Scrasey2

I think we have finally found ourselves an apartment - just waiting to hear if our rental offer has been accepted.

Please can anyone advice on best Broadband package - high speed is a must.

Also, is Astro HD (Byond) available in Penang now?

Thanks!
Sarah

Strider24

Rats I thought I was setting up a new thread about Penang food and must have pressed the wrong button.

Agree ex reg. I also have 1 Mbps with Streamyx and very happy. I have tried Maxis and DiGi and where I live they are a waste of time and money. Downside is heavy deposit a foreigner pays TM for the line....(get a local to register in their name for peanuts) If you don't use the telephone you only pay RM1.06 paperwork fee a month and pay Streamyx for whichever plan you want. Often I find Streamyx actually give me higher speeds than I pay for.

columbine

TM Streamyx has 3G and lately YES has 4G ...both available in Penang. I've noticed a few shops in Gurney Plaza with posters up for YES and you can inquire there.
Astro HD Beyond is also available in Pg.

Good luck in your move and settling

tuanton

You need to check into whether Astro HD is available in your apartment block. Most Condo's are not able to take HD because the installation of fibre optic cabling necessary is very expensive. I live in a condo and when speaking with Astro Tech people they told me that only 3 Condo blocks in the whole of Malaysia are able to take HD. In my block we we not allowed to have individual cabling done our apartment - must be one 'corporate' dish.

bakedbean

You're kidding? So all these peeps in condos who've bought HD are just actually getting the normal picture

tuanton

Do you actually know anyone who has HD and lives in a Condo ?
I am relaying information given to during a visit by Astro Tech 2 weeks ago, maybe he is wrong. Can't think why they would tell me I can't have it (unless the condo management agree to install fibre optic throughout) I even agreed to accept additional cost of installation. Maybe your 'peeps' have installed it with an individual dish outside their own condo window which most condo's will not allow.

bakedbean

Yup I think that could be the case. I know of someone in a condo with HD - I think the condo is 4 or 5 years old but was surprised to see individual Astro dishes outside the units - not very common on the newer ones. The one we are renting at the moment only has the "communal" dish, though when we got our Astro subscription we were presented with a dish. Have kept it though not sure why really. We're not on HD.

columbine

It depends on how each condo was set up. The one we were in before did not and still does not have 'central' set up and each unit occupant applies for Astro and thus you see the dishes lining or facing one specific direction as indicated by Astro technicians when they came to install.
Bakedbean, even regular Astro comes with a dish, the HD one looks different from the regular one. hehe I think the price includes the dish When you move, you take the dish with you to your new place and you inform Astro that you have a dish, you get a discount! We did that, had the technician removed the old dish and put it in the new place and we got a discount Then when HD came along we upgraded the service, the technician came with a different colored dish and receiver and we asked him to take the old dish away.

bakedbean

I think the condo you mentioned is the one I'm thinking about - know a couple of guys living there Was surprised to see all the Astro dishes outside.

I suspect that the condo we are moving to will just have the "communal" system. I can't say I'm too fussed about HD as we don't watch much telly.

Strider24

Must be the one I'm in. Every balcony has a dish in exactly the same spot all pointing the same direction (out to sea!).....almost like a kinky bit of modern art!! My dish is not connected to anything as I don't really like Astro much. (more adverts than even TV3 and your paying to watch them)
I just didn't want to take my dish down as it would break the symmetry of the place!!!

bakedbean

Heh heh, not sure it's the same condo you are talking about, but you see quite a lot of the older ones have tons of Astro dishes. The one I was talking about was fairly newish, 5 years old maybe.

Hey I like your variable location under your name. Sounds like you don't know where you want to be

Strider24

Depends on the mood. Love having options

columbine

I think Bakedbean and I are referring to the same condo, newish 6 yrs old and most of the Astro dishes pointing towards Pg HILL direction not out to sea

Strider24

Ahhh. Mine is 4 times older and would be a challenge to point at Pg Hill from where it is. Pointing to sea is more esthetically pleasing. No idea about reception.

TopHattedCat

I've recently moved out of an apartment into a house in the Queensbay area & have already had HD installed. But before you take the plunge check the package as not all the channels are available in HD.

I disagree with the earlier poster who advised about not using Maxis broadband, I have been using it since it was first implemented & when I cannot watch my favourite football team live on Astro I use one of the streaming services to watch the games without any problems.

In mitigation to anyone who has problems with any Maxis 3G, if your area is saturated with subscribers then the more people using it the slower the download/upload speed.

This could be the case in the Tanjung Bungah/Batu Ferringhi areas, but Maxis monitor areas of heavy traffic & generally plan to increase capacity in hot areas, unfortunately it can take some time to go through the system.

I have not tried Digi so I cannot comment & my one attempt to use Celcom was a disaster as the signal was so weak at my old apartment.