is showing now.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/busines...next-two-years/

And i'll bet ALL current Asthrow channel PQ/AQ will go more worse than now...

Yes that I agree all these launches are for leasing profits wont be surprised we still use MPEG2 till then!

Hi guys,

I have a question, I am thinking of upgrading my package to superpack 3 with HD service.

At the moment I am using non HD package and the main decoder is in my room. I have a 2nd plasma tv downstairs via RCA splitter. My connection is a bit complicated in which the splitter RCA cable is then linked to a RCA converter which is then linked to the TV downstairs using the standard antenna cable.

I was told that once I use BeyondHD service, my RCA adaptor on the terminal will be disabled and I can only use the HDMI output. That would mean I won be able to use the tv downstairs.

Is this true?

Any way so that I can use both HDMI and RCA at he same time?