If you want to watch Astro (live TV channels) without Internet, then the regular Astro (using satellite dish) is the only option.

Simply means:
Watch Astro : without using Internet + no need to pay anything = not possible at all.

You mentioned "pay for some 3rd party decoder and able to watch free channel without paying subscription".
I think your friend is refers the "free channel" as receiving TV channels from other satellites. The channels offerings won't be exactly the same as what you see on on Astro.

Can share with us by asking your friend, what are the free channels he can watch by using the third party receiver? Using Astro dish or big parabolic dish? From there I might give you some advice.

That's the branding of the box. It still require Internet connection to decrypt Astro channels, and only SD channels can be watched. HD channels can't.
Unless you are referring to receiving other channels from satellites.

Yes I know how that works. And yes you can watch almost all Astro SD channels by paying a low fee, but that "service" are not guaranteed as you will experience intermittent interruptions when watching due to several technical limitations. Whether are you able to decrypt the encrypted channels, it depends on the encryption used. Some encryption can be decrypted by entering its key (in layman term, password), some requires a smart card (common in pay TV services and content providers). Encryption such as BISS can be easily decrypted by almost any compatible satellite receivers by entering its key (password).

Blind scan is where you scan for all channels available from the satellite, same thing as how you use "Auto Search" to scan for terrestrial channels using UHF antenna.

This kind of info is not easily found on Google because not everyone interested in satellite TV topic. It is better to refer someone that good in this and willing to share.

In majority of countries worldwide, watching satellite TV from other satellites (including the use of big parabolic dish) is legal but in Malaysia is illegal because government mainly wants to protect Astro.

Illegally stream/rebroadcast sport content or copyrighted content to any other platform (including Facebook Live or YouTube) without permission is illegal worldwide, not just Malaysia.

Once again, it's their new way to earn extra money from ads.
The small ad banner has been existed on NJOI platform quite a while ago. And now they implement it on Astro pay TV platform?
Wahhhhh.... This is too much

A pay TV service, and we pay for the service but make it as if it is a free TV service.

Hmm.. Fun fact about cancelling your pay TV provider due to some channels being dropped but you're still under contract. This video applies in the US though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsWIfrD6kU4

No need to wonder any further.
TV5 is a failure for sure.

I think lah... The reason they made exclusive content on Astro Go first, before making it available on TV platform is because they want to attract more users to use Astro Go and also gain popularity of it. Cuz after all, pretty much every Malaysians know what is Astro, but not everyone knows Astro Go, you see?

The content that is exclusive on Astro Go are mainly targeted on youngsters, such as anime, Korean shows and American comedy shows.
They know youngsters (incl. young adults) spend more time on Internet and video content streaming like this, compared to adults or elderly.

According to Lowyat.net, it did mention that those 3 channels that is currently exclusive on Astro Go will eventually be made available on TV platform but did not disclose when.
https://www.lowyat.net/2017/128334/astro-go-launch/


From this point, it is pretty obvious that Astro is trying to attract more users to get to know what is Astro Go and also to use it, especially youngsters. Till the point they "satisfied" making those channels exclusive on Astro Go platform only, then they will made available on TV platform.

This post has been edited by joshhd: Apr 13 2017, 01:01 AM

What are the channels you can't watch?
Make sure you've selected the first entry point that says "10982 MHz" and then press OK to go to the Next screen.

If still persists, try perform Transponder Scan by following the steps below.
Press home button on remote, Settings>STB Diagnostics
Go to Tuner tab by pressing right arrow button. And then, press Green button on remote to initiate Transponder Scan, then press Yes, continue.

Take and attach those pictures here of the frequency scan results from beginning till end of the results.

Ohhhh.... Check your satellite cable connection between your Astro box to your Astro dish. If there's nothing wrong with the cable, that means your satellite dish is most likely to need to realign it.

Call Astro Customer service so that they'll assign an installer to do it for you. Do note that Technical Service Fee of RM53 (incl. GST) will be charged if your Astro monthly subscription is less than RM100/month. If yours is more than RM100/month, it will be free of charge.

Or, you can try to realign it yourself if you know how. Lol.

Yes. This is how Astro show their "loyalty" to customers who pay more money (RM100/month), or known as "premium customer" for them.

In a nutshell, customers that pays less, got to pay RM53 each time when installer visit customer premises, regardless of any reasons (e.g. solve technical issue). So, better take good care of your Astro if you don't want to pay such money.

For sure, customers that pays more (RM100/month and above) will feel dissatisfied if they got to pay RM53 whenever they experience technical difficulties. It will be unfair for them.

And don't forget the fact that, replace a new Astro box for whatever reasons (even kena thunder stroke) will restart your contract. Astro ain't show any mercy on you for that, unless your case is special enough for them to put your case an exception.

This post has been edited by joshhd: Apr 14 2017, 07:03 PM

Not exactly like this... As long they assign installer to your premise, RM53 will be charged on your bill right away, regardless of small issue or big issue. After that, replace whatever things are charged separately.

Signal low? Hmm... Signal booster for Astro (satellite TV) doesn't function like those boosters used for analogue terrestrial TV. It is used only if your cable is very long (such as exceed 100 meters from Astro dish to your Astro box) or you're using signal splitter. When signal is low, dish realignment is required. If realignment has been done and able to get high signal readings from "satellite finder (or known as satfinder" (a small machine that display satellite signals readings when aligning satellite dish) but when connect to Astro box, signal readings is way lower, then it is likely that something wrong with the cable. Try replace entire satelite cable if you can.

All of this are because of monopoly business, being the one and only active satellite pay TV in Malaysia.
Meaning that they can do and offer whatever services and pricing as they wish. So, they can have "less in expenditure, more in profit".

Measat 3b is just a part of satellite business, not 100% belongs to Astro. Astro uses Measat 3b to offer more channels whenever they like it.

It is supposed that all Astro HD channels are 1080i resolution.

It's not only Astro has lots of repeats.... Because subscription TV channels like Fox, AXN, Fox Movies Premium got repeats one... So any countries provide those channels will be the same, which is lots of repeats. So don't 100% blame on Astro because of the programme repeats. In this case, Astro is a satellite TV service provider, where they get the channel from somewhere else, and it's not that they create the channel by themselves.

You guys aware about the Astro Go ad, where a woman seems to use a hammer to smash the TV (viewer's view), and a guy burns a TV set?



That ad is so controversial until many customers are complaining about it on Astro Facebook page, and even the kids are imitating the action of smashing their own TV set.


What do you guys think about this?

P.S: What a nice TV.... Oh that's just so sad

This post has been edited by joshhd: Apr 24 2017, 12:14 AM

Hmm....
Well, definitely not price hike. Cuz if it's price hike, Astro won't do it like this in advance. It will be on newspaper, as a normal news.
So what could it be? All I see in the background is a bowman and some fire sparks and a tower crane.
Damn.... What's that about?

Just wait and see on 1 May 2017 then. I'm not gonna get trolled again by them the last time when they troll all of us about the 20th anniversary of Astro. I thought it's gonna be something grand, big, and really a good surprise, but eventually they gave a piece of s**t. So till then, don't be so hype about it yet.

Whether is it Warner TV, I'm not sure. But that bowman looks like it is from the US series Arrow just like you said.

Plot twist: The "surprise" on 1 May is, Warner TV will available exclusively on Astro Go, together with Comedy Central, K+ and Aniplus.