OTA & Sat

[Boothbay]

I get excellent results with my OTA and use if for a back up and more importantly with my PIP status. I would like to know, would I continue to get my PIP with direct TV? My setup now is set that I am able to record via vcr, both. I know I don't need a converter box for DTV with Sat...but apparently I do for my OTA. Right now my setup is thus: A/B switch for sat and ota, vcr video out to tv. Now, with the converter box, it gets a little more complicated..I tried a splitter but did not get my PIP...the main screen was clear, the second inset was snowy.

 

[garys]

You need to post this in the Direct tv section.

 

[LER]

Moved.

 

[talos4]

We need more information.

What is your current D* set up?

What D* reciever(s) do you have?

What Dish do you have?

And what are calling a coverter box?

With more info we can provide more help.

 

[Lifterguy]

I get excellent results with my OTA and use if for a back up and more importantly with my PIP status. I would like to know, would I continue to get my PIP with direct TV? My setup now is set that I am able to record via vcr, both. I know I don't need a converter box for DTV with Sat...but apparently I do for my OTA. Right now my setup is thus: A/B switch for sat and ota, vcr video out to tv. Now, with the converter box, it gets a little more complicated..I tried a splitter but did not get my PIP...the main screen was clear, the second inset was snowy.

Boothbay - I will try to help, but I need a little more information. When you do PIP, are you doing it through the TV (in other words, your TV is capable of displaying one source on the main screen and a secondary source on the inset picture)? I've seen VCRs capable of PIP, and some Satellite boxes can do it to, so I want to be sure we're on the same page. Also, can you tell me this:
How do you have the Satellite box connected to the TV? A coax cable going to your antenna input, or some type of AV cable (a cable with RCA Plugs-red/white/yellow- on the end or S-Video.) And what type of output are you using
from the converter box? RF/Antenna or an AV cable? Does your converter box have outputs for both RF (Co-ax cable) and RCA plugs? What inputs does your TV have?

 

[HDinCincy]

As others have noted, this is a TV function, not D*. My Vizio works great with PIP. It can handle DVD/TV/D*... any two sources. You state you won't need a "converter box" for Sat. Oh yes you will. You MIGHT not need one with cable, but you most definitely will for Sat. That being said, if you have PIP and a TV with ATSC (digital) tuner, you should be able to still have PIP with D*, but you CANNOT split your Sat output and expect to "tune" in two different programs as you may have been doing with cable.

 

[Boothbay]

As others have noted, this is a TV function, not D*. My Vizio works great with PIP. It can handle DVD/TV/D*... any two sources. You state you won't need a "converter box" for Sat. Oh yes you will. You MIGHT not need one with cable, but you most definitely will for Sat. That being said, if you have PIP and a TV with ATSC (digital) tuner, you should be able to still have PIP with D*, but you CANNOT split your Sat output and expect to "tune" in two different programs as you may have been doing with cable.

I'm sorry...I should of announced that I am new to this forum and already been told by one that this is the wrong forum...I should go to DirectV forum..I thought this was Directv forum. Now that being said and still others politely responded, can someone tell me what does D* stand for? Also, I beg to differ about the satellite/converterbox situation. Here in the east, they keep daily making annoucements about the coming of DTV. They said that if one has cable and or satellite, they do not have to get a converter box to recieve DTV.

 

[Boothbay]

Boothbay - I will try to help, but I need a little more information. When you do PIP, are you doing it through the TV (in other words, your TV is capable of displaying one source on the main screen and a secondary source on the inset picture)? I've seen VCRs capable of PIP, and some Satellite boxes can do it to, so I want to be sure we're on the same page. Also, can you tell me this:
How do you have the Satellite box connected to the TV? A coax cable going to your antenna input, or some type of AV cable (a cable with RCA Plugs-red/white/yellow- on the end or S-Video.) And what type of output are you using
from the converter box? RF/Antenna or an AV cable? Does your converter box have outputs for both RF (Co-ax cable) and RCA plugs? What inputs does your TV have?

