seeing how vigorous and detailed @joshhd have been "teaching" about Astro's HDCP for the past 3 weeks, I am wondering how many TVs were flipped and how much hair is left along the way 😂

oi the hdisk inside can still use.... ohwait, that one don't have internal hdisk.

this was my first decoder when i signed up.
hdisk supplied later and separately in another casing, put underneath this box. i still keep the hdisk in its original casing. I've formatted it though. just connect to laptop.
i just recently threw away the USB wifi that came also later for this box. the USB stick is not usable with Windows, no driver, and i lazy to attempt on linux.

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 23 2021, 03:42 PM

come to think of it, @joshhd might be right.
I used this external PVR Easi with DMT4, then it was put aside when I moved to b.yond HD decoder.
after that, I get the current DMT5 as replacement when b.yond HD hdisk was spoilt.

the one thrown into the bin above is b.yond HD.



https://astrobyondinfo.weebly.com/set-top-boxes.html



This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 23 2021, 09:02 PM

I stumbled upon a promo booth after noon in Warta Bintang Giant BBBangi - snap sign up because wife was bored idling after giving birth few days earlier in March 2012 🤣 and I was too happy. The Sharp TV was also a snap purchase the night after 😂 bought in Carrefour Alamanda.

They came to install DMT4. I wasn't fussy choosy back then. DMT4 was considered new compared to the silver box I had seen everywhere.

I don't remember Astro having online self service back then. Later I subscribed to recording option that the disk was given - or was it because I purchased the PVR Easi through call to CS that recording is automatically opted in. Purchase after Astro was promoting poisoning everywhere about recording capability, which was new feature back then. I think it was free because considered part of enabling the add-on; Astro didn't replace the decoder itself since it was newly installed, still in the initial 2 years contract. I think it came through mail, I just need to put underneath decoder and plug into USB port behind. Was it free? RM200? RM250? I think it was RM100.

Astro switched from DMT4 to the b.yond HD after some time. Need to pay if not mistaken, because I requested for the change. Not because Easi is broken. The installer only collected the decoder, told me to keep the Easi. I recall plugging Easi into computer and formatting it.

The wifi dongle was separate. RM50. I think it was for use with the DMT4.

The hdisk inside b.yond HD is the one that finally broken. It's came to a point where watching live Astro is like playing scratched DVD; stuttering, "buffering".


add:
Ah, now remembered, I asked to change to b.yond HD decoder because of "HD". That's why need to pay for the swap.

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 24 2021, 12:00 AM

The Easi PVR (w/ DMT4) was never broken. Else I wouldn't be able to format it. Can't remember what was the original content or filesystem.

I believe I requested to replace the DMT4 to b.yond HD because I wanted better picture quality - "HD". 2 coaxial was a welcome surprise as I suddenly was able to record on one and live TV/record as well on another.
It was the hdisk inside b.yond HD that was broken. Which was replaced with the DMT5 I am currently using.

I have 2 decoders.
I can't remember exactly, but I think the wifi dongle was for b.yond HD.
b.yond HD was from a time where networking = cabling. The dongle was like an after-thought market trend.
The first dongle was purchased, i vaguely remember RM50. The 2nd dongle was delivered free by Astro some time later, offered through a phone call from CS.


This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 24 2021, 02:16 AM

Here I am scratching my head why even after changing LAN cables, Ultrabox still does not get DHCP address. Switch indicator says it's connected.

Whatsapp "05 - Bantuan Teknikal" is all only about shoving "ultrabox-is-great.pdf". Itu bukanlah menghulurkan bantuan, tapi menghulurkan batu untuk hantuk kepala.

Called in.

Apparently, Ultrabox can operate either using Ethernet or using WiFi, cannot interchange after choosing during initial set up (factory reset).

yes, i bit the bullet.
eventhough i downgraded the other box to basic (in lieu of going all the way to njoi) on 30th oct in accordance to mom's own wish, i followed up and found that mom now misses her korean show.

so have to bite the bullet and upgraded back.

end up from ~RM207 previous bill to ~RM140 in current bill now back to ~RM220 next bill (estimated figure, lazy to factcheck).


Software Version 21.2.5.47
Release Date 23 Oct 2021

I initially thought that the box is broken. Wifi works as expected; but LAN, even when both port's indicator light and status says "connected", just cannot get DHCP address. cannot even set static IP. Cannot be that my CAT6e already faulty, but another CAT5e also failed. Reboot does not help. Hmmm..... Almost about to reset the box and start from scratch, but I backed down after remembering the installer did some satellite set up at start. I'm not ready to deal with self-inflicted "injury" to the set up.

