MaxMedia MMDTVB02 Converter Box - Page 3

Please migrate this thread. Many thanks.

Any news on this box?

(If that was aimed at me...)
Waiting for an rmail reply to a second round of questions.
Some technical, some logistic (Whom pays royalties, Etc.)

Getting news from Taiwan is a slow business,
I have at least gotten an acknowledgement of my questions
in the form of ''We will respond next week'' (5-12 to 5-16).

Sorry the story is moviing so sloooow.

WeThePeople,

That's OK...just keep us informed of your progress as it happens.

Extending coupons
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/art...=SUPP&nid=2228

What I found most interesting about your link was the link contained within about the Wilmington NC test market. So, Wilmington NC is going to pull the plug on analog 6 months early on 9/8/08. They are doing this as an FCC test case so the FCC can see what a mess they are going to have on their hands come 2/09. Should be intersting to follow.

Should be even more interesting than you think. The FCC's main reason for picking Wilmington (all stations at their final DT allotment at their final power level) isn't even slightly true. The NBC is having coverage problems, and has a CP for a stronger and closer transmitter location that can't even be set up until after the switch, and the CBS (a low power) doesn't even have their DTV on the air yet. Media reports to the contrary are from people who don't live in Wilmington like my parents do.

Also, the owners of the PBS station have "declined to participate" in the test, citing the fact that it's taking place in a coastal market in the middle of hurricane season. They fail to mention that it's merely a satellite for a statewide network originating in Chapel Hill, which is 150 miles away. I don't think they even have facilities to originate programming in Wilmington if a hurricane does come.

The commercial stations are fine with it because Wilmington has 91% cable/satellite penetration (and with a grand total of 7 broadcast TV signals, 3 of which are low power, who can blame them?).

And then there's the FCC's plans for the "test", which include inundating this small market with FCC staff, call centers, billboards, radio ads, seminars, presentations, booths at public events, pamphlet drops, skywriting, you name it. I wonder if Detroit, Houston and Portland get the same treatment in February?

And thus we have Chapter 2 of "The Greatest Wimp-out in the History of Congress."

I'm sure when the GAO conducts a performance audit of the NTIA CECB program in late 2009, Convert My TV and MaxMedia will receive dubious mention.

One of the strangest parts of the 02/17/09 cutoff is that thousands of low-power stations - many of which don't provide local content but which simply retransmit ShopNBC, Jewelry TV, or Daystar - will continue broadcasting in analog.

Agree. Politics are the big problem here. Congress is pandering to dozens of conflicting special-interest groups, and the Executive Branch has been denied the police power to actually demand 100% compliance with the so-called analog shut-off.

FYI...As of this morning (11 May, 2008, 11:08 EDT), the now-defunct Max Media MMDTVB03 has been removed from the NTIA list of approved CECBs. Nothing has changed on the maxmedia-usa or CMTV sites.

The fact that we heard NOTHING from these people. Leads you to believe it was a scam from day 1

I heard it was all legit on day 1. The scam didn't start until day 2.

What happened on Day 3?

According to Genesis - God separated the dark from the light on Day 3.
According to CMTV - They separated the suckers from their money and coupons.

Their support forum is virtually a ghost town. The only new posting I saw, a moment ago, was from someone convinced that no orders will ever be filled. No moderator has stepped in to refute that posting.

Memsen is still saying June delivery

I Have finally gotten an email with enough info to be worth posting.

The language barrier is causing errors though.

I'll post the ongoing stream of emails
seperated by lines.

If I can.

This forum hasn't let me post for days now,
just wipes out all my text and tells me to type at least one character...
Weird

Sun, 4 May 2008 11:46:06 +0800
Dear Paul:
Thank you for your support, and I will contact with our RD to confirm the 5 Volt power jack issue next week.

**************************************************
Mon, 5 May 2008 21:13:10 +0800
Dear Paul:

About the 5 volt power jack issue:
I have contact with our RD, doulbe check again that our product also have negative ground.
I think there are many equiptments in the yacht/ car...etc, but our product is cooperate with monitor or TV.. etc.,
so the negative ground is OK, but if our product is combine or put with yacht motor or generator it may be produce
interference, so should be put into the correct place.
Express charge:
Maybe you can provide your DHL/ FEDEX NO. to me, and it is convenient to us.
Or should be wait until you have choose which accessory do you like then I can calculate its weight then to quote.

best regards
Solomon

**************************************************
Thursday, May 08, 2008 12:37 PM
Solomon,

I hope your right about the negative ground chassis.
That is a deal breaker for the USA..

