For this x’mas, I actually made a little rearrangement on my living halls at home. Switched the foosball table to the second hall and swapped in the sofa and entertainment cabinet to the first hall so to better able enjoy the beautiful wall painting done by Haze.


the living room is a work of art, isn’t it?

Everything was pretty much in place: a little disco ball on the tea table by the sofa, the TV on the entertainment cabinet with my DVD player, surround speakers, Nintendo Wii, and of course, the faithful Astro decoder.

Then I noticed something that is not quite right. Zooming in a little, the Ikea TV cabinet that I bought is now actually deformed due to the weight of my old school 29″ TV, and this is despite the cabinet having a support beam at the center. I think it is a disaster waiting to happen, very tragic!


gahhh! TV cabinet cannot support the weight of my old 29″ TV

Ever the optimist, I see that this is merely a calling for me to upgrade to something lighter, something more modern. Like a sexy new 32″ LCD TV perhaps.

To be frank, I’ve been scouting for an LCD TV ever since they became somewhat affordable, but there was one reason that prevents me from taking the plunge – the lack of HD content. The gaming console that I have at home is a Wii, which basically plays on  SDTV (standard definition TV), and there isn’t any HDTV content via Astro … until now.

Enter Astro B.yond – the multi-phased service from Astro starting with the first ever HD broadcast in Malaysia. There are 5 HD channels to start with – Astro SuperSports HD (831), ESPN HD (832, in January 2010), HBO HD (431), National Geographic Channel HD (573), and HD History (575).

Astro SuperSport will be showing the upcoming FIFA world cup games in HD, while ESPN HD actually plays quite a lot of NFL games! This is actually very very tempting for me personally!

More than mere HD content, Astro B.yond comes with a new B.yond box, new smart card, outdoor unit, HDMI cable, and new remote. All these is necessary by design, as the hardware will eventually allow the roll out of video recording through external hard disk in 2010, and in the next 24 hours, functions such as video on demand, and IPTV connectivity will follow.

This is actually quite exciting! To sign up for the service, just go to www.astro.com.my/byond or call the ASTRO customer Hotline 1300 82 3838. For RM 20 per month with a 12 month commitment, you get all these new channels in HD, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal.

In conjunction with the launch, there’ll also be an Astro B.yond Bloggers Night Out on the 13th of January 2010. To participate, all you need to do is be a fan at Astro’s facebook page and find out more details there. There’ll be announcements on the page, and an on-ground “Murder Mystery Game” with the winner winning a HD TV.

Those who attend and blog about the event will stand a chance to win a HD TV too, and Astro B.yond subscription until Dec 2010 (2 to be won, I hope I’ll be one of them!)

I need a lighter TV, a HDTV!
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36 thoughts on “I need a lighter TV, a HDTV!

  • January 7, 2010 at 3:57 am
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    You know what KY? I’ve got me first “FIRSTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!111″â„¢ in 2010!!! Happy new year, matey! Muahahaha…

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 8:21 am
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    63T,
    Hehehe no prize! 😛

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 8:27 am
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    Yeah I hope I can win that 32″ HDTV too, no idea how it’s gonna fit into my studio though. 🙂

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 8:39 am
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    HD FTW. But too bad my living room have old skool SDTV that just wouldn’t budge at the moment. And the LCD in my room does not support Full HD yet.

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 9:38 am
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    Huai Bin,
    Good luck! can’t fit your studio, just give it to me. 😀

    JD,
    Hahah mine too is SDTV, time to upgrade 😛

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 10:55 am
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    cumidanciki,
    oh but you’ll look much better than my table!

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 11:06 am
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    Astro totally made that name from Beyond. Chinese fellas. tsk

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 11:07 am
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    no need the table laaa… mount ur HD TV (god bless if u get it) on the wall and make another amazing wall artz outta it 😀

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 11:16 am
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    Haze Long,
    Beyond the band was awesome ok! Don’t mess! 😛

    Aza,
    Hahah, then where do I put my Wii!?

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 11:41 am
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    Astro beyond? I called and subscribe on 23rd Dec, 5 days after their launching. Till today they cant install, reason being “tak cukup installers” Astro come let me .I. you deep.

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 11:41 am
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    go buy a cheap cheap LCD tv la..is having promotion nw..