According to Phone Technical Support CS, cannot interchange between LAN and Wifi on-the-fly without doing factory reset. (To think the installer was very particular asking me if i want to use cable, which I already did with DMT5 to ensure quality of connection.) I declined to proceed with factory reset to use LAN; I just don't want to brick the satellite set up and a fool if i insists to anchor myself to a cable with inflexible networking set up.

(and who knows it would insists to remain static enough when on LAN cable, to even refuse a different router MAC).

I was initially bit disoriented because when it was on Wifi, all kind of category appears at top, but once i disconnected to work on the Ethernet, all the categories disappears. CS told me because those categories need network. Now writing of it, that makes sense; no point showing those categories only to rile up users who will call asking why the cannot watch (of course can't do so without network).

But I agree with your previous statement; the LiveTv HD channels do appear less refined than when they appear on DMT5. And streaming will show jagged artifacts at start, took about 30s to a minute to start appearing better.


Everything, except Sports, Sports Extra, Indo, and Indian Favourites pack.

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 25 2021, 07:26 PM

nah.... if not for finally getting fibre-ed and wife mumbling about rain, i wouldn't have even bothered to move of my couch. it's problem solving rather than a want. never bothered about astro as long as it is viewable. 10 years old tv still okay whaaaaaat...

kinda iritated to see lower quality images on a technologically superior tv; even the previous DMT5 with satellite-only live tv gave better eye candy.

and who decided to make such an inflexible networking set up. have to factory reset to switch between cable and wifi? and even if maxing out 4K does not require hundreds of Mbps, but 100Mbps Ethernet jack in this age?

it's not funny that streaming HBO Go right on Sony's AndroidTV gave better resolution than streaming the same movie through Ultrabox. The jagged curve on HBO logo streaming is an eyesore.


but all this is still better than unifi tv. that one the whole team responsible for it should just jump off the top of menara tm. force include RM60 subscription of worst than tv flintstones. baju petak abang askar gave more clarity and entertainment than unifi tv. the only consolation in exchange of that rm60, i get "free" viu sub (tbh it's overpriced RM60 than subscribing direct).

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 26 2021, 02:46 AM

what is pop-up channel?

Ah, I see. Like the Jackie Chan-dedicated and recent Bond-dedicated channels.
Didn't pay attention to them anyway.
Seems like just a method for Astro to distract from Disney's pulling out.

The auto yearly renewal is big turnoff.

Also, newly-installed fibre and AndroidTV have caused in shift in view pattern not even developed during the stuck-in-homes MCO.
Before, wife spend some time watching random Korean on-air. Now spending more time binge watching finish whole series.
Kids also switched from recording their OTA series to Youtube and OTT series.
I found I'm the only one who still fill up harddisk on the DMT5 since fibre came.

The only hesitating reason to keep going with Astro is to support older folks. There will be steep curve to learn switching between decoders and operating OTT.

Turning to MyFreeView in the long run to replace OTA. I guess it is rain-proof. not going for nJoi if this works.
Netflix and Disney+ standalone to replace Movies pack; full of re-runs anyway and without Fox channels, no longer have interest.
Koreans have quite a number of alternatives.
KiDoodle for kids. Or rather, grandkids.
Maybe some alternative documentary streams. Or stick to rely on youtube - since everything on youtube is nothing but the truth, just like documentaries.


Unifi Plus Box is not an option. Its HD has enough pixelated mess that makes abang askar's uniform to appear 8K standard in comparison.

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 27 2021, 11:28 AM

While I support the intent to weed out LGBT elements from corrupting our society, the charade is farce.

in this link also mentioned blame online gambling for promoting social ill (which I agree btw). Just few weeks ago somebody from same side said we need law to govern online gambling in order to be able to tax it.

Farcical exercise. Forked tongues. If you think its promotes social ill then curb it, not make profit out of it.

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Nov 30 2021, 06:02 PM

hotstar comes with 1yr auto-renew contract. (or is it movies pack?)
if you already subscribed to movies pack, hotstar is already bundled in.

if you don't aubscribe to movies pack, is interested in hotstar, but don't want to be locked, just pay separately.

6mths after they forced everyone to pay more for movies pack, yet to issue native app for their own decoder platform, and you haven't called that incompetence?

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Dec 1 2021, 01:55 PM

through ASTRO, it averaged over 3 month. will be RM17+.

to get that RM5 special price, prerequisite to sub Movies pack

youtube didn't shove once i paid protection money to stop those 18+ advertisements.

astro on the other hand just keep on giving.

on track to be liberated off astro's schemes.

This post has been edited by Oltromen Ripot: Dec 2 2021, 01:45 AM

It won't matter when my contract ends

Macam skrip drama "Now everyone can die" aje

check the audio. don't use dolby 5.1.
it's pita because netflix, hotstar app inside ultrabox and androidtv defaults to 5.1, and have to manually re-set for each movie/episode.