Anyone hooking a positive ground chassis
to a negative ground equipment in any way
can cause permanant damage.
(Even if properly fused, Ive seen it.)

I still have a few questions,
but let me respond to you first.

I need a test unit that has ALL features (Options).

Your product with be run on a regulated 12V-to-5V DC-switching supply,
Interference from voltage fluctuations and generator noise will not be a problem.

I would prefer you use your shipping account with insurance
to ship the first (single) test unit to me to evaluate.
I will pay for all costs up front before you ship.
I will open a full business account upon satisfactory test unit review.




Non-Technical questions:
A - Will these be duty-free in customs?

B - Are the royalties for MPEG, Dolby, TI already covered?

C - What FCC-ID number is on these units?

D - You have upcomming Chinese Labor-laws changes due. Does this quote reflect that increase?




Technical Questions:
The rest of my questions are simpler.
Although I will add these answers to the
re-written PDF manual for you to distribute
after I have fully evaluated your test unit,
I am hoping to get these answered now if I can.
1 - We experience television transmissions from more than one direction. You have an automatic scan that deletes all current channel information according to the PDF.
Can you manually add the second, third, and often fourth direction channel information after an antenna rotor turns the antenna to these other station directions?

2 - Once a full list is built, can channels that were undesirable during the first initial "Automatic" scan be removed from the channel lineup?

3 - Does the unit have the ability to pass-through the RF signals to retain current and post-2009transision analog signals?

Thank you for answers to all
Paul - OB's Sericves

**************************************************
Fri, 9 May 2008 20:43:51 +0800
Dear Paul:

I will feedback to you next week.
Thank you

best regards
Solomon
**************************************************
Wed, 14 May 2008 11:19:47 +0800
Dear Paul:

Sorry to delay.
Below messages for your reference.

A - Will these be duty-free in customs?
As I know, ATSC import duty is during free~5%, why?
because regard as customs decide, there are many types of
ATSC in Amercian inculding SDTV/ EDTV/ HDTV and convertor box.
Our product is SDTV, so maybe please help to confirm our product
is 5% or zero.
thank you very much

B - Are the royalties for MPEG, Dolby, TI already covered?
TI has including the MPEG and Dolby functions.
But the finished goods don't have the royalties because we are OEM manufacture, so our customer could use their brand in the model,
and to do the license action.

C - What FCC-ID number is on these units?
Yes, the model has pass FCC identification, so when we ship to U.S.A, we will add the no in the plastic case.

D - You have upcomming Chinese Labor-laws changes due. Does this quote reflect that increase?
No, only SMT parts produce in China, testing?assembly and key technology are in Taiwan. So, no reflect, because we are technology
orientation and still in Taiwan. Also don't have any plan to move to China.

1 - We experience television transmissions from more than one direction. You have an automatic scan that deletes all current channel information according to the PDF.
Can you manually add the second, third, and often fourth direction channel information after an antenna rotor turns the antenna to these other station directions?
Our antenna don't have the function, and can't achieve your goal.
Our product use many kinds of antenna in different market, for example: house/ car/ yacht. They are use not uniform antenna.
But I have find a company that have a new product can match your idea in the yacht.
I have attached the picture for your reference.

2 - Once a full list is built, can channels that were undesirable during the first initial "Automatic" scan be removed from the channel lineup?
We have do many times for testing the functions, if we can receive the signal and will be desirable to see.

3 - Does the unit have the ability to pass-through the RF signals to retain current and post-2009transision analog signals?
No, our product is only for digital signal.

By the way, may I ask a question?
Are there any power supply like 110 AC or 12V DC in the yacht?

Thank you for your support.

best regards
Solomon

**************************************************
Long read wasn't it...

PLEASE don't quote the whole thing in replies,
just the relevant parts to your responses.
It's just to long to do full quoted replies.


First, you'll note that royalties haven't been paid.
So I'm out.

They manufacture as OEM to have a dealer "Brand" them.
Best I understand, it would be illegal getting one
without me getting into a bonded royalty payment
agreement with Texas Instruments. Am I wrong guys?

I'm not concerned about the duty tariff of 5%

They really aren't getting the re-scan/add question on channels...