Thank you..I'll try to be as precise as my limited knowledge in hookups would allow. First, I do not have Directv, but planning to very soon ...its just that I want to be sure of my problem may not be a problem with Directv, before I get it. I now have cable and technically, even with my limited knowledge I do not see any differences in hooking either one up. For Lifterguy, yes I do have my pip coming from only my TV. The manual says that I have dual tuners. I have a coaxle cable goint to my A/B switch, one for cable which would eventually be my satellite and the other is for my OTA.,and my vcr's video out going to my TV, via coaxle cable. I do have rca cables coming from my vcr outputs audio/video to my TV tuner to record. Now, I am trying to figure that I need to make some changes come Feb with my converter box. ..and thats where the confusion comes in. I did try to go according to the instructions, but they are only for the basics. I was able to get pip on my TV, via coaxle cables from the box, but the small inset was all snowy. MY projector tv has 4 tuners..one for my vcr, dvd for another and Cable for another..one is blank.

 

[jtwex]

Here in the east, they keep daily making annoucements about the coming of DTV. They said that if one has cable and or satellite, they do not have to get a converter box to recieve DTV.

Can you elaborate on the above statement a little bit? Who is 'they' in the above referenced post? Cable allows some access to content without the use of a receiver but DirecTV & Dish require a receiver/converter box. Once you get this figured out you will be able to use your TV's PIP with one screen being from satellite & the other from your antenna/DVD/VCR. None of the current DTV receivers have PIP that's built in; watching two satellite channels in two windows. That's why you can only watch one satellite signal on your TV even if you have a dual tuner satellite receiver.

 

[Jimbo]

I'm sorry...I should of announced that I am new to this forum and already been told by one that this is the wrong forum...I should go to DirectV forum..I thought this was Directv forum. Now that being said and still others politely responded, can someone tell me what does D* stand for? Also, I beg to differ about the satellite/converterbox situation. Here in the east, they keep daily making annoucements about the coming of DTV. They said that if one has cable and or satellite, they do not have to get a converter box to recieve DTV.

Boothbay,
Welcome to the site !

YES you are now in the Directv Forum,
You appearantly posted elsewhere and one of the Mod's moved it for you.

As far as the convertor boxes goes, you are correct, you do NOT need one if you are using the D* box. The D* box has a digital tuner in it.

Oh btw, D* stands for Directv, I don't know if it is known that way everywhere, but on the main forums that deal with Directv it is known that way.
also E stands for DISH Network, E being Echostar, the owner of DISH Network, now or in the past, I don't keep up with DISH as much.

Jimbo

 

[Jimbo]

Can you elaborate on the above statement a little bit? Who is 'they' in the above referenced post? Cable allows some access to content without the use of a receiver but DirecTV & Dish require a receiver/converter box. Once you get this figured out you will be able to use your TV's PIP with one screen being from satellite & the other from your antenna/DVD/VCR. None of the current DTV receivers have PIP that's built in; watching two satellite channels in two windows. That's why you can only watch one satellite signal on your TV even if you have a dual tuner satellite receiver.

I think what he's trying to eventually do is put an OTA (with digital convertor box) into TV as well as the D* rec. and hook up a VCR as well.
The VCR has a analog tuner in it, he would need to hook the OTA input to the convertor box (coax) and you probably have a Composite output (Convertor boxes won't output higher than 480) take the Yellow (video) Red/White (audio) out of the convertor box and go into your VCR and from your VCR to your TV.
Run your D* box (you didn't say what your looking to get in D* box (HD or SD, High Def or Standard Def) run this output into your TV with HDMI if you have it,or Composite (Red/Green Blue) (still need another red / white for audio this way)... this will allow you to get a picture on one side of the screen from the D* service and one from the VCR tuner on the other side of the PIP.

If you want to simplify everything, do away with the VCR and get a D* DVR/HD DVR, you'll never look back and won;t have to deal with looking for the empty place on a tape to record.

Jimbo