picture in picture? (1 Viewer)

[Adam_WM]

Hi. I have a new 32" WEGA with a dual-tuner for Picture in Picture. The problem is I have a digital cable BOX, not just a cable wire in. Some friends of mine told me I could buy some kind of splitter so that the VCR got a cable wire and the cable box got a cable wire. The Picture-in-Picture would be from the VCR not from the cable wire. Is this right? Another problem is that my VCR only goes to channel 69, none higher. Do VCR's go into the hundreds of channels? Should I return the TV for the 32" w/o PiP?

 

[ChrisMatson]

This was my solution:
Buy a splitter. Split the cable coming out of the wall before the cable box. One end goes to the normal cable input, the other end goes into the cable box. You will need two more pieces of coaxial cable for the splitter. Use the composite out (S-video if available) from the cable box and send that to one of the video inputs on the TV. You will have cable box channels on one input and standard cable on the other.
-Chris

 

[Stephen Tu]

As Chris said split before the cable box, run one to box and the other to the TV input. Don't bother using the VCR tuner; it's easier with the TV tuner especially with dual tuners.
There's no way you'll be able to get PIP with two of the #100+ digital channels, unless you get a 2nd digital cable box. TV