I didn't get an FCC number from them yet, but at least it was tested and passed.



I set out to find the manufacturer of the MaxMedia box.
I'm not going to touch the MaxMedia "dealer" topic directly.
But at this point I feel I DID find the box, it is real,
but I'm in no position to import and "Brand" it
much less do the whole bonded royalty thing...


Sorry guys, unless someone instructs me otherwise I'm going to drop this now...

Took me hours to post that!

My text (pasted/typed) on three different machines
and various Micro$haft OS's does the same darned thing.

Anyone else getting this error when posting?

''The following errors occurred when this message was submitted''

''1. The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 1 characters.''

Note: I DID enter one character a zillion times trying to test it...

WethePeople, yes, I get the "1 character" message when I paste in text as the reply. Using quick reply, don't know about the full reply. I think I get it whether I've added text outside the quoted/pasted material or not. But adding a word or short comment once I get the message, then it has always worked for me.

There may be a script that counts characters as you type.
You could have tried pressing space at the end and seeing if it works then.

WeThePeople,

No offense, but by the time you get that box in USA. All or most of us would have spent our $40 Coupons. I plan to have all my boxes done in the next 4 weeks.

I do not plan to by a new one unless a box breaks and I need one.

You need to speak to a customs Clearer. In the USA about Duty laws. I never heard of Zero duty. But since i am no expert in that field. You need to call a Customs Broker.

Of course you also need a freight shipper. Since you are new I suggest you take the shippers advice and use who he uses at first or Use UPS or Fedex who now has freight forwarding.
Of course UPS? fedex do not do boat.

I wish you luck.

I think my mission has been misunderstood.

I will still buy a couple of Cripple-Ware boxes the week before my coupons expire. Whatever two are the least uselss/flawed at that time.

But what I want is a box with ALL the features. Admit it, you drooled to when you saw the feature list on MaxMedia too. But with all the dodgy behavior I decided to look for the actual manufacture of the box, NOT the reseller...

But I never had coupons in mind. I cannot get listed in time to redeem them. And had spoken to a retailer about reselling this box whom is already certified with NTIA to do so.

In my opinion I found the box. But I tire of all the red tape to get one.
I, and many here I believe, would gladly pay full price for a full featured box like this.

It is my opinion that the NTIA and Congress have perpetuated the worst scam of all. Puts the MaxMedia issue to shame what they have done to every nursing home, community village, rural route family with only a PO box as address for deliveries. Shameful!





Note: 5 hours and just over three dozen attempts to post this

I won't be posting here no more, this sucks now

It shows these to the left of the edit botton in the posts list for my posts"
First a blue square
white dot in the middle

When I hover over the blue square the tooltip shows the media player 6.4 icon

Click it and it changes to this pic
(right click properties now become)
http://images.avsforum.com/avs-image...c/progress.gif
You may have stopped in to note I posted a numeral ''1''
that was the last I could edit anything for 5 hours!

If your reading this I succeeded posting my last post here...

Very odd development....convertmy.tv.com is still there, if visiting a page that had previously been bookmarked (http://www.convertmy.tv/productInformation.html). They appear to still be selling the Sansonic converter on that page, and the mysterious MaxMedia converter is still showing backordered with June delivery.

However, when trying to go to their home page a few moments ago, instead of seeing the "Coming Soon" announcement that has displayed for several weeks, the following was displayed with both the IE 7 and Opera browsers:

"503 Service Unavailable
The address you requested is currently unavailable due to billing issues. Please try again later.

For support, please contact Customer Service."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmmm...just to see what would happen, I tried clicking on the "Great, I want it now" link that's on their product information page. That link worked earlier today, but no longer. The following was displayed instead:

"Not Found

The requested URL /buy was not found on this server.
Apache/2.0.46 (Red Hat) Server at www.convertmy.tv Port 80"

Whoa! They must have left town without even paying their bill :O

503 Service Unavailable
The address you requested is currently unavailable due to billing issues. Please try again later.

or maybe they paid it with a rubber check. :P

http://www.convertmy.tv/

The competition for the MaxMedia vaporware is coming. Someone posted the Apex DT250, it has SVid, Pass through, and Smart Antenna. CECB approved, not on market yet, but ezdigital mentions it. Nothing on Wiki about what parts are being used.

http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/Apex_DT250.html