My PIP doesn't work with cable box. (1 Viewer)

[Vlad D]

How do I get the PIP on my 57HX81 to work with my cable box?

Thanks,

Vlad

 

[KonradM]

It sounds like you run you cable through your cable box and then into you TV. PIP requires two tuners in the TV to work. But since you are getting a signal from the cable box the PIP tuner in the TV is not getting a cable signal to tune to, it is just receiving the decoded signal from the cable box. If you are not getting premium channels there is no need for having a cable box. You might want to slpit the cable signal before the box and if your TV has two antenna inputs this would work.

 

[MichaelG]

If you need a cable box to send your video signal to the TV then the simple answer is that yuo can't do it.

If your cable box is only needed to decode specific channels (like HBO, ect) then you could split the incomming cable signal and send one to the cable box, and one to the secont Antenna input on the Toshiba (my older TW56F80 has 2 Antenna inputs). You can could then send cable box output to Antenna 1 input, and the direct cable to Antenna 2. Then you could bring up POP (picture outside picture) and select Antenna 2 for the POP source.

If you have digital cable then yuo are SOL just like me.

 

[MichaelG]

FYI, on my Toshiba I only need to hook up one direct cable feed to Antenna 1 in order for the POP to work, you don't need to split the signal before connecting to the TV set, the TV set must be splitting it already for you.

With my old analog cable a straight connection worked fine and the POP button would allow the right side to view any station that wasn't being displayed on the left side.

 

[Barry_R]

Vlad, The easiest way to do it is to split the cable signal, send one half to the Toshiba Ant 1 input and the other to the cable box. Then use the cable box composite video output, if it has one, and input it along with the audio outputs to one of the composite video inputs on the Toshiba. You can then watch PIP using the main cable input on the TV, as well as the video input from the cable box by changing the PIP video source. Do not use the antenna 2 for a second input on the Toshiba, you won't be able to use both Ant 1 and Ant 2 at the same time. At least that's how mine is.

Barry.

 

[Vlad D]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I didn't elaborate enough. I have a digital cable box, but before I hooked up the box I had the cable going directly to the TV (didn't get the digital channels), and the PIP worked fine. Once I connected the box, it no longer work. But from what you guys have told me, if I understand correctly, I can split the signal and send one to the TV (Ant 2) and the other to the box, then from the box back to the TV (Ant 1). Does that make sense?

Vlad

 

[Barry_R]

Vlad, See my post above. If your Tosh is like mine (55HX70), you can select either Ant 1 or Ant 2, but not both for PIP. Using your description you could use PIP on Ant 2 with the regular cable channels, but not with the cable box. As mine is set up, I can use PIP on Ant 1 with the regular cable channels, I can also add the digital channels as a second video source to the PIP and then swap between them. Also, it's a lot easier to select between input sources than to go through the menus to select between Ant 1 and Ant 2.

Barry.

 

[Vlad D]

Thanks, Barry.

I'll give that a shot.

Vlad

 

[MichaelG]

Barry's idea is better, I never used the second antenna input, it was just a guess. But definately if the cable box has s-video or component video output just connect that into one of the TV's video inputs, that should give you a better picture anyway. Then connect the direct cable feed to the antenna and use it for the POP. I have basically just used that POP channel for surfing to see whats on, but it's also good during football season.