Getting Picture in Picture with Cable Box

[JJNab]

I recently hooked a new Samsung DLP up to my HD cable box and my Yamaha 5640 receiver, and quickly learned that I could not get PIP. I went to Samsung's web site and found this:

"Generally, PIP (Picture in Picture) does not work with cable boxes. Here is the reason:
PIP televisions have two tuners. This allows the PIP TV to display two separate channels simultaneously, one in the main screen and one in the PIP. However, cable boxes can only unscramble and send the signal from one channel at a time to your TV. As a result, PIP - which requires the signal from a second channel - doesn't work.
With that said, there are some ways around this, but they usually require an A/V specialist and some tricky wiring. You may want to consult your cable company for information about this."

Well, with my cable company, you don't consult: you hold for as long as ever you'd like, then you hang up. But I do hope someone here can help. And I can't believe that the (very large, I'm sure) percentage of the tv-watching population that uses cable boxes can't get PIP ...

Thanks much, JJ

 

[BMXTRIX]

Some newer HD cable boxes actually have built in PIP like mine does.

Many TVs don't offer PIP when viewing HD material. This is very important to know as if your TV does display PIP when on a non-HD source (like your VCR) then it may simply not work at all with HD. That is a TV manufacturer issue.

If you do get the PIP box, then you can either get another HD cable box (not likely) so you can tune all your channels. Or, you can split your cable box connection and run it into your TV and let the TV tune your PIP channel and let the cable box handle your actual viewing channel. Of course, you won't get anything but the analog channels when things are hooked up that way.

If you are looking for all your channels including HD, Digital, and analog then you MUST have a cable box with PIP built in which has nothing to do with your television's built in PIP feature. I think PIP built into an HD television is a practical joke almost everyone wants all 250 channels available to them via PIP.

 

[JJNab]

Hi BMX,

I would be fine with non-HD on the PIP. To do that, would I actually need a PIP box? Or could I just split the cable signal and run it to the TV for the PIP signal and to a regular HD box for the normal signal?

Thanks,

JJ

 

[BMXTRIX]

As long as your TV will display the PIP box while viewing the output from your HD cable box (mine does not). Then, you should be able to do your second option. Just split the cable run one to the TV, the other to the cable box.

What cable provider do you have? What type of cable box is it? Model #?

 

[JJNab]

It's Time Warner Cable, and a Pioneer Voyager HD box. The box doesn't show a model number.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Time Warner also carries Scientific Atlanta boxes. You may be able to get someone on the phone who can get you an HD SA box which will have PIP built into it. Otherwise, the option listed in the prior post is the way to go.