Digital TV 101

      Did you know every TV station in the USA has 2 transmitters? One is for Analog TV. The other is for Digital TV. The quality of the digital image is much better. Unfortunately, unless you have a Digital TV Tuner, like a Tivax box, your analog TV cannot receive the amazing world of Digital Television.

      Before we get started, please read these simple questions.

      OK. You’ve now tested your Analog TV and demonstrated you can get FREE TV signals without cable or satellite. Now get ready…you are about to discover the wonderful world of FREE Digital TV!

      Before we get started, here are a few easy technical terms you will need to know:

          * What is Analog Television?
            Until recently, virtually all TVs in the USA were designed for Analog Television. Analog TV signals were designed in the 1940s, long before computer technology existed. Analog TV is based on an old standard called NTSC. Compared to Digital TV signals, the Analog picture is fuzzy and very inferior to Digital TV. This is why the US Government decided to turn off Analog TV signals in 2009. On Feb. 18, 2009, all analog television signal transmission will cease. At that time, analog TVs will require a receiver to convert digital over-the-air signals to analog signals that older TVs can display. Production of analog TVs ends in March 2007.

            Analog TVs cannot receive Digital TV signals. There are only 3 ways to see digital TV signals on your Analog TV:

            A: You must have a Digital TV set. Your Analog TV cannot receive the amazing world of digital television
            B: You must have a Digital TV tuner. Tivax is a Digital TV tuner.
            C: You must pay for cable or satellite (remember…cable and satellite will not show you many of the FREE signals you can receive with your Tivax).

          * What is Digital Television?
            This is the new broadcasting standard. Digital TV signals are based on a new standard called ATSC. In early 2009, all Analog TV signals will be turned off. This is Federal Law. Under the new Federal Law, cable and satellite may not be required to provide you access to all the FREE digital signals. Eventually, you will get some of these signals, but no one knows for sure when this will happen. It could be many more years before cable or satellite decide to give you access to all FREE Digital TV signals.

            Digital Television is very exciting and offers too many features to be listed here. However, your Tivax Set Top Digital Receiver gives you the ability to enjoy most of these advantages on your Analog TV set!

            - High Definition Television
            The High Definition Digital TV is similar to a computer data signal. It is also called HDTV. In other words, it is very sophisticated and can do many more things. The broadcast statoin can do more interesting things with a Digital TV signal, such as broadcast High Definition television. This is a very superior picture.

            Your Tivax will easily decode the HDTV signal. You will be able to watch HDTV on your Analog TV. While you will NOT see the picture in its true High Definition format (only expensive High Definition TV sets can do this), you will be very surprised with the excellent picture quality.

            The Digital TV signal is very powerful. A broadcaster can do many things with the Digital Television signal. Sometimes, when they want to show you a very high quality picture, they will transmit the program in High Definition. When this happens, you will only get ONE Digital Television signal at that moment in time. A good example when this happens if during Prime Time (8 pm to 11 pm). Football and baseball games are commonly transmitted in High Definition.

            - Multicast TV Signals
            The Digital TV signal is very powerful. A broadcaster can also choose to show you more than one TV signal on the same frequency. (Analog TV cannot do this!) A broadcaster can provide FOUR or more excellent quality signals AT THE SAME TIME! This is called “multicasting”. Tivax can decode this signal for you! A good example is during Day Time. Imagine signal #1 is dedicated to a soap opera, signal #2 is dedicated to a documentary, signal #3 is dedicated to a talk show and signal #4 is dedicated to a medical program. Only Digital TV can do this and Tivax can decode this for you!

            - Standard Definition Television
            This refers to a TV picture that is NOT High Definition. When the broadcaster wants to show you more than one signal, they refer to this as Standard Definition (as opposed to HDTV). Standard Defintion TV is also called SDTV.

FAQ

      Question #1: What is a Tivax Set Top Box?
      Answer: It is a special receiver that interprets FREE Digital TV signals into Analog TV signals.

      Question #2: If I have cable satellite television do I need a Tivax?
      Answer: Yes and no. If you want certain cable channels, like CNN®, you must have cable or satellite. These signals are not FREE. If you want to watch FREE television, like ABC® or CBS®, you can get these signals on cable or satellite (check your local cable or satellite provider if you are not already getting these FREE signals).

      Question #3: If I can get ABC® or CBS® on my cable or satellite, why do I need a Tivax?
      Answer: Because you are only getting a FRACTION of the FREE signals. Cable and satellite providers are not required to give you all FREE Digital TV signals. Why should they? You might be very pleased with better quality FREE Digital Television. That’s the “secret” many people do not know. Tivax gives you immediate access to FREE Digital Television signals – at no extra cost!

      Question #4: If I already have cable or satellite, do I still need a Tivax to receive the FREE Digital Television signals?
      Answer: Unless you have a Digital TV set, YES. Don’t worry. You can combine your Tivax with your cable or satellite receiver. We’ll show you how.

      Question #5: Do I need an antenna to receive FREE Digital television signals?
      Answer: Yes. Digital TV is just like old-fashioned Analog TV, only better. You still need an antenna to get the signal. Just about any antenna will do, but an antenna designed for Digital TV is better. While some antennas are better than others, it also depends on where you live. If you cannot receive Analog TV signals, you will not be able to get Digital TV signals. This is very important as your Tivax will not work.

      Question #6: How do I test my TV to see if I can use my Tivax?
      Answer: This is very easy. Simply disconnect your Analog TV from your cable or satellite receiver. Connect the antenna to your Analog TV. If you can receive a picture, your Tivax will work. Don’t worry if the picture is not perfect. That’s another special feature of Digital TV. It’s BETTER! Digital TV signals don’t have the same problems Analog TV signals do. That’s why this new standard is so much better!

      How to find Digital TV channels in your area

      The number of Digital TV channels varies greatly within each local area, so it is best to look up your available channels by visiting special web sites, such as:

      www.titantv.com
      www.dtv.gov
      www.tvguide.com

In addition, you can also find excellent local information from performing searches on the internet.

      Due to the proliferation of DTV channels, it is difficult to get the latest information from newspapers or other printed sources.

      In addition, the number of channels you receive depends on your physical location, your antenna and the location of the broadcast antenna. Broadcast television signals are “line of sight”, which means the best signals are received by pointing directly at transmitter. Buildings, mountains and other obstructions will affect the quality of the signal you receive.