FAQs – On Demand Entertainment

 FAQs – On Demand Entertainment About On Demand Entertainment Pick, Watch, Instantly. On Demand (OD) is the new way of enjoying entertainment. OD by Astro enables Malaysians to personalize their TV viewing experience where they can pick and choose their favourite shows from a rich choice of content including the latest and the biggest box office movies and complete seasons of TV series and watch instantly on multi screens. Download from our vast range of FREE on demand titles •
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OD Free is the introduction to the plethora of VOD services. Connect your Astro and you can now choose from a library of virtually unlimited FREE on demand content, including Same Day as The U.S. titles, the latest seasons of Akademi Fantasia, Super Spontan and many more. Now you can have any show you want, anytime you like, all at the touch of a button. It’s too easy there’s something for everybody with Astro’s video on demand services. Just try it today. Enjoy complete seasons of TV series and movie box sets with OD Plus •
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There are 3 key consumer benefits of OD Plus are:-­‐ § Exclusive TV series titles on OD Plus § Binge Viewing-­‐ watch your favourite series all at one go – at home or on AOTG § Access to watch as much as they want at a low fixed rate of RM15.90 compared to buying box sets. From TV series like The Flash and The Big Bang Theory to Hollywood blockbusters like the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings movies, and kids’ content are now available to you anytime, anywhere! Purchase & watch the movies you want, when you want. Purchase the latest and library movies at your own convenience with the OD Store. Movies include those which are second windows after cinema, as part of Astro’s premium movies from Astro First, Astro Best & A-­‐List. Our extensive library features world-­‐class shows across a wide range of vernacular and international languages, including Malay, Chinese and Indian. A) GENERAL 1. What is On Demand (OD)? Pick, Watch, Instantly. On Demand (OD) is the new way of enjoying entertainment. OD by Astro enables Malaysians to personalize their TV viewing experience where they can pick and choose their favourite shows from a rich choice of content including the latest and the biggest box office movies and complete seasons of TV series and watch instantly on multi screens. On Demand is a service which allows you to select and watch desired programs anytime at your convenience. There are three types of On Demand services. i.
OD Free – A free service which allows you to catch-­‐up on a selection of aired programmes based on your subscribed packages. ii. OD Plus – A monthly On Demand subscription (RM15.90/month) which contains a library of unique Movies, complete box-­‐sets of TV Series as well as a sizable library of Kids’ content. iii. OD Store – A pay-­‐per-­‐view service where you may purchase the latest and library movies at your own convenience 2. What is the difference with Video On Demand and On Demand? On Demand is an updated version of the Video on Demand service with new content and an updated interface. 3. What is the On Demand channel number? OD is not a channel. On Demand (OD) is the new way of entertainment as it enables Astro customers to instantly access to a huge On Demand library of the latest movies and complete seasons of TV series with a connected PVR. Once your PVR is connected to a standard Wi-­‐Fi connection, press the ‘home’ button on your Astro remote control and select ‘Video on Demand’ on screen to access OD. B) THE DIFFERENT ON DEMAND SERVICE AND CONTENT AVAILABLE OD FREE 1. What is OD Free? OD Free is a service which allows you to catch-­‐up on a selection of aired programmes based on your subscribed packages. You can now choose from a library of virtually unlimited FREE on demand content, including the latest seasons of currently airing programmes in various languages. 2. What is the difference of OD Free and Free VOD? OD Free is an updated version of the Free VOD service with new content and an updated interface. 