Dear Customer,

 

As you may be aware, Austar have implemented recent changes to their encryption system in order to stamp out piracy of subscription television in Australia.  Unfortunately, these anti-piracy measures have affected genuine Austar subscribers who prefer to use their own third party decoders instead of the standard issue decoder offered by Austar.  These changes have caused genuine Austar subscription smartcards to become scrambled when used in non Austar approved decoders. 

This implementation, we believe to be wrong and unfair.  We totally support all attempts to eradicate pirate smartcards but not at the expense of the customer who pays substantial monthly subscription fees to access the Austar service and only wants to be able to use his own decoder.  There are many benefits in using a third party decoder over a standard Austar decoder.  These benefits include better quality outputs via component connection, PVR for recording, better structured program guide, faster channel change and operation and better connection options when used as part of a home entertainment setup.  And of course, let's not forget about the grey nomad who pays for his subscription every month and spends most of the year travelling the country.  The obvious benefit in this case is the 12 volt DC operation that some models offer.  Others simply prefer to own their own decoder that can be customised just the way they like it for example modified EPG and layout/renaming of categories.  I wonder how many disgruntled 'loyal' customers will vent their anger at Austar and cancel their subscription due to the above?  I also wonder how many subscribers, Austar has picked up inadvertently though visiting shops like SatPlus and all of the other reputable satellite TV businesses around the country who sell equipment that further enhances the Austar service and adds value to it. If you'd like to express your concerns and voice your opinion, contact Austar on the link below.

 

http://www.austar.com.au/contact/email_form.asp