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What
is Beamer TV videophone and how exactly does it work? |
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Beamer
TV gives consumers the ability to instantly add video to phone
calls using their existing home phone and television. Beamer
TV works with any home phone (corded or cordless) over any standard
(analog) phone line to display live color motion video of the
party you're talking to, on your television screen. Simply pick
up your phone, call another person who has Beamer TV (or Beamer),
and then press the START/VIEWS button on the remote control.
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Do
I need any special equipment or service to use Beamer TV videophone? |
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No
special equipment or wiring is required. All each person needs
is a home phone, a home phone (analog) line and a television
(NTSC format) with a RCA jack. Analog phone lines are standard
for almost all homes in the U.S. If you are unsure of what type
of phone line you have, contact your local phone service provider.
NTSC is the only television format in the US and almost all
of today's televisions have RCA video jacks.
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Is
there any extra cost to the phone call when using Beamer TV
videophone? |
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No,
because Beamer TV uses an analog phone line there is no additional
cost for a Beamer TV videophone call. Beamer TV is designed
to work with your current phone service for the same cost as
a regular phone call without Beamer TV. |
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Will
I be charged extra service fees when using Beamer TV videophone?
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No,
with Beamer TV, there are no monthly fees, service plans or
hidden costs. There are no additional fees associated with using
Beamer TV.
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Where
do I plug Beamer TV videophone into my television? |
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Plug
Beamer TV into the RCA video input jack on your television,
using the 6-foot video cable that comes with your Beamer TV.
If the video input jacks on your television are full, you can
use a video input on your VCR. If your television does not have
a RCA video input jack (usually an older TV model), you can
use a RF modulator to connect Beamer TV to your television's
antenna input. |
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Why
is there no audio output directly from Beamer TV videophone?
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Beamer
TV is designed to be used with your TV and your home phone.
With audio being transmitted over your phone line, your telephone
handset (or the speakerphone on your telephone base) is the
best choice for delivering the telephone audio quality most
consumers are familiar and comfortable with on a daily basis.
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What
kind of power supply does Beamer TV videophone use? |
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Beamer
TV has a universal switching power supply, which means it adapts
to any power system from 100-240 volts and at either 50-60Hz.
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If
I have a Beamer TV, but my friend doesn't, can I still use my
Beamer TV videophone to see them? |
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Similar
to needing two phones to make a phone call, you need two Beamer
TV units, or a combination of Beamer TV and another Beamer model,
to make a videophone call. (All Beamer models are also compatible
with most other H.324 devices.)
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Is
Beamer TV videophone compatible with Beamer? |
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Yes,
Beamer TV is fully compatible with all other Beamer models.
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Is
Beamer TV videophone easy to set up? |
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Yes,
very easy - from "out-of-the-box" to "up-and-running"
in about 5 minutes. Just plug your phone into Beamer TV and
plug Beamer TV into your wall phone jack using the phone cords
provided. Then plug Beamer TV into your television's RCA video
input jack with the video cable provided, and plug in the Beamer
TV power adapter.
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Is
Beamer TV videophone easy to use? |
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Absolutely.
Beamer TV has been specifically designed to be extremely user-friendly.
Special attention was given to every detail to ensure that anyone
could use Beamer TV. If you can use a phone, you can use Beamer
TV. |
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Is
Beamer TV videophone portable? Can I take it on vacation? |
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Beamer
TV's sleek, ultra-slim design and light weight make it easy
to take with you when you travel. Just like at home - Beamer
TV works over an analog line, connected to a RCA jack on a NTSC
format television (which is the only television format in the
U.S.) At the present time, Beamer TV will not work on a PAL
or SECAM format television. We also recommend checking with
your travel location to ensure that there is an analog line
and television with RCA jack available. |
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What
are Beamer TV 's main features? |
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Beamer
TV adds live, color motion video to your phone calls via your
television screen. You can choose from three viewing options:
Self view, Other Party view, and Combo view which displays both
calling parties simultaneosly on the television screen. Beamer
TV will display a "Self view" while the initial video
connection is being made, so that you can preview what the other
party will see. This is especially helpful in making sure that
Beamer TV's camera is angled correctly to capture where you
will be sitting during the videophone call.
The remote
control also has buttons that control the clarity and smothness
of movement of the video. For greater detail, use the DETAIL
button. For a more fluid video, use the MOVEMENT button.
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During
a Beamer TV videophone call, what if I want some privacy? |
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Beamer
TV has a snapshot feature, which sends a high-resolution video
image that is displayed on the other party's Beamer. This feature
temporarily halts any new video transmission for as long as
you desire, until you press the SNAPSHOT button again.
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Does
Beamer TV videophone work with DSL / ADSL? Do I need a filter?
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Beamer
TV will work with the same line as your DSL service, just like
your phone. Simply connect Beamer TV on the phone side of the
DSL line. However, Beamer TV will not work on your Internet
DSL service. Vialta recommends using filters to protect Beamer
TV from the DSL modem signal.