3. How much do I need to pay for OD Free? OD Free comes at no extra cost for Astro customers. 4. Am I entitled to access all OD Free programmes? No, the programme entitlement is based on your subscribed package. 5. How do I access OD Free from my PVR? Press the “home” button on your remote, scroll to “On Demand” and select it. Note that you will need to connect your PVR to the internet in order to access the menu. 6. How do I access my downloaded OD Free programmes? Press the “home” button on your remote and select “My TV”. The downloaded programmes will be in “Download Manager”. 7. Is there an expiry period for OD Free programmes? Yes. Expiry dates for the programmes will vary depending on the programme. The expiry period will be stated on screen for each programme. 8. Where can I get more info on OD Free? Call 03-­‐9543 3838 or log on to www.watchOD.com/odfree OD Plus 1. What is OD Plus? A monthly On Demand subscription (RM15.90/month) which contains a library of unique Movies, complete box-­‐sets of TV Series as well as a sizable library of Kids’ content. From TV series like The Flash and The Big Bang Theory to Hollywood blockbusters like the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series, primetime shows are now available to you anytime, anywhere! Enjoy three months FREE subscription to OD Plus when you connect your Astro PVR to Wi-­‐Fi from now until 31 January 2016. Call us to find out more. 2. What is the difference of OD Plus and Astro Plus? OD Plus is an updated version of the Astro Plus with new content and an updated interface. 3. I am already a subscriber of Astro Plus, do I need to subscribe again? No, you will automatically be converted to a subscriber of OD Plus. 4. What is the price for OD Plus? OD Plus is at no extra cost to SuperPack Plus subscribers. If you are not a Superpack Plus subscriber, OD Plus is RM15.90 (GST incl.) monthly. Subscribers will have an option to purchase OD Plus and A-­‐List at RM21.20 (GST incl). 5. How do I subscribe to OD Plus? There are 5 ways: i. Go to channel 200 and follow the SMS instructions on your screen ii. Call Astro customer service at 03 9543 3838 iii.
Via your Astro Decoder by pressing the “home” button on your remote, scroll to “On Demand” and select it. Scroll and select “OD Plus”. You will be able to view the ‘TV Shows, Movies and Kids’ Menu. Press the BLUE button on your remote to subscribe. Note that you will need to connect your PVR to your home Wi-­‐Fi in order to access the menu. iv.
Via the Astro on the Go application (Android only) v. Via the website www.astroonthego.com 6. How do I access OD Plus via Astro on the Go? i. Go to Astro on the Go on your computer via www.astroonthego.com or download the Astro on the Go app on Android or iOS supported devices. Sign up for a new Astro ID if you haven’t got one and link it to your Astro TV subscription account. ii. Once you have logged in successfully, go to TV Shows or Movies tab. iii. Select OD Plus section under TV Shows or Movies tab. iv. Select on any of the shows and start watching all the programs available in OD Plus. 7. If I am currently a SuperPack Plus subscriber without a PVR, can I enjoy OD Plus? No, to enjoy On Demand services, you will need to upgrade your decoder to a PVR and connect the PVR to the internet. 8. I am not an Astro subscriber, can I subscribe to OD Plus? Yes, you may subscribe via the Astro on the Go app Android application on your mobile or through the www.astroonthego.com on your computer for RM15.90/month. 9. Where can I get more info on OD Plus? Call 03-­‐9543 3838 or log on to www.watchOD.com/odplus OD Store 1. What is OD Store? OD Store is a pay-­‐per-­‐view service where you may purchase the latest and library movies at your own convenience with titles from: i.
Astro Best – Offers the latest Hollywood and Asian titles, as early as 3 months after its cinema debut in Malaysian cinemas. ii.
Astro First -­‐ Offers the latest local/Asian cinema titles as early as 2 weeks after the cinema debut in Malaysia. iii.
A List – Watch critically acclaimed and award-­‐winning films from around the world. All in HD and in its original language with subtitle options (in Bahasa Malaysia, English or Simplified Chinese). iv.
