I think people who have that decoder would receive the update latest(as in the most late one0.
Good luck waiting man.

I don't think so Astro will bring in Phoenix in HD after 14th March as your mentioned because Phoenix HK already officially broadcast Phoenix Infonews,Chinese Channel and Hong Kong Channel @ new frequency @ Satellite 105.5C 4120H27500 since 1st January 2014.

Yes Phoenix HK will stop broadcast those channel on OLD frequency @ 4000H26850, but unfortunately your friend ASTRO already start using the new feed since 1st January 2014, maybe u didn't notice the picture aspect ratio are SHI.T like ever since 1st JAN ? Due to the original Satellite feed are in 16:9 ratio, but your friend ASTRO 'compress' the original 16:9 format to suit their majority customer who are still using old generation CRT TV..... and it cause those 16:9 LED/Plasma/LCD TV received SHI.T like picture quality and aspect ratio on new generation TV !!! (16:9 TV still consider new generation TV @ Malaysia ??? come on Astro we are not so out date!!! )

Here is the comparison on a exactly same TV for Phoenix Infonews Channel from SHI.T like ASTRO SD picture quality & aspect ratio against Original Phoenix HK broadcast @ Satellite 105.5C, both original 16:9 SD picture quality and HD picture quality and is FREE TO AIR channel !!
All this picture took on Today @ 17.01pm for Satellite broadcast and 17.05pm for ASTRO broadcast (Astro broadcast are 4 minutes delay compare with original broadcast)

ASTRO picture quality & compress aspect ratio :





VS

Original Satellite Free broadcast @ Original Aspect Ratio, 1st pic are SD and 2nd pic are HD :





This post has been edited by se3333: Mar 9 2014, 06:06 PM

Excellent pics excellent observation !! Watch the first 2 pics! This is how all assstro SD channels look like,there wl be NO sharpness in PQ! SD and HD PQ from other operators look sharper just like yr image 2. We pay so much look what msians actually get. Compressed PQ!

This post has been edited by smileguy: Mar 9 2014, 06:37 PM

That's y. Y wanna give face to those who are still using crt. Astro should give us the native 16:9 feed. And let those crt user have the wrong aspect ratio instead. But here it's the other way round.

Nice research.

My 2 cents is astro should have common sense that when viewers CRT breaks down, their next TV will be widescreen. CRT users will keep getting lesser and lesser. They should cater to majority n plan ahead.

Mio TV only has HD boxes. For CRT subscribers, the HD box will auto convert native SD 16:9 or HD 16:9 to letterbox for the dinosaur CRT TV. Just sharing.

Great!! Here they dont give a damn they act smart they fix what and how we watch! Just like they waited 36 hours for singapore to come and spot an object which maybe of Flight370 off vietnam Island!

This post has been edited by smileguy: Mar 9 2014, 07:55 PM

Hmm.. if astro letterboxed the 16:9 feed, have you tried using the aspect ratio button on the remote to LD expand it?

the only channel which perfectly fit when LD expand it is CNN. the rest.. nah. you still don't really get the 16:9.

You're wrong actually, channels like DIVA universal, E! CHannel, SuperSport channels except SuperSport 4, History can use the LB Expand to remove the black bars. Lifetime, KBS World, Al Jazeera uses 14:9 cropping and little black bars are visible..

by purposely switch to LB Expand mode like u said will actually cause the picture quality even worse than default Astro setting after the picture `expand' but `not' actually fit the screen, the Top and Bottom part of the screen are disappeared (cut out) which is originally suppose to be there,and for others astro original 4:3 channel will cut out even more !
I will show u how Astro SD version Al Jazeera channel with and without LB Expand against Original Satellite 16:9 SD version of Al Jazeera channel then u will see what's the different in Picture Quality,Aspect Ratio and how the original feed fit the 16:9 screen.... so u will understand why people want original video source rather than watching Astro Compress version of bad picture quality & aspect ratio....
tomorrow i will upload the comparison picture that i took just now....tq

This post has been edited by se3333: Mar 10 2014, 12:52 AM

exactly what i mean. only CNN actually fit the screen after LB expand. but of course the pic quality is

Agreed PQ is

This post has been edited by smileguy: Mar 10 2014, 06:08 AM

THE PICTURE QUALITY OF MOST OF ASTRO CHANNELS IS A DISGRACE ESPECIALLY MEDIA PRIMA CHANNELS. ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, REGARDING ABNXCESS & HYPPTV, ASTRO IS NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON RAISING THE FEES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT ABNXCESS IS A BLUFF WHILE IPTV WILL TAKE FOREVER TO REACH THE WHOLE COUNTRY. BESIDES, POPULAR CONTENTS/CHANNELS ALREADY SIGNED EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH ASTRO.

Agreed! I am also using another box..............beleive me their SD PQ is far better then asstro! If in another country asstro wld hv never made it.

As i promised yesterday, here is the picture for Astro SD version Al Jazeera channel with and without LB Expand against Original Satellite 16:9 SD version of Al Jazeera.... Astro Al Jazeera channel become very blur and Top & Bottom are actually disappear/cut out (Miami are missing from weather forecast) compare with actual size aspect ratio from original broadcast.... and how Astro CEL channel looks like with LB Expand setting.... channel logo @ top right and bottom part of sub tittle are missing....

Astro :







VS

Original Sat feed :




This post has been edited by se3333: Mar 18 2014, 02:07 PM

Thank you ! I really appreciate and enjoy the sharpness of the PQ! Our PQ is always dull!

Yes, i am aware of that, when i watch these channels al jazeera lifetime, i do not make any aspect ratio conversion and stick to pillarbox but when i watch E!, supersports 1-3 non hd diva i use lb expand. Some 4:3 channels which broadcasted a show originally in 16:9 letterboxed i use lb expand and the soft sub will be not affected. for channels such as celestial sd, the subs is burned to the feed and cant be moved if lb expand is used.

Astro AEC (Drama is shot in 16:9 letterboxed to 4:3)
Windowboxed


LB Expand


History SD Ch. 555 (Feed is originally in 16:9)
Windowboxed


LB Expand


My only goal in watching tv is no distorted, fat pictures. PQ is the second priority.

This post has been edited by azrin_kiko: Mar 10 2014, 11:48 AM

@se3333 - how do u get the off satellite signals?

Oh I thought I'm the only one who experience the lower picture quality after the latest update.

So guys, is there any way to 'improve' the picture quality?