pip question

[gweedo]

So I have had PIP sinse I bought my TV but never hooked it up.. I have Directv with a HD DVR box, where do i get the other signal for the PIP? I tried splitting the signal with one of the other box's i have but then i had no signal.. So short of running another line and box how do i get a signal so I can watch two different channels with PIP?

 

[TLS Guy]

So I have had PIP sinse I bought my TV but never hooked it up.. I have Directv with a HD DVR box, where do i get the other signal for the PIP? I tried splitting the signal with one of the other box's i have but then i had no signal.. So short of running another line and box how do i get a signal so I can watch two different channels with PIP?

You can't split a Direct TV signal. The system uses phantom powering. That is to say there is a DC voltage up to the dish from their units, as well as the signal coming back from the satellite dish. DC will not pass through a splitter, since a splitter is a transformer.

Each unit has to be a Direct TV unit and have a cable going to the dish. In the case of a DVR it requires two cables going to the multiswitch from each unit.

The system uses a multiswitch which is up by the LNB unit on the roof to direct the correct satellite signals to each unit.

I'm not sure what a PIP is, please explain. However not only can you not split a Direct TV signal, but any device connected to it has to be a Direct TV unit to supply the phantom power and interact with the multiswitch correctly.

 

[markw]

I'm not sure what a PIP is, please explain.

PIP = Picture In Picture, the ability to watch two different programs simultaneously. One is smaller and is generally in the lower right corner and one can switch between them at will. It's very useful when watching two sporting events.

You are correct in that it needs it's own tuner.

 

[Midcow2]

So I have had PIP sinse I bought my TV but never hooked it up.. I have Directv with a HD DVR box, where do i get the other signal for the PIP? I tried splitting the signal with one of the other box's i have but then i had no signal.. So short of running another line and box how do i get a signal so I can watch two different channels with PIP?

With DishNetwork and either the 622 DVR or 722 DVR you can support two separate TVs or do a PIP on a single TV. I know this doesn't directly help in your case, but does you HD DVR box support more than one TV? If so, the addtional TV output possibly could be connected as the PIP. Surely DirecTV has something similar to DishNetwork; if not, it could be a negotiation leverage item with DirecTV.

Good Luck.

 

[TLS Guy]

With DishNetwork and either the 622 DVR or 722 DVR you can support two separate TVs or do a PIP on a single TV. I know this doesn't directly help in your case, but does you HD DVR box support more than one TV? If so, the addtional TV output possibly could be connected as the PIP. Surely DirecTV has something similar to DishNetwork; if not, it could be a negotiation leverage item with DirecTV.

Good Luck.

Thanks, I had heard of that I just could not work it out. I have the Direct TV HR 20 HD DVR and the latest HR 21. They do not support two TV's.

To use his PIP feature he will need an additional satellite box.

I checked the standard receiver and it does not support PIP or two TVs. It requires one line from the multiswitch.

So he will need three lines in all to do what he wants. Two from his HD DVR and one from the HD receiver he will need to run PIP.

This is probably not what he wants to hear.

The other thing is that Direct TV equipment is very fragile, and taken out by SMALL variations in power voltage, especially even brief periods of low voltage. This includes the phantom powered LNB units and multiswitch.

I have both my units supplied by online UPS units with VERY fast response times.

Originally I had one unit on a UPS but not the downstairs unit. I had to add one for the downstairs unit to stop it blowing up and blowing up the multiswitch and LNB units. Since I did that it has been plain sailing. Those Direct TV units redefine low price point manufacture, I can assure you.

 

[Phil Taylor]

If your TV has an onboard tuner and you are close enough to your local stations to receive an over the air signal you could hook up an antenna to your antenna input and use OTA network reception for your second signal.

 

[gweedo]

your right, thats not what I wanted to hear.. Thanks for the replies guys..