Selected Movies and TV show – Choose from a wide selection of titles ranging from movies, series, sports, lifestyle programs, documentaries etc. 2. What is the difference with VOD Store and OD Store? OD Store is an updated version of the VOD Store service with new content and an updated interface. 3. How do I access the OD Store from my PVR? Press the “home” button on your remote, scroll to “On Demand” and select it. Note that you will need to connect your PVR to the internet in order to access the menu. 4. What is my PIN number? The default PIN number for purchasing On Demand programmes is ‘0000’. If you have changed your PIN previously and have forgotten it, please call Customer Service Centre request for a PIN reset. 5. Is there an expiry period for OD Store programmes? Yes. Depending on the individual programmes in the catalog, each programme is made available for a minimum period of 48 hours up to 30 days. The expiry period will be stated on screen for each programme. 6. How do I make payment? The purchased content will be charged to your monthly Astro bill. 7. Can all OD Store programmes be watched on Astro on the Go? Most On Demand programmes will be available on Astro on the Go. Look out for the “GO” logo. 8. Where can I get more info for On Demand Services? Go to www.watchOD.com/odstore or call 03-­‐9543 3838 C) ACCESSING ON DEMAND ON YOUR PVR CONNECTION 1. What do I need in order to access On Demand? In order to access On Demand services, you will need an Astro Personal Video Recorder (PVR) which you can then connect to your home Wi-­‐Fi. To get a PVR decoder, please call us at 03-­‐95433838. 2. How do I connect my PVR to the internet? There’re two types of Astro PVR decoders which shown as below: Firstly, please check your Astro PVR decoder type by verifying whether there’s a Wi-­‐Fi icon shown at the panel of your decoder. Depending on whether your PVR has Wi-­‐Fi built-­‐in or not, please follow the steps as below: a) Astro PVR with built-­‐in Wi-­‐Fi capabilities i.
Press ‘Home’ button and select ‘Settings’ > ‘Network’ > ‘Wi-­‐Fi’ ii.
The PVR will scan for Wi-­‐Fi networks available. Choose your home WiFi network > Enter iii.
your Wi-­‐Fi password if required. Once connected, the icon will appear on the screen. Tip: Use your Astro Remote to key in your password using the alpha-­‐numeric, similar to the old sms format. Now you are ready to download and enjoy On Demand Entertainment. Press ‘Home’ > Select ‘On Demand’ and browse through the categories. b) Astro PVR (DMT4) without built-­‐in Wi-­‐Fi capabilities There are two options: Ø Using the Ethernet (LAN) cable i.
Plug in LAN cable from your modem into PVR network port. Once connected, the icon will appear on the screen Ø Use an Astro Wi-­‐Fi dongle. Ø
2 easy ways to get a dongle. a. Order a Wi-­‐Fi dongle and Install it on your own. SMS or call us to order the dongle for FREE*. The dongle will be delivered to your billing address within 7 working days. • SMS Dongle<space>Account Number<space>IC Number<space> SELF to 32888 • Call us at 03-­‐9543 3838 Once you received your dongle, please follow the steps as below: i. Flip the antenna and plug in the Wi-­‐Fi dongle into the front USB port of your PVR. ii.
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As soon as you do this, a prompt will appear stating “Do you wish to connect to a wireless Network?”, select ‘Yes, continue’. Choose your home Wi-­‐Fi network and enter your network key (password) if required. Once connected, the icon will appear on the screen Tip: Use your Astro Remote to key in your password using the alpha-­‐numeric, similar to the old sms format. iv. Now you are ready to download and enjoy On Demand Entertainment. Press ‘Home’ > Select ‘On Demand’ and browse through the categories. [Note: the Wi-­‐Fi dongle is designed to be used with the PVR only. It will NOT work with any other devices, including other Astro decoders.] b. Get our installer to assist you to install the Wi-­‐Fi Dongle. SMS to order the dongle for FREE*. Our installer will contact you to schedule an appointment within 7 working days. • Our installer will contact you to schedule an appointment with 7 working days. SMS Dongle<space>Account Number<space>IC Number<space> Installer to 32888 Note: If you do not utilize the dongle and connect your PVR decoder to your home Wi-­‐Fi, you will be charged RM50 in your next bill. 3. I am an IPTV subscriber; do I still need to follow the steps to connect my PVR to the internet? No, you are already connected to the internet. Just press the “home” button on your remote control and select “On Demand” on screen to access OD. 4. I don’t have a PVR, how do I get one? The Astro Personal Video Recorder (PVR) is available to