Astro "secretly" PM me on this reply, but I don't want to keep it a secret. I prefer transparency.

What a good news to "Liga Malaysia" fans out there
So in other words, those newly subscribed Sports Pack customers (from today onwards?) will be the first wave to feel that "price hike", followed by those who recontract.
But the slightly better news is, pricing for existing Sports Pack customers remain unchanged.

Normal lorh...
Business where want to get losses or reduced profit / revenue...

Any additional contents especially sports must fast2 pass to customer...
Only positive side, those new or renew contract kena the most 😁

Need advice on Astro Smart TV App (legitimate paid astro package) -
I have it installed on Chromecast with GoogleTV but some (quite a lot) of movie on demand is just showing green screen but sounds and subtitle is showing ok, any ideas???

weird. Sounds like your chromecast used the wrong codec or couldn't properly decrypt the VOD. Live channels are working fine?

Does Astro update firmware to UBox quite frequent lately? Quite frequent when power on the box hung. Have to hard on/ff the unit to restart (I usually just unplug/plug the power jack plug).

If not hung, the volume will reset to much higher setting than I last set (I guess default setting). Otherwise, the sound is normal. I guess this probably due to update at night.

Yes, love channel working fine.
Are you using chrome cast too?

I couldn't see any options in setting for codec. Do you install codec separately?

My settings are
4K 30Hz
SDR
COLOR YCbCr 4:2:2 12-bit
March connect frame rate: seamless
Game mode off
Format auto enabled format list is empty, disabled format: Dolby vision, HDR10,HDR10+HLG

any hints from the above?

This is my astro package, contract due in coming months, will it affect my package?

Hi guys,

I am thinking to sign up Astro Primary Pack mainly for my elderly mother usage at home. We have 300Mbps fiber optic internet readily at home (about 30-80Mbps speed at living room). The TV is non 4K resolution, but HDMI port is available.
I notice the package is offered with Astro Ulti Box which is also able to connect to internet via WiFi or LAN Cable via Ethernet port.

I have a couple questions before deciding to subscribe it:
- Does Astro Ulti Box perform the same as the old time Astro where you turn on the TV, the show comes right away and only need to press channel number to switch channel?
- Possible for us to run the Ulti Box entirely on Internet connection without satellite cable/dish?

Thank you.

Actually, it's more difficult than the other box. After you turned on, you have to select a "profile", then you will be brought to the home screen. After you're in the home screen, you can just press the channel number to watch the channel itself.

Yes, and it's called "Plug and Play mode". Astro actually offers a package with this configuration if I remember clearly. I'm using it via a 300Mbps connection and it is actually smooth and stable, and it automatically changes to HD after you switched to that channel for 10-15 seconds (yes, that is "adaptive", which means that the channel has multiple resolutions - Astro selects the lowest ones then automatically switches to the highest one according to your Internet connection).

I have been digging for more info regarding this "Liga Malaysia" thingy since ever I notice the "sudden 'price hike' of the original price of Sports Pack" on Astro website...
And based on all the info I gathered here and there, here’s what I can conclude:
Source: https://promotions.astro.com.my/details/ligakita
…and it mentions badminton, but does badminton really considered as “bola” though?

Anyway, those ‘exciting’ sports matches ain’t gonna be on Astro Arena (801) and Astro Arena 2 (802) for free like what you have now.
It will be on 2 new sports channels, Astro Arena Bola (CH 803) and Astro Arena Bola 2 (CH 804) will be available from 23 February 2023, and it’s not going to be “free for everyone”.

• You need either Sports Pack or the new Liga Malaysia (RM9.99) add-on to access these 2 channels.
  
• Good news is, all legacy Sports Pack customers will be able to access channel 803 and 804 with no additional charge.
  
• Bad news is, customers under new Astro packs that subscribed to Sports Pack and Premium Pack 1 may eventually/gradually experience a price hike due to a pack price revision. Read below to know more.
  

Sports Pack (Price hike of +RM10)

Contract period	Before 9 Feb 2023	From 9 Feb 2023
0 month	RM104.99	RM114.99
12 months	RM94.99	RM104.99
24 months	RM89.99	RM99.99

Premium Pack 1 (Price hike of +RM5)

Contract period	Before 9 Feb 2023	From 9 Feb 2023
0 month	RM149.99	RM154.99
12 months	RM134.99	RM139.99
24 months	RM124.99	RM129.99

• This applies to any Astro customers that subscribe to either Sports Pack or Premium Pack 1 from 9 Feb 2023 onwards, especially those legacy non-Sports Pack customers that would like to switch to new packs.
  
• Any Astro customers that want to watch channel 803 and 804 but don’t have or don’t want to subscribe to Sports Pack, can consider subscribing to a separate Liga Malaysia add-on for RM9.99 per month. Add-ons don’t have a contract.
  
• Non-Sports Pack customers under new packs (after 9 Nov 2021) that wants to watch channel 803 and 804, can subscribe to Sports Pack but with new revised pricing. Otherwise, subscribe to the Liga Malaysia add-on for RM9.99 per month.
  
• For those already on either the new Sports Pack or Premium Pack 1, and still has a remaining 12/24 month contract, the price you pay now will remain unchanged until your next contract auto-renewal starting from 1 June 2023.
  
