Q1: How would the scheduled termination of the CCTV-4 analog signal from G3C satellite affect the viewers in South America, i.e. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and other countries in the region?

A1: Not at all, as it is well said by the Chinese that "River water does not flow into the well.". The CCTV-4 analog signal from the Galaxy 3C (G3C) satellite covers only North America and the norther part of Mexico. Receptions in Mexico City require using a 2.8 meter dish antenna, due to the low signal strngth. The signal disappears from south of Mexico City. Viewers in South America have never picked up the CCTV-4 signal from G3C satellite, at all.

On the other hand, the CCTV-4 viewers in South America, and the southern Mexico, have been served by another satellite which is located in a different orbit location. This service is ALREADY IN ENCRYPTED DIGITAL FORMAT, and has coverage for entire Mexico, and countries in South America.

CCTV-4 viewers in South America and southern Mexico WILL NOT BE AFFECTED by the termination of the anolog signal from G3C satellite which has the final extention date set for end of April, 2003.

Q2: I do not understand why CCTV needs to encrypt their so-called "free programming" in North America. Traditionally, many government sponsored television networks, from different countries around the world, have been providing TV programs through the satellite to their viewers living abroad completely at no charge. Why can't CCTV do the same?

A2: The CCTV-4 and CCTV-9 programming carried through G3C satellite has been, and will continue to be, provided at no charge to all registered viewers from North America. Most of CCTV-4 and CCTV-9 operating costs will be sourced through the proceeds of television commercial sales on these two services. In the past, with the free analogue signal distribution,the size, and geographic distribution, of overseas viewership were virtually impossible to be recognized, due to lack of information on overseas viewers. Therefore, the overseas viewership was not accurately calculated, or effectively contributed, into the commercial income revenue.

To correct this problem, CCTV has decided to implement a Managed Viewership Database. Conditional access through signal encryption becomes first choice of meeting this new requirement. This new system guarantee the complete accuracy of viewership. Registered viewer accounts would thus be effectively factored in when each commercial contract is signed. CCTV uses the conditional access through encryption as a tool to collect, and to maintain, the information on all active viewer accounts. This information then directly turns into additional revenue income which finances the free programming on CCTV-4 and CCTV-9 for the years to come.

Q3: My analog system worked fine for all these years, why CCTV asks us to convert it to digital?

A3: As a result of satellite technology advancement, the direct-to-home analog broadcast is obsolete, and is being replaced by digital. This change is mandated by the Federal Communication Committee (FCC), a branch of the US government.

Q4: What are the advantages of going digital?

A4: The digital technology is much better than analogue. Better quality with both picture and sound, signal stability, bigger channel capacity, easier viewership management, lower cost per channel for the broadcaster are only a few examples.

Q5: The digital CCTV-4 signal has been in the free-to-air since June 2002. Could you keep it that way, so that I won't need to buy a dedicated CCTV digital receiver?

A5: We wish we could. CCTV is becoming the largest financially self efficient television network in China. This forces us to produce more high quality contents for our viewers around the world. Nothing different from other private and public television networks, we rely on quality contents to gain, and to retain, our viewership. This is the only "magic" that we play to generate more income from our TV commercial clients. Becoming a registered viewer on your part, and/or subscribing to our future premium services, such as channels specifically designated for drama, science, news, children's, movies, business, sports, and etc., are critical to our success. The free-to-air transmission does not only limit CCTV's revenue income potentials, it also prohibits you, and CCTV, to fully utilize the digital advantage with expanded channel capacity.

Q6: CCTV provides its international programming free of charge to viewers at other parts of the world, why is it going to be scrambled in North America?

A6: The CCTV International Channel, along with the new addition of CCTV-9, both remain free of charge for all registered viewers in North America. It is estimated that over 70% of CCTV's entire overseas viewer base are concentrated in North America; establishing the Managed Viewership Database with conditional access and encryption for this market is therefore CCTV's first priority, over its other global markets.

Q7: Why are there companies encourage us to complain to CCTV about going digital using encryption, and also pushes their FTA receivers to us?

A7: Their reason is clear, as you have already stated, they want to sell their FTA receivers. CCTV is well on its way to become financially self efficient, while these companies want CCTV to continue relying on outside support, and to go back to the "Big Rice Cooker". Should you allow them to reverse wheel of the economy reform?

Q8: Some of my friends bought "gray market" digital satellite systems to receive "all channels", including CCTV and many others, with no monthly fee to pay. Why should I buy a dedicated CCTV system?

A8: First, there is no "gray market" in today's satellite industry. Either legal or illegal. The type of reception you have described is definitely illegal. The digital satellite programming providers are constantly taking actions to rectify the signal theft situations. This is why your friends' illegal receptions are frequently being shut down. Anyone involving in these activities are breaking their local and federal laws. Once caught, they may be heavily fined, or in prisonment to serve jail time, or both. The "price" you would be paying for a few weeks of "free TV programming" is definitely not worth the risk. This would be especially true for those who have the language barrier.

Still want to know why should you buy a dedicated CCTV system? Because you want to stay on the legal side, and to save yourself from getting into a lot of deep troubles later.