as follows: a. Super Pack Plus subscribers can enjoy the one time installation for FREE (worth RM300), recording fee and the OD Plus pack is already included in the pack for customers to enjoy b. Super Pack customers, can enjoy installation at a special one time fee of RM50 (worth RM300), recording fee is already included in the pack. c. All other customers can upgrade to a PVR for a one time installation fee of RM150 and a monthly recording fee of RM10.60 Note: Your installer will perform the PVR connection to your home Wi-­‐Fi at the point of installation, please keep your Wi-­‐Fi password ready. To get a PVR decoder, you may call us back at 03-­‐95433838 or visit www.astro.com.my/astroshop 5. How fast does my internet have to be for to download On Demand content? The minimum speed required is 1MBPS, for a better experience you may get a higher connection from 5MBPS onwards. 6. How long do I have to wait before I can watch my downloaded On Demand content? You can start almost immediately as content will be downloaded into your decoder progressively, although the downloading pace will depend on the speed of your broadband. 10 MBPS AND ABOVE 5 MBPS 4 MBPS 2 MBPS 1 MBPS 20 MIN SD VIDEO 10 SECONDS 20 SECONDS 2 MINUTES 10 MINUTES 20 MINUTES 20 MIN HD VIDEO 10 SECONDS 30 SECONDS 10 MINUTES 40 MINUTES 2 HOURS 90 MIN SD VIDEO 10 SECONDS 2 MINUTES 10 MINUTES 2 HOURS 6 HOURS 90 MIN HD VIDEO 20 SECONDS 10 MINUTES 40 MINUTES 5 HOURS 12 HOURS 7. How much data will be consumed for On Demand content? Program Length 1 hour 2 hours SD Content 900Mb 1800Mb HD Content 2700Mb 5400Mb Data consumptions listed are an approximation and not intended as a service guarantee. Standard high speed broadband subscription at home comes with unlimited bandwidth. No capping on downloads/uploads or speed. 8. It takes very long to download On Demand content, what should I do? In order to download OD content, the recommended broadband speed should be at least 5Mbps. To check the broadband speed that your PVR decoder is able to receive, please do the following: a. Press the “home” button on your remote b. Select “Setting” followed by “STB Diagnostics” c. Scroll to the right to select “Advanced” tab d. Press the green button on your remote for “Test Connection" The broadband speed should be displayed on the screen. If your PVR is connected via home Wi-­‐Fi internet, do check the WiFi signal strength received by your PVR decoder by pressing “home” on your remote & verifying the no of signal bars icon shown . If you don’t received full signal bar, you may need a Wi-­‐Fi repeater to boost your Wi-­‐Fi signal strength. Do seek advise from Astro installers or your broadband service provider to get a Wi-­‐Fi repeater. D) HOW TO ACCESS ON DEMAND CONTENT ONCE YOU ARE CONNECTED 9. My PVR is connected to the internet, how do I access On Demand now? Press the “home” button on your remote, scroll to “On Demand” and press “OK” To access the respective On Demand services, please select the following: i. OD Free à to acess Catch Up content On Demand based on your subscribed packages ii. OD Plus à a paid subscription for unique On Demand content iii. OD Store à a PPV On Demand service 10. After downloading On Demand programmes, where can I find / watch it? Press the “home” button on your remote and select “My TV”. The downloaded On Demand programmes will be in “Download Manager”. 11. Can I watch other channels or other OD titles while downloading? Yes. Here are the steps to access your downloaded programmes or recorded programmes. a) Playback downloaded OD content: home > My TV > My Library b) Playback recorded Astro TV programs: home > My TV, or Press the play ‘!’ button on your remote to access list of recorded programs. c) Watch live Astro channels Select the desired channel number 12. Can I get On Demand programmes internationally (Outside Malaysia)? No, only selected programmes can be accessed outside of Malaysia. 13. Where can I get more info for On Demand Services? Go to www.watchOD.com or call 03-­‐9543 3838 E) HOW TO ACCESS ON DEMAND CONTENT VIA ASTRO ON THE GO 1. What is Astro on the Go? Astro on the Go let’s you your favourite channels and On Demand programmes on your computer, tablet and smartphones. An Astro ID is required to link your Astro account to enable your channel entitlements. For more info visit www.astroonthego.com. 2. Can all On Demand programmes be watched on Astro on the Go? Most On Demand programmes will be available on Astro on the Go. Look out for the “GO” logo. 3. How do find OD Free content on Astro on the Go? Simply login to Astro on the Go with your Astro ID linked with your Astro TV subscription account, and you’ll find the OD Free content available to you on the Recommended, TV