Best way to get two HDTV hooked up?

[vaylon]

I need to find the best way to hook up another hdtv to my existing setup.

My current setup is a 722 with one hdtv and a sd tv in the bedroom.
I just got a new 52 inch samsung to go in the living room and put the 52 inch toshiba in the bedroom.

But currently all I can hookup is one to the 722.

Whats the best way to get them both hooked up for HD?

 

[CowboyDren]

Two options. Use the Component output of the 722 for the TV in the living room and run a longass HDMI cable to the bedroom, and put the 722 in Single mode; both TVs are actually TV1, watching the same thing at any given time. Other option is to get a 222 or 621 and put it in the bedroom, with it's own line to the 1000.2 or 1000.4 dish; but then you can't access DVR events on the 722 from the bedroom anymore.

 

[Raysat67]

With my setup I have the 722 in the basement using HDMI for my projector (TV1) and component (TV1) run to the living room upstairs via a video cat V balun. It was much easier to run one cat V cable to carry the video and digital audio to the living room than an HDMI or component cables. TV2 feed my bedroom.

 

[CowboyDren]

Sounds like you need another receiver for the bedroom, then, unless you can run Cat5 to the bedroom, too, and split the component output into another balun.

 

[nickhoff]

Wouldn't a HDMI splitter work??

 

[CowboyDren]

Yeah, if one can run HDMI or HDMI-over-Cat5 to the bedroom and split it from the projector.

 

[vaylon]

Thanks guys. I didn't even know they made an HDMI splitter.

 

[llzel]

I just installed a similar installation and it works great, see my post in technical support:

HDMI over CAT6
I'm considering using my vip612 for 2 HD LCD screens. One via component and the 2nd TV in another room. I was looking at Monoprice for longer HDMI but I found this plate:
For only $15.73 each when QTY 50+ purchased - HDMI over CAT5E / CAT6 Extender Wall Plate (Pair) - Single Port (1P) - White (Rev. 1.2) | HDMI Wall Plate

and am wondering if someone has used this? Run 2 CAT5e or CAT6 cables from 612 to 2nd TV, then use short HDMI from wall plate to TV.

I do have 2 remotes for the 612, 1 is IR and 1 is UHF, I programmed it last night and the UHF does work at the remote location.

 

[old corps]

Thanks guys. I didn't even know they made an HDMI splitter.

They do. I'm using one from monoprice.com and it works great. If you decide to get one make sure you get a POWERED one that comes with its' own power supply you plug in an outlet. The unpowered cheap ones won't do the job. I paid something like $40 for mine. Sorry, I don't know how to post a link but just go to monoprice.com and do a search for HDMI splitter. You want a SPLITTER, NOT a SWITCHER. On a 2nd receiver I'm using component at the receiver & HDMI to the other HD TV.
The cat5/cat6 solution sounds good as well. Might be easier to run the 2 much smaller cables to the required HDMI wall plate, then HDMI to the TV.
Good luck!

Ed

 

[cditty]

I just installed a similar installation and it works great, see my post in technical support:

HDMI over CAT6
I'm considering using my vip612 for 2 HD LCD screens. One via component and the 2nd TV in another room. I was looking at Monoprice for longer HDMI but I found this plate:
For only $15.73 each when QTY 50+ purchased - HDMI over CAT5E / CAT6 Extender Wall Plate (Pair) - Single Port (1P) - White (Rev. 1.2) | HDMI Wall Plate

and am wondering if someone has used this? Run 2 CAT5e or CAT6 cables from 612 to 2nd TV, then use short HDMI from wall plate to TV.

I do have 2 remotes for the 612, 1 is IR and 1 is UHF, I programmed it last night and the UHF does work at the remote location.

+1 on this suggestion. I did the same about a month ago and it has been 100% trouble free. I used my old backfeed line to extend my uhf antenna as well.

 

[Dennis Brown]

I asked the same question a few months ago and it was suggested that I purchased a powered HDMI splitter from Monoprice, which I did (HDMI Switcher/Splitter HDX-402E). Even though the HDMI cable run from the switcher is almost 50 feet, there is no loss of signal.

 

[llzel]

"I used my old backfeed line to extend my uhf antenna as well."

Great idea, I'm doing that this weekend

 

[drewhiggs]

Or you could do what I just did and spend ~$13 extra each month and get a free vip 622 and put it in your bedroom. It's free through dish it up promotion. Then when the 922 is released, I pay the upgrade fee and get rid of the 622 and move the 722 to the bedroom. Now I have - 2HD and 2SD channels. The only downside is that I have to record duplicate programs for each dvr and lose my spot when I start a show in the living room and move to the bedroom.

 

[Hagetaka]

You can get a 211 for the bedroom; if you still wanna watch what you've got recorded on your 722, then you can either go long-ass component or HDMI (expensive), or if you're ok with watching playback in SD, you can set up the TV1 on the 722 to go out the TV2 coax, diplex it onto the satellite line, then diplex it back onto the line going to the 211.


More complicated, and only SD, but far far cheaper.

 

[zman]

I have had this same issue for a while now. HD tv in the living room and bedroom and want HD on my second TV. I keep waiting for a good solution from dish (can anyone say - LET US SHARE RECORDINGS BETWEEN RECEIVERS") but they seem to think a built in Slingbox and a fancy touch remote is what their customers are waiting for. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the slingbox built in, but the truth is that you can buy a slingbox today and use it with Dish (although only on tuner one without buying extra hardware). I want even go into the micky mouse remote issue. If I told my wife we were getting rid of the harmony remote she would have one quick answer....NO.
At some point dish is going to have to wake up and realize many people now have multiple HD TV's in their house. I considered getting another 622 reciever for my bedroom HD TV, but then, as noted above, you have to set timers on both recievers. Other companies have sharing solutions, but Dish seems to prefer to work on other things. Why I cannot buy another HD reciever with or without a dvr and network it to my existing 622 to share recordings is way beyond me. I think Dish has been overrun with marketing people who have no clue what customers want.

 

[vaylon]

Here's what I ended up doing.

I ran the 722 thru my onkyo receiver .
TV1 is HDMI pass through on tv1(monitor 1 on the receiver)

TV2 is connected with the component cable pass through on the receiver connected to the TV1 component connections on the 722 .
I also hooked up the bedroom TV with a standard cable directly from the 722, but its just SD.
Nice thing about the receiver is that I can now watch any of the components of the main entertainment system in the bedroom with just a click of the remote. I can even watch streaming videos from this PC on it.
The bad part is that I am the only one who knows how to use the remotes in the bedroom. Its way to complicated for anyone else in the house and if the power goes out and the receiver looses all of it's programmed settings? It's going to take me hours to reset it all.

But at least I got multiple HD choices now in the bedroom. Everything thats available in the living room can be sent to the bedroom.