54 replies to this topic

[aaaaplay]

The update due by the end of the year and early next year are as follows:
* Software updates (Hopefully getting rid of glitches)
* USB enabled for an external HD available from Austar (other brands won't work)
* Ethernet enabled unsure yet what this will be used for but probably some kind of IPTV
* Upgraded colour palette for improved picture quality.

I will let you know of any more details I get/

[Swagman51]

aaaaplay, on Jun 9 2011, 07:11 PM, said:

Hopefully getting rid of glitches

Wow! Something new for Austar!!



But I jest...those all sound interesting - will wait with interest.

[killer1500]

Austar stated via its facebook the ethernet port will be used for Austar Anytime (its also been stated in official pres releases for investors), and content will be sourced by Foxtel On Demand (they call it Box Office, to not include the Foxtel name).

So thats what the ethernet updates include. They stated it would be out either late this year or early next year. This was posted around the start of the year.

I hope to god they let us update the hard drive, I fill mine up every week.

However....none of this might happen if Foxtel actually take, what would be the point working on the STB if they were eventually going to switch everyone to IQs for example. I guess for the time being its business as usual, but we may never see these updates.

Edited by killer1500, 09 June 2011 - 08:39 PM.

[davmel]

aaaaplay, on Jun 9 2011, 06:11 PM, said:

The update due by the end of the year and early next year are as follows:

LOL. It's funny how they promise all that by the time Foxtel is expected to take over....
Yep, you'll get all that when your crappy MyStar is replaced with an IQ!

[wavesea]

davmel, on Jun 10 2011, 06:55 PM, said:

LOL. It's funny how they promise all that by the time Foxtel is expected to take over....
Yep, you'll get all that when your crappy MyStar is replaced with an IQ!

Why would Austar throw away 21 million dollars on decoders to replace them with a Foxtel IQ box ? This take over bid has happened many times in the past and even if it does go through, nothing will change, just the ownership.

[davmel]

wavesea, on Jun 16 2011, 05:28 PM, said:

Why would Austar throw away 21 million dollars on decoders to replace them with a Foxtel IQ box ? This take over bid has happened many times in the past and even if it does go through, nothing will change, just the ownership.

Unlike all the previous times, this time there is complete approval between both parties and all shareholders, now only approval from the relevant authorities is needed (ACCC etc) and it will go ahead.
You really have no idea how big a change this will be when Foxtel takes over. Foxtel has admitted they will have combined savings of $70mil per year as a result. You don't get that by just changing the ownership, the savings come through by simplifying and reducing the number of supported boxes, getting rid of Irdeto simulcryption (to avoid their licensing fees) and having a single marketing presence and services throughout. Austar boxes will be phased out over time.

[ozbrit]

I'll be hanging onto my mystar HD until such time they have an IQ with integrated fta tuners. The Mystar as buggy as it has been has made recording fta so much easier.

[mjt57]

ozbrit, on Jun 16 2011, 08:12 PM, said:

I'll be hanging onto my mystar HD until such time they have an IQ with integrated fta tuners. The Mystar as buggy as it has been has made recording fta so much easier.

With us, very little FTA is recorded to the MystarHD. Rather, we use either a Topfield PVR or a Panasonic Bluray/HDD recorder, depending on which TV we're watching.

If we went to the IQ and lost the Mystar, it wouldn't be a huge issue for us, particularly given the recording restrictions (total of two tuners at any one time).

[killer1500]

I use the FTA recording on the Mystar alot. Whats the point in running two PVR's, having two PVR's runs into alot $$ in power usage with things like standby and recording usage. Plus having everything in place is much easier. Sure its not the best FTA PVR, but its a decent one with all my subcription channels too.

I get around the twin tuner limits by recording all FTA during primetime, and all subcription tv shows I like outside of that (12am and 6pm). Everything is repeated a million times on Foxtel/Austar so its easy to record something outside of its first primetime showing.

I would chose the Mystar over the IQ if I had a choice.

[Bobbsy]

Loss of the FTA capability would be a big issue for us...but, on the other hand, both our Mystar HD and Mystar SD boxes have become so flakey lately that I think I'd have to go for the IQ if it was offered.  Delays of up to 70 seconds to respond to each command from the remote makes the whole thing unworkable.  Add in some of the other faults people have listed (recording the past hour when you only specify the next 30 minute show for example or the other one we've had lately--child lock kicking in mid programme even if we have it turned off and refusing to accept a PIN, losing us the end of a show etc. and we're about ready to give up on the boxes.

