Astro B.yond Bloggers Night!

"Experience like never before,
See like never before,
Hear like never before,
Touch like never before,
Feel like never before."

Astro has recently launched its HD broadcast service (previously known as Astro HD) as Astro B.yond on 18 December 2009.Modesto Sri Hartamas

As it was still relatively unknown to most subscribers at that time, Astro has launched a Blogger's Night event at Modesto Sri Hartamas on 13th January with the help of Nuffnang to recruit the bloggers.The stage of the event.

Before that, thank you Nuffnang and Astro because I got invited. Woohoo!

The event starts at 7.30pm but arrived on scene about half an hour later with fellow blogger MichL. (Wanted to ask Wee Sheong to join but he was at Penang at the time...)

Me

As we arrived late, there was no place to park the car and we had to resort to valet service which costs RM10 compared to RM5 if we found the parking ourself.

Me

MichL

After registering (and writing our New Year's resolution), we were greeted with a scene of many people who seem all so familiar.( a high percentage of the attendees were bloggers)

Bloggers armed with DSLRs

We met up with Samuel to catch up on what we had missed in the first half an hour which thankfully (for Malaysian timing) we didn't.

MichL, me and Samuel

The event started slightly after 8pm with an opening speech by the emcee.
(sorry, Jojo Struys was not the emcee but she was present)

Later on was the speech by Astro COO officially declaring the event and showing the official TV commercial for Astro B.yond which was shot in HD(obviously).

Astro COO giving his welcoming speech and officiating the event.

There are currently 5 channels available in HD which are HBO HD, History HD, National Geographic HD, AstroSport HD and ESPN HD.

(which promises that the 2010 World Cup will be available in HD here. Something for the football fans to shout about)

The bloggers were also part of the event as celebrity bloggers such as sixthseal.com , beautifulnara , Shaolin Tiger , Red Mummy among the featured.



Blogger's intro to HD.

When that was over, everyone who attended had free food (buffet style) consisting of pasta, sphagetti, roasted lamb,chicken, fried mushrooms and eggplant.

The free food.

Did I mention about free flow of drinks which includes beer?

While we were eating, we were entertained by drummers who went on stage to give us a lively performance.



Drummer's performance

Right after the drummers went off stage Sixthseal and Rocky went on stage to give us a briefing on the on site game to win the 32" LCD TV by LG and a year's worth of Astro B.yond subscription.



The game is called Murder in the Details which has a Facebook game with the same rewards.

Basically, we have to find 5 clues which are printed on A4 paper that can only be viewed using the supplied magnifying glass to find the culprit to a mother case ala Sherlock Holmes style.

As the game required a team of 5 people, me and MichL made some friends with the other bloggers namely CWKen , Aaron and Gary.

Behind: Gary, Aaron, Ken
Front: MichL and me.

After running around in circle around Modesto with 19 other teams (there were 20 teams in total), we managed to find 4 of the clues with me being the clueless one as there were many people blocking the way.

We managed to find out from the clues that the culprit is a female Nuffie wearing a band aid in a red dress which sounds easy except that there are quite a number of girls wearing red on that day.

The worst part is the band aid part of the clue was fake and only served to mislead us as a team got kicked out of the game for getting the wrong culprit. (Ouch!)

Luck was not really on our side that day as we were talking to the culprit before the wining team managed to take her away. Haiz....

The wining team were then subjected to a question and answer session which was finally won by Eric Yong.

The winning team

After the winner was crowned, the scenario for the game was re enacted.

It seems that Sixthseal and Rocky had an affair under the whims of a business partnership which was found out by sixthseal's girlfriend which is Fres and sixthseal was stabbed.

Thankfully, I got it all on video for those who are still blur.




Rocky and Sisthseal's "relationship".

Found out by Fres.

Sixthseal's death scene.

After all that, there event was officially over but me and MichL stayed around to check out who were present and noticed that Benjicajes and Jojo Struys were also there.

MichL, Benjicajess and me.

We managed to take a photo with Benjicajess but not with Jojo Struys as she seemed pretty busy with two cameramen shooting video for Project Alpha 2 (presumably).

We both left the event at 10.30pm and had lots of fun there (although I didn't get to finish my plate as we rushed to join in the game).

Thank you Astro and Nuffnang for inviting the non-celebrity bloggers such as me to this event and I hope that there will be more in the future.

Peace!

:)

Astro B.yond launched

Astro HD is launched today and known as Astro B.yond.

The good thing is that you need to top up RM20 on your existing subscription package with the HD channel.

More info can be found here:

http://www.astro.com.my/byond/faq.asp

Astro B.yond launched

KUALA LUMPUR: Astro today launched its Astro B.yond — a multi-phased innovative service starting with the first ever High Definition (HD) broadcast, setting yet another new benchmark in Malaysia’s broadcast industry.

“At 48 per cent penetration of Malaysian TV homes, we are part of 2.875 million homes. It is a privilege we do not take for granted. At Astro, we are committed to innovation in content, technology and customer experience.