Shows, and Movies tabs. 4. How do I subscribe to OD Plus on Astro on the Go? Here are the steps to purchase OD Plus via Astro on the Go. Step 1: Go to www.astroonthego.com from your computer or the Astro on the Go app on supported Android tablets or smartphones. Step 2: Login with your Astro ID and password. If you don’t have one yet, sign up for a new Astro ID. Make sure your Astro ID is linked to your Astro TV subscription account. Step 3: Go to the “Store” tab and select OD Plus Step 4: Click the Subscribe button. You will be prompted to re-­‐enter your password for verification Step 5: The purchase will be charged to your Astro bill statement. If you have more than one Astro set top box, you’ll be prompted to select which set top box you’ll like to have your purchase to be charged to via the smartcard number. Step 6: Now, you can go to “TV Shows” or “Movies” and start watching on your favourite OD Plus programmes. 5. How do I subscribe to titles from the OD Store on Astro on the Go? Here are the steps to purchase programmes from the OD Store Step 1: Go to www.astroonthego.com from your computer or the Astro on the Go app on your supported Android tablets or smartphone. Step 2: Login with your Astro ID and password. If you don’t have one yet, sign up for a new Astro ID. Make sure your Astro ID is linked to your Astro TV subscription account. Step 3: Go to the “Store” tab and browse the OD titles available for your purchase. Step 4: Click the Buy button. You will be prompted to re-­‐enter your password for verification Step 5: The purchase will be charged to your Astro bill statement. If you have more than one Astro set top box, you’ll be prompted to select which set top box you’ll like to have your purchase to be charged to via the smartcard number. Step 6: Now, you can start watching on your favourite programme. F) Latest Software Update 1. What’s new in the v8.0.4 September 2015 PVR software update? • New prompt on screen to ask you to connect your PVR to your home Wi-­‐Fi • Brand new On Demand home page. • EPG Shortcuts with quick access to top 5 most popular TV Guide genres and 5 most recent recordings • Revamped My Library with Multi Select feature. Now you can browse and manage your recordings / On Demand purchases faster and easier. • Offline Search with improved Search results. 2.
Why do I see a prompt on my screen saying “Connect to Wi-­‐Fi for On Demand entertainment”? It’s a new function that will help you to connect your PVR to home Wi-­‐Fi easily. You will need to connect your PVR to home Wi-­‐Fi to access to On Demand, a service which allows you to select and watch desired programs anytime at your convenience. 3. What if I’m not interested to connect my PVR? We recommend you to connect your PVR to access FREE On Demand entertainment in your own time. However for the moment, you can choose to skip the connection steps by selecting ‘No, go back’ to return to your channel screen. 4. What are these 5 new icons on my home menu? These are the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) shortcuts, which allow you to access the top 5 most popular TV Guide genres and 5 most recent recordings directly from the Home menu. To access EPG Shortcuts, press from either TV Guide or My TV menu. Press to choose your desired genre / recordings. 5. What does Multi Select do in My Library? Multi Select allows you to select one or more recordings for locking or unlocking as well as to delete recordings. 6. How to use Multi Select? In My Library, press button to activate Multi Select, choose ‘Select’ to pick the titles. Press button to delete the selected titles, or choose Lock / Unlock if you intend to lock or unlock the selected titles. 7. What do these following icons in My Library mean? Recording in progress / Rakaman dijalankan New recordings (fully recorded) / Rakaman baru (dirakamkan sepenuhnya) Watched recordings (fully recorded) / Rakaman yang telah ditonton (dirakamkan sepenuhnya) New OD title / Rancangan OD baru Watched OD title / Rancangan OD yang telah ditonton New recordings (partially recorded) / Rakaman baru (sebahagian dirakamkan) Watched recordings (partially recorded) / Rakaman yang telah ditonton (sebahagian dirakamkan) OD title download in progress / Rancangan OD sedang dimuat turun OD title download paused / Rancangan OD muat turun dihentikan sementara OD title queued for download / Rancangan OD sedang menunggu giliran untuk dimuat turun Failed recording or download / Rakaman atau muat turun gagal Recording – OD title locked from auto deletion / Rakaman – Rancangan OD terkunci dari pemadaman secara automatik Reminder / Peringatan Booked for recording / Ditempah untuk rakaman Booked for Series Link / Ditempah untuk Pautan Siri