Q9: A friend of mine bought a Coship CDVB2000e digital IRD from a on-line mail order company in Ohio. The unit arrived without a Smartcard. Where can I buy a CCTV Smartcard, and how much does it cost?

A9: We have heard there are many viewers bought these unauthorized units from different sources. None of these boxes has the required CCTV Client Key coded in the built in IRDETO OS software. Coship, the manufacture of the CCTV digital boxes, makes 40+ models of different digital receivers. Some of them have a built-in IRDETO module, and others don't. There is only one of these models has the required CCTV key installed. This is the ONLY ONE that Coship is licensed to produce for PhoenixTV's distribution. Be careful when you make your purchase.  An IRDETO digital box with incorrect, or none, client key will not interface properly with a CCTV Smartcard. To protect the viewers, CCTV has directed viewers to purchase the dedicated CCTV digital box from an  authorized local dealer, or PhoenixTV, to avoid unnecessary problems. The CCTV Smartcard is not sold separately just by itself.

A10: You may submit your questions to faq@abcsdirect.com.

A11: Yes, the manual came with either model has a English translation.

11A: Leaving the CCTV-4 signal Free-To-Air would defeat all the efforts of implementing the Managed Viewership Database, see 1Q and 1A above for explanation. Simply put, it would be impossible to know how many viewers use Free-To-Air equipment for their CCTV-4 reception, even this was the only channel they watch. Since the mostly watched channel by overseas viewers is CCTV-4, it makes sense to collect viewer counts on CCTV-4. It makes no sense to implement a new database management system which only captures some portions of total viewership population. Free-To-Air equipment is good for services that do not require collecting active viewer information. Viewer registration with CCTV-4/PhoenixTV is required for your continued reception of CCTV-4 programming.

Therefore, the encryption of CCTV-4 signal delivered through the G3C satellite is a must. Using dedicated equipment to receive and decrypt the CCTV-4 signal is the only way that constaintly guarantees the accuracy of the total number of active viewers.

TA1: It is not recommended to use a Free-To-Air (FTA) receiver for viewing CCTV programming. Receptions of CCTV programming using FTA equipment will be interrupted once the digital CCTV signal from G3C satellite becomes encrypted (or scrambled).

TQ2: Can I buy a FTA box and upgrade it later when the CCTV signal becomes encrypted?

TA2: No. A dedicated CCTV digital box contains specific hardware and software designed to work in conjunction with CCTV Smartcards. A FTA box does not have any of these. Therefore, the only "upgrade" available would be a box swap, with additional costs. It is your benefit, more economically sound, to buy a dedicated CCTV digital box to begin with.

TQ3: What do you mean by "...the dedicated CCTV digital box has...specific hardware and software designed to work in conjunction with CCTV Smartcards"? I don't get it.

TA3: The dedicated CCTV digital box has an embedded IRDETO conditional access module. The box OS is coded with a client key assigned by IRDETO. The client key prevents "accidental" cross network authorizations. Thus, each network, or each client, could only authorize Smartcards within their own assigned blocks.

TQ4: IRDETO, what is it?

TA4: IRDETO, a Dutch company, the developer, and owner, of IRDETO conditional access technology. Along with many clients from China, and from other different countries, CCTV uses this most advanced, and secured, technology to provide teleport, point to point, direct to home, and other secured services which requiring conditional access.

TQ5: I have bought two used digital receivers at a yard sale. One was a CTN/Power TV receiver; and the other one was for Jade Satellite. I understand these boxes also use the IRDETO descrambler. I inserted a CCTV Smartcard, borrowed from my friend, and got very clear picture and sound most of time. My reception is recently gone and the TV shown an error message, "Wrong Smartcard. Insert a correct card."  Please help.

TA5: These receiver boxes would not recognize the CCTV Smartcards with encryption activated, because their built in client keys were for different television networks, as you've stated. As a security measure, IRDETO protects all parties involved.

TQ6: One of the announcements from CCTV4 said there is no adjustments on the out door dish antenna would be required when switching to digital reception. But why do I need to change one part on my satellite dish when I had the new digital box installed?

TA6: Although there is no adjustments needed to the outdoor dish antenna, it is your responsibility to make sure that all your existing equipment from your current system is digital ready. Any incompatible components must be replaced, otherwise your new digital box will not begin to work.

T7Q:You have mentioned something like future premium services, such as channels specifically designated for drama, science, news, children's, movies, business, sports, and etc., When will the premium services be available? The current CCTV receiver has only 8 channels. Will it work for the premium services?

TA7: CCTV and PhoenixTV are involving viewers in their new channel selection process. Submit your inputs through completing the questionnaire to get your voices heard, and to help in speed up the process.

All digital receivers have a sizeable internal memory for storing its user programmable channel parameters. The CDVB2000 digital receiver has a channel capacity of 600, and the IR2000 receiver can store over 2000 channels. If your receiver only shows eight channels, this is the result of how many channels that your receiver is currently programmed with. Read and follow the instructions listed in your manual to add new channels, when they become available in the future.