For the record, the Mystar HD was actually pretty good for the first 18 months.  A few glitches but it was so much better than the SD box that we were fairly happy.  This all fell apart in the past month or so, hence my query elsewhere whether there had been a disastrous  software upgrade or something.  FYI, our disk  is still storing about the same amount as always...but I suppose it could be fragmented or something.

Anyway, as it stands now we're seriously thinking of cancelling unless it improves.  Life is too short for 60 seconds wait per button push.

[pc9]

Bobbsy, on Oct 13 2011, 09:20 PM, said:

Loss of the FTA capability would be a big issue for us...but, on the other hand, both our Mystar HD and Mystar SD boxes have become so flakey lately that I think I'd have to go for the IQ if it was offered.  Delays of up to 70 seconds to respond to each command from the remote makes the whole thing unworkable.  Add in some of the other faults people have listed (recording the past hour when you only specify the next 30 minute show for example or the other one we've had lately--child lock kicking in mid programme even if we have it turned off and refusing to accept a PIN, losing us the end of a show etc. and we're about ready to give up on the boxes.

For the record, the Mystar HD was actually pretty good for the first 18 months.  A few glitches but it was so much better than the SD box that we were fairly happy.  This all fell apart in the past month or so, hence my query elsewhere whether there had been a disastrous  software upgrade or something.  FYI, our disk  is still storing about the same amount as always...but I suppose it could be fragmented or something.

Anyway, as it stands now we're seriously thinking of cancelling unless it improves.  Life is too short for 60 seconds wait per button push.

I'm cancelling also - was prepared to tolerate the 60 second delays and the like, but now that the source broadcaster, Foxtel have started compressing their HD channels with subsequent loss of picture quality, I don't see the point of it any more.

[nutmeg1]

I agree the boxes seem to have been very unstable recently resets for no reason at all.

As regards the 60 min recording before recording started if you are already on the same channel and hit record the units have a 60 min buffer so

that it keeps up to 60 mins worth of the channel its on .Its also why if you pause and its near that 60 mark when you push okay you are an hour

behind.When that happens push stop and just rewind back to where you paused.

Hope this helps in one respect at least.

[Bobbsy]

Yeah, it's definitely to do with having been watching the same channel for a while when you hit record...but it's not consistent.  Sometimes it does it, sometimes not.  I've tried to see if it might have something to do with the EPG times being slightly wrong to do with the actual transmissions...but the huge lag I'm getting on any button presses makes that difficult just now!

[mjt57]

It's now late April 2012. So far, no more news on Mystar upgrades, although we did get a major GUI update last week (and no new features that I can tell, just a facelift).

I'd love to be able to synchronise my two MystarHDs so they can share recorded shows.

[boogie]

No GUI update for me yet,whens it going to happen?

[killer1500]

Yeh I didnt get any upgrade either, Ill start leaving my box on overnight now and see if that picks it up earlier.

Edited by killer1500, 24 April 2012 - 08:27 AM.

[killer1500]

http://www.austar.co...es/newlook.aspx

Looks pretty good

[oxblood8]

No on-screen upgrade for me either and I leave my MyStarHD box on 24x7

Edited by oxblood8, 24 April 2012 - 10:04 AM.

[sleeptalker]

killer1500, on 24 April 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

http://www.austar.co...es/newlook.aspx

Looks pretty good

Yes it is an improvement. One improvement I would like to see is the ability to edit recorded programs to save on hard-drive space. Can do this with all other PVR's I've had but not with Mystar.

[Darthdury]

killer1500, on 24 April 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

http://www.austar.co...es/newlook.aspx

Looks pretty good

So does the Mystar need to be reset to get the upgrade as mine has done 2 of these over the weekend (for no apparent reason and no new GUI)

Edited by Darthdury, 24 April 2012 - 12:38 PM.

[BamBBBam]

sleeptalker, on 24 April 2012 - 12:07 PM, said:

One improvement I would like to see is the ability to edit recorded programs to save on hard-drive space. Can do this with all other PVR's I've had but not with Mystar.

You can't do it on the IQ.

[iStar]

boogie, on 23 April 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

No GUI update for me yet,whens it going to happen?

I called Austar Techincal today (you're welcome lol). They said the new UI was "released on the 19th of April, and will be distributed in batches".

Your box will update automatically, but they couldn't tell me when. Should be soon enough.

[mjt57]

It isn't a big deal. One change is that when in planner or guide the currently selected channel plays in the background.

Annoyingly, when finished watching a recorded show if you go back to the planner you cannot delete it from the list if it's still playing. You have to stop it, then go to the planner to delete it.

[oxblood8]

Got the GUI update last night.

[killer1500]

Mine didn't come through but was in the enhancement menu this morning.