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 11:48 am
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    kaikon,
    Hahah that’s cos u’re in KK! 😛

    nikel,
    Thinking, still thinking!

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 1:05 pm
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    yeah i need to join this contest. I got 49″ HDTV but no astro b.yond. hehehe…..

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 3:46 pm
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    IKEA stuff are flimsy, low quality

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 4:10 pm
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    Wow…another RM20 for astro b.yond to get HD service + channel cost, Malaysian are really rich…

    SG for SGD38,a decoder+15 HD channel (basic) & boardband service.

    UK for Pounds 15,a decoder+20 HD channels(basic)+boardband serivce & Ip phone.

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 4:12 pm
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    eiling,
    wah why u so rich!?

    Ashley,
    Hahah some of the stuff I guess :S

    Ong,
    Oh well I guess you can’t really compare them across country. I’m sure you can easily find services that are more expensive/cheaper in other countries kan?

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 5:01 pm
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    Hi KY

    I am comparing base on our Government claim that we are a developed country, pricing of developed countries vs. developed countries.

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 5:04 pm
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    Ong,
    I think our government claims a lot of things that we can’t exactly really agree. hahah

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 5:51 pm
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    ya when we were at your house we were all so sked of your tv table! like disaster waiting to happen haha

    Reply
  • January 7, 2010 at 9:31 pm
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    aud,
    hahahah it’s steady ok don’t worry aud!

    Reply
  • January 8, 2010 at 12:09 am
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    Totally agreed dude, that why stuffs in Malaysia are damn expensive…

    Reply
  • January 8, 2010 at 7:31 am
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    i’m using the same ikea TV cabinet too. and the tv that weighs the same and the deforming thingy too 🙁 🙁

    Reply
  • January 8, 2010 at 9:30 am
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    Ong,
    Yah, tragic, tragic!

    vvens,
    Ahhh, lets file a lawsuit 😛

    Reply
  • January 8, 2010 at 4:05 pm
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    Mine is coming in about 8 days time, can’t wait to watch it at home. Been watching it at my friend’s place and I definitely like watching the super sharp HBO channels! The quality better than the older DVDs la!

    Reply
  • January 8, 2010 at 5:18 pm
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    Hi KY, I totally agree with Ong, good stuffs in Malaysia are damm expensive. Every month I am paying Astro about RM150 (For basic channel like Sports, Movie, News, Discovery, Dynasty package for chinese program), another RM39.00 for AOD, another RM88 for Streamyx, another RM40.00 for Telekom Malaysia phone line. This is excluding of my Maxis mobile , Maxis data – Edge + Wireless broadband ( about RM250 – RM300). WHY BANDWIDTH IN MALAYSIA SO EXPENSIVE ?????

    Reply
  • January 8, 2010 at 5:21 pm
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    mark,
    Wahhh, how nice!

    TE,
    Why? Ah, perhaps competition is lacking? But it’s hard to say, cos it’s even more pricier in Aussie I heard?

    Reply
  • January 9, 2010 at 11:12 pm
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    You like watching football rite , then better get Plasma TV , from wat i heard , if watch football in Plasma TV is more better than watching in LCD tv . ( if u got more money , buy LED la , just see the slimless of it , very song liao ) . Make sure u get a Full HD on whichever ur buying , i heard that HD ready also can la but will lost some resolution . Ah Hon

    Reply
  • January 10, 2010 at 1:52 am
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    Cheesie
    You oledi have LCD tv i Jeles!

    Ah Hoon,
    Yah, HD Ready isn’t full hd, 1920×1080 is what I want. 😀
    Well plasma vs LCD has it’s pros n cons, but ultimately I think LCD wins over esp. with it’s price point. LED tv’s still a bit out of reach.. $$

    Reply
  • January 11, 2010 at 5:45 pm
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    bro, been browsing through the newspapers lately. Panasonic is having some promos for LCDs. Have a look…

    Reply
  • January 11, 2010 at 9:53 pm
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    clement,
    Yah, still thinking, thinking, thinking.

    Reply
  • January 12, 2010 at 2:49 pm
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    Did you take the photo of your T.V. in your boxers only? I can see the reflexion on the TV screen.

    Reply
  • January 12, 2010 at 2:52 pm
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    Mirian,
    Now isn’t that a very interesting observation?

    Reply

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