Customers Angry Over Astro's Byond Firmware!

Went home last night and switched on my Astro (yeah, I am one of the subscribers for Astro Byond) to watch American Idol results show. Horrors! The whole picture was utterly distorted on my TV.

Horrors!

Now previously, I have set the screen disply, in the TV settings in my Byond box, to STRETCH view mode.

Last night, Randy's head was chopped off the very minute I switched on Astro!

Upon some simple investigations, I found out that I no longer have this STRETCH view mode option. All I have now is PILLAR BOX and ZOOM view mode. Which is totally unacceptable if I were to watch NON-HD channels on Astro. Now given that Astro only offers 5 channels viewing on HD, watching Astro became such a turn off. What a massive disappointment! Arghhhhh!!!!!

What are you folks in Astro thinking about?

You make new software firmwares to improve viewing and not to downgrade viewing!!!

And I am not alone, mind you.

On Malaysiainsider, A ‘black pillar’ surprise hits Astro B.yond customers

• By Lee Wei Lian
  
  KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Customers of satellite TV provider Astro’s high definition (HD) package, Astro Beyond, woke up today to an unwanted surprise when they found that the visuals in the non-HD or standard definition channels (SD) were squeezed between two “black pillars.”
  
  The problem is due to an overnight software update downloaded into Astro set top boxes that does not take into consideration the different aspect ratios used by HD and SD.
  
  “They did not inform customers ahead of time,” said KC Lau, an irate Astro B.yond customer who initially thought it was a problem with his LCD TV. “I am amazed they are so arrogant not to be prepared for the inundation of complaints. Typical of our country.”
  
  To compound problems, Astro’s B.yond subscribers will also have to manually reset the aspect ratios every time they change channels.
  
  When contacted, Astro said that the issue is due to a software update that was performed for the service to be in line with international broadcast and content standards.
  
  It said that customers can opt to use the “Zoom” button on the decoder if they want to view the SD channels in full screen.
  
  The company did not, however, point out that when subscribers view SD channels in full-screen mode, the top and bottom part of the picture is cut off.
  
  Astro also explained that all flat panel/high definition televisions and HD content are transmitted on 16:9 aspect ratio while SD channels are transmitted on 4:3 aspect ratio which results in the SD channels images viewed on a flat panel television/ high definition television in the correct native ratio to be “pillar-boxed”.
  
  Ahmad Mustaza Ismail, Director of Customer Service said that in the meantime, Astro will look into the feasibility of providing more options for its customers. “The process will take time as we have to work with our programme guide software suppliers while ensuring that we comply to international broadcast standards,” he said in an e-mail response to The Malaysian Insider.

Yes, the ZOOM while allowing the viewer to view the SD channels in full screen, but the picture quality using this view mode is poor and the top and bottom of the picture is cut off!

Is this acceptable?

Surely not.

And neither is Ahmad Mustaza Ismail's explanation.

Come on surely some thinking is required when you do an update yes? And surely one would imagine that Astro would have taken the time to do some simple testing before they launch this software, yes? Why is so difficult for them to test out if it works or not before making this new firmware update? Test it out. Is that so difficult?

TV shows is all about sound quality and visual quality, yes?

If you make an upgrade which downgrades the visual quality of the shows being broad casted, surely your customers would be extremely pissed, yes? I know I am and if one surf through Astro's facebook, one could read the countless complaints on this issue. ( Click her http://www.facebook.com/Astro?filter=3 )

And Ahmad Mustaza Ismail's statement "Astro will look into the feasibility of providing more options for its customers. “The process will take time as we have to work with our programme guide software suppliers while ensuring that we comply to international broadcast standards,” simply does not make any sense either.

Why talk about international broadcast standards? Has he watch the end result of this firmware upgrade? Yeah, I believe he should switch on his TV and see for himself and ask himself a very honest question, "Is such picture quality acceptable"? and the point is simple, if it's not acceptable, why talk about international broadcast standards? It is irrelevant here.

The point is simple. Astro software programmers screwed up by taking out the 'stretch' view mode option. How difficult is it to rollback the firmware upgrade and allow back the users to choose between PILLAR BOX, ZOOM and STRETCH.

Hey, adding back this STRETCH view mode is not that difficult is it?

Comeon Astro, think about it!