We would also like to ensure our customers get the maximum value out of every ringgit they spend with us,” said Astro chief executive officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan.

Incorporating the best in class technologies, the newly launched Astro B.yond offers customers new services which will be introduced in phases starting on Dec 18.

Starting with the first-ever High-Definition (HD) broadcast in Malaysia, Astro B.yond has the potential to change TV viewing experiences with richer colours, picture-perfect clarity and cinematic surround sound. A new and improved Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) designed for better viewer interface will also be introduced.

In 2010, Astro aims to be the first in the world to offer video recording through an external hard drive. With this service, customers can record their favourite programmes and personalise their TV viewing schedules. Astro B.yond will also introduce Digital Video Recording (DVR), Video on Demand (VOD) and IPTV connectivity in phases over the next 24 months.

As Astro B.yond is a major shift in technology, it calls for total revamp in capabilities, hardware and installation. In addition to Astro's delivery infrastructure, customers who wish to experience Astro B.yond and access the HD services have a choice to sign up at an additional service fee of RM20 per month and a commitment of 12 months.

Customers will get the new B.yond box, new smart card, new outdoor unit dish, HD Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable and new remote control. New set-up installation fee will be waived in exchange for the existing box.

On content, Astro will show three key genres that are recognised as HD content drivers globally - sports, movies and documentaries. Astro will start with four HD channels — Astro Supersport HD, HBO HD, National Geographic Channel HD and History HD on Dec 18, followed by ESPN HD in January 2010.

Sports fans may also get to watch the coming World Cup 2010 in HD. Astro plans to roll out more HD channels, including local content, in 2010. The access to enjoy the HD channels corresponds to the customer’s current package subscription.

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/21650-astro-byond-launched

Astro Going HD

Astro finally announces the future prospects of going HD with detail this time and its coming out before end of the year(prays) but it seems that we need to upgrade our decoder and satellite dish to enjoy the benefits.

Hopefully to those who upgrade, there will be no rain distortion as there is a new satellite being launched.

Astro to go HD

If you have bought a HDTV and been complaining about the lack of high definition content from Astro, hold on to your horses because the company is set to introduce its HD service by the end of the year.

The company has been quietly upgrading its infrastructure, from cameras to launching the Measat 3A satellite, and is ready to roll out HD programming on its satellite network, said Paul Dale, Astro’s chief technology officer.

The HD channels that are going to be launched will be in 720p (1,280 x 720-pixels) which is the current HD broadcast standard. However, not all channels will be available in HD.

The first phase of the rollout will include popular channels, namely sports, documentaries and movie channels with more to come in the near future.

Details on the particular channels that will go HD will only be available at the launch date but it’s a given that the National Geographic and ESPN channels will be available in HD.

Local programming in HD is currently in the second phase of the plan and Astro is currently in the process of upgrading video cameras and other equipment.

To receive HD broadcast, consumers will be required to upgrade their TVs to HDTVs as well as change the current set-top box and satellite dish.

On top of the HD broadcasts, Astro is also working on a number of new services including a revamped channel guide and other new features.

The new set-top box will have a HDMI connection, composite outputs, Ethernet port, an USB port and even a digital audio output for 5.1-channel surround sound audio.

The Ethernet port on the set-top box even allows for the delivery of the video channels via the wired broadband connection although this, again, is in a future phase.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the new set-top box is that it comes with a high speed USB port so that you can connect any external hard disk to turn receiver into a digital recorder.

You can’t distribute the video on the hard disk though as each programme recorded is protected by DRM, so that it can only be viewed using the set-top box.

However, the video recording feature will not be available in the first stage of the rollout and will be enabled in a future firmware update.

The official consumer launch will be before the year-end.

http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2009/12/2/technology/20091202170727&sec=technology

Coming Soon: AstroHD?

I'm pretty sure that most of us here have (or going to have) an HD TV.

The only problem is that most of us have only enough budget to spare to buy an original DVD and considering the fact that Blu-Ray Discs are the only True HD which we can obtain legally, there seems to be a limited number in choices when it comes to HD content.

Thankfully, Astro is finally announcing that it is going to release Astro HD by next month.
(but you need at least a new decoder)

Hopefully by then, we have better content and less rain disruptions.
(if we use the same satellite disc, we are going to have the same problems again)

http://www.measat.com/services_broadcasting_hdtv.html

Astro’s high definition future

PAY television operator Astro All Asia Networks, whose TV household penetration rate in Malaysia is almost reaching 50%, is aware that one size doesn’t fit all despite catering to the mass market.

Its customer spectrum ranges from the so-called “digital natives” to the rural population. At the same time, it has to cater to the needs of a complex, “Truly Asia” marketplace that is also becoming more educated, more well-travelled, more sophisticated and more demanding.

How does it plan to deal with these challenges? The answer: innovation in technology and content.

Datuk Rohana Rozhan ... ‘The whole idea is to evolve our technology and our platform so that we’re always ahead of consumer trends.’

Astro TV chief executive officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan says business as usual is no longer an option.