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Does
Beamer TV videophone work with special phone services? |
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Beamer
TV is designed to pass the Caller ID information to the telephone
connected to Beamer TV. Your Caller ID information will show
up on your telephone, just as it would without Beamer TV. (Caller
ID is a subscription service offered by your local phone service
provider.) At the present time, Beamer TV does not support Call
Waiting or 3-way calling. |
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What
is the video quality? |
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Similar
to when you place a regular phone call, Beamer TV's video quality
depends on a number of variables including the quality of the
phone line connection. Changes in the quality of the connection
will impact the quality of the video. If you have a normal or
good phone line connection, you should see a clear, color motion
video of the person you are calling, including details like
changes in their facial expression. |
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How
much do Beamers TV videophones cost? |
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Beamer
TV's MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) is $149.99
for a single unit.
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Where
can I purchase a Beamer TV videophone? |
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You
can purchase Beamer TV online, at www.vialta.com.
You can also click on "Retailers", under "Where
to Buy" to locate a store near you.
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What
is the warranty on Beamer TV videophone? |
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Beamer
TV comes with a standard consumer electronics warranty, which
is 90 days labor and one year on parts. For complete warranty
details visit our website at www.vialta.com
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Will
Beamer TV videophone work for international calls, and does
the distance affect the quality of the call? |
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Beamer
TV will work on international calls between two Beamer TV videophones,
or Beamer TV and Beamer. Analog phone lines and NTSC format
televisions are required for connections with any Beamer TV.
Analog lines are the standard phone service in the U.S. as well
as many foreign countries, with some exceptions. NTSC format
televisions are standard in the U.S. but may foreign countries
use PAL or SECAM formats as their television standard. We recommend
that you have the party who lives in the country you wish to
call confirm they have a NTSC television to use with Beamer
TV and check with their local phone service provider to verify
the type of phone line available.
Distance
should not affect the quality of the international call, and
the video quality should be comparable to the audio quality.
As with any Beamer TV call, the video quality depends on the
phone line and service provided by the calling party's long
distance carrier.
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What
else do I need to set Beamer TV videophone up outside of the
U.S.? |
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A
different phone plug and a power plug adapter may be required
depending on the foreign country.
Remember that Beamer TV requires a connection to a NTSC format
television, which is standard in the U.S., and may be available
in other foreign countries. |
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Will
Beamer TV videophone work if I use a calling card to place an
overseas call? |
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If
you usually have a good audio connection using a calling card,
your video connection will be comparable. Cards that offer phone
service provided by AT&T, MCI and Sprint typically provide
good connections. However, Beamer TV may not work with Voice
Over IP (VOIP) calling cards. As an alternative to the calling
card, you may want to use a major dial around International
Long Distance Service (such as 10-10, etc.), most of which should
work well with Beamer TV. |
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Does
Beamer TV videophone work with an ISDN line? |
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At
the present time, Beamer TV will not work with an ISDN line.
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Does
Beamer TV videophone work with a cell phone? |
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Beamer
TV is designed to work with an analog phone line, which is the
standard for homes in the US Beamer TV is not designed to work
with a cell phone. |
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What
if I have Digital Phone service through Comcast or Cox cable?
Will Beamer TV videophone work? |
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Beamer
TV does work with the digital phone service provided by Comcast
and Cox Communications, since they change the signal to analog
in the box outside the house. If you can use a V.90 56K modem
or fax machine on a phone line, then you should be able to use
Beamer TV on that same phone line. |
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Will
Beamer TV videophone work on my college network? |
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If
the university allows you to bring your own standard home telephone,
Beamer TV should work fine with the phone and your television.
If the university provides the telephone, you should first confirm
with them whether or not their phone system is analog. You may
also ask if they can support dial up modems, as that will usually
indicate an analog phone system, and Beamer TV should work fine. |
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Is
there an audio-video delay when using Beamer TV videophone?
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The
typical delay is approximately 1-1.5 seconds. However, Beamer
TV's detail/movement setting, which can be adjusted by the call's
recipient, will affect how synchronized the audio and video
appear. Beamer TV's set to display the maximum degree of detail
on the videophone call may experience a longer delay than those
set to display slightly less detailed but more fluid movement
on screen.
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What
is the frames-per-second (fps) rate on Beamer TV videophone
and what is that rate based on? |
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The
frames-per-second rate on Beamer TV ranges from 4 fps to 15
fps. The frame rate is based on all of the following factors:
connection rate, motion in the image, line quality, and the
detail/movement setting.
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What
is Vialta's return policy on Beamer Videophone? |
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Vialta's
Return Policy may be viewed at www.vialta.com |
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Where
can I see a live demonstration of Beamer TV videophone?
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Many
of Vialta's retail partners have displays which demonstrate
how easy Beamer TV is to set up and use. Vialta is also currently
working with several of its retail partners to provide live
demonstrations whenever possible. Please check back with us
for updates and locations of scheduled demonstrations. |
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What
is the bit rate? |
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During
a video call, Beamer TV can transmit up to 33.6 Kbps. |
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What
kind of picture will I get with Beamer TV videophone? Is it
comparable to a broadband connection? |
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Beamer
TV's video quality is similar to that of a web camera on an
ADSL or cable broadband service. Since Beamer TV is a point-to-point
device, it does not have to worry about the delays introduced
by the broadband connections.
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