  Example: You’re already on either the new Sports Pack RM89.99 or Premium Pack 1 RM124.99, and your existing contract is supposed to end on 1 July 2023. You will continue to pay the same price (RM89.99 or RM124.99) until 30 June 2023.
  If you didn’t contact Astro to make changes to your contract options whatsoever by 30 June 2023, then by default, you will start to pay the new revised rate (RM99.99 or RM129.99 for Sports Pack or Premium Pack 1 respectively) from 1 July 2023 onwards.
  Basically, you can’t escape from this.
  
  
• For those already on either Sports Pack or Premium Pack 1 before 9 Feb 2023, and if you make any pack changes now, such as changing the contract period, subscribe/cancel Astro Fibre, or tell Astro to change between Satellite to Plug & Play on your account in their system, then it will trigger new pricing and you will start to pay the new revised rate (RM99.99 or RM129.99) for Sports Pack or Premium Pack 1 thereafter. Box upgrades and Internet speed upgrades won’t trigger new revised pricing of Sports Pack or Premium Pack 1.
  
  
• If you insist to pay the old price even after contract renewal, your account will end up being suspended due to the outstanding amount, and don’t forget about their RM20 reconnection fee too.
  If you continue to ignore the outstanding payments, you may receive a lawyer letter, which can eventually affect your CTOS score due to bad payment records, and you may experience difficulties applying whatever loans or credit cards in the future.
  So please be financially literate before you proceed.
  
• Prices for the rest of the new Astro packs that has Sports included in it (i.e. Sports Plus Pack, Premium Pack 2, Premium Pack 3, and Platinum Pack) remain unchanged for all.
  

When I say “any Astro customer”, of course I mean residential account customers. Others like business or commercial account customers are not counted.

Are you sure you have Sports Pack?

• Just because you can watch channel 801, 802, 811, 812 or 813 now, it does not mean you have Sports Pack in your subscription.
  
• “Sports Pack” means, you should be able to watch channel 814 until 820.
  
• If you’re getting “This CH___ is not included in your subscription" message when tuning to channel 814 until 820, that means your subscription does not have Sports Pack.
  
• Channel 821 until 824 is “Sports Extra” pack, but still, it is not “Sports Pack”.
  
• As long you have Sports Pack, then you will automatically be eligible to watch Liga Malaysia channels on channel 803 and 804. Otherwise, you have to pay more money can subscribe to Liga Malaysia add-on for RM9.99 per month.
  

No, nothing will happen on you.
Super Pack Lite 3 (Sports) is Astro's old legacy pack.
You'll be able to watch CH 803 and 804 and your existing contract and monthly fees will remain as it is.

This post has been edited by joshhd: Feb 12 2023, 12:54 AM

Astro Subscription Rate Card - February 2023


Too confusing/complicated to understand the rate card above?
Here are my version of their rate card:


Channel List

The rate card you see above, are the original price of Astro packs.

If you're already an existing Astro customer, do note that those "after discounted prices" you see on Astro website are very likely not eligible to you, such as those "RM XX rebate for first XX months" or "Free _______ for XX months"...
Those promos you see there are usually meant to targeted customers only, especially new Astro customers.
Example:

- Does Astro Ulti Box perform the same as the old time Astro where you turn on the TV, the show comes right away and only need to press channel number to switch channel?
Short answer is No. You will be greeted with this page when you wake up your Ulti or Ultra Box.


Once you select the profile, although the previously watched TV channel will be played in the background (you can hear the audio), but the On Demand home page will occupy your entire TV screen first.

Photo source: https://www.lowyat.net/2022/290964/astro-ul...yi-tvb-bbc-app/

From this point, you can press whatever channel number, then it will switches to that TV channel.

As of Feb 2023, as long your Ulti or Ultra Box is connected to the Internet, there is no option for you to "straightaway appear the TV channel as you wake up the Astro box without going through profile selection and On Demand page".
Therefore the only workaround for now is, you disable the WiFi function or disconnect LAN cable on your Ulti or Ultra Box.
Whenever the Ulti or Ultra box is not connected to the Internet, you won't be able to use Internet-required features like cloud recording, On Demand, Play from Start...
And also, you can only watch TV channels through satellite dish, so Astro's Plug & Play mode definitely won't work.

- Possible for us to run the Ulti Box entirely on Internet connection without satellite cable/dish?
Technically, yes you can.

Seems that the VIP TV price of Sooka has gone down

Is it just me, or the Ulti/Ultra box should have optional HDD just like b.yond PVR? Those who still have it should be grateful of it.

yeah. Streaming DVR only makes sense if your internet is capable to. storing it locally should be an option.

Thank you for responding to my query.
I guess it shouldn't be too hard, as said it is needed to select the profile and it will reach to Home screen, from there can just press channel number to watch the TV shows.
I will setup as just 1 profile for my mother to select and go on with it.

Thank you for responding to my query.
As for better and cleaner cable management, we will just go ahead and hook the device up with LAN cable and let it run from there. 30-80Mbps speed at living room that should be sufficient to do the job to run TV shows.

Sooka VIP TV with Live Sports including Premier League now slashed to RM62.90/month
https://soyacincau.com/2023/02/13/sooka-vip...-rm62-90-month/

Sooka owned by Astro, Sooka slashed their plans price while Astro sport increase their price

sooka people got sense and in right direction.

Perhaps because not many non-Astro usetsllrs subscribe to Sooka. They want to gain subscribers and gradually increase the price first