“We can’t just stick to one form of TV, which is linear TV, and serve one group of people the more mass we become. At the same time, we cannot forget our top-end customers who demand more of us. So we need both breadth and depth,” she tells StarBizWeek in an interview.

“In addition, we cannot ignore new media anymore. How content is consumed in the future is something that we have to be prepared for. Otherwise, in 10 years’ time or maybe less, when my son (who is currently 15 years old) becomes a customer of Astro, Astro will be irrelevant. So that’s how we look at the next phase where we want to go.”

Astro is evolving its content to include mobile and online content. Recently, it collaborated with Maxis to launch Malaysia’s first made-for-mobile entertainment series.

By next month Astro will launch high-definition (HD) TV, and in the first half of next year, it will re-introduce the personal video recorder (PVR), the satellite technology’s answer to video on demand.

“The whole idea,” Rohana says, “is to evolve our technology and our platform so that we’re always ahead of consumer trends.”

She is tight-lipped about the details of the HDTV launch, though she would say that customers would have to pay to enjoy HD content.

While declining to reveal the model being used by Astro, Rohana talks about those in overseas markets. “Some operators give you the same content in SD (standard definition) or in HD. Should you decide to take the content in HD, you pay extra.

“Some will also launch unique channels which have content you cannot have in SD. There may also be a window play, meaning earlier-release content. Even that you have to pay a la carte or per package for unique channels. We can pick and choose as to how we’ll launch HD in Malaysia.”

Astro, she adds, will come up with an economic commercial model for HD subscribers.

There are already 1.2 million Astro subscribers with flat-screen or high-definition TVs, she says. “The only HD content that’s available in Malaysia is Blu-ray and it’s far too expensive. Astro has decided that there’s a demand for HD products.”

On PVR, Rohana says Astro has 116 channels but some customers still complain there’s nothing to watch at particular times. The PVR, coupled with an improved electronic programme guide, will help to ensure there’s always something for subscribers to watch.

The PVR has a pause, stop, rewind and forward functionality, and subscribers can programme ahead what TV show to record. Rohana says the PVR has a hard disk storage of 160 hours.

On the differences between the latest PVR system and its predecessor, the discontinued Astro Max, she says: “This will be the first deployment of a new kind of PVR with many of the world’s largest broadcasters to follow Astro throughout 2010. In order to bring this next-generation PVR, Astro has fully licensed all the best-in-class technologies to deliver the world’s best PVR experience. This is a key difference to the Astro Max.”

Rohana says Astro is also working with all its channel providers and “fundamentally shifting its infrastructure to ensure that the PVR accurately records the programmes you want and provides detailed information around them.”

Another difference from the Astro Max system is the push functionality, which can be used as an up-selling tool for Astro.

“If I know you like CSI, I can download on a push basis the whole Season 200 of CSI and put it on your box. When you come home, I can say: ‘Hey, guess what? I have the whole Season 200 of CSI. Do you want to buy it?’ So, either you decide what you want to record, or we intuitively try to cater to what you want,” she says.

Astro is planning a major drive to change its relationship with customers from a transactional relationship to “a real relationship,” she says.

“We will understand what you like. If you like Oasis (an Astro channel with programming catering to Islamic values) and you plan to perform the haj, we’ll download a whole series on ibadah haji onto your box. And there’ll be a message that says we’ve downloaded this series of 12 episodes and asks you whether you want it.”

The HD set-top boxes, to be introduced by year-end, will only be for HD, but an external hard disc for PVR can be added. Next year it will introduce HD/PVR set-top boxes.

Regarding HD content, Rohana says it’s Astro’s aspiration to widen local content in HD. “To merit HD, it has to be a big-ticket item drawing high viewership. Malaysians will experience HD through football, for example, because 70% of our customers take up the sports package,” she points out. Sports is one of the strong pillars of HD; the others being Hollywood blockbusters and programmes like National Geographic.

Rohana says this year, total content cost is about 35% of its revenue. Every year, Astro spends about equally in international content, sports and local content.

While she wouldn’t say what percentage of local content cost would be allocated for HD, she says Astro increases its local content investment every year.

Rohana says all its programme producers will have to gear up for HD. “HD is end-to-end delivery, starting from the content. The camera that shoots that content has to be HD. The make-up they put has to be for HD because the clarity is much better.”

Astro is also using technology to attract more advertising ringgit. Rohana says Astro is already helping advertisers in packaging complete advertising and sponsorship propositions.

“Our people are well-trained to package the right proposition to advertisers. But if the advertisers want independence, we are working with technology in order to provide that,” she says.

“This new research rating system is far superior in every sense from its accuracy to tracking the viewing habits of the viewers. This means that we’ll be able to know which contents work better and which promotions, including TV commercials, work best.”

Asked when she expects this system to be ready, Rohana says: “As soon as possible.”

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/21/business/5144262&sec=business

Nokia Booklet 3G:Hands on

Nokia's new Booklet 3G is HD-ready and rarin' to go. Check out the demo here, from the show floor at CTIA,USA

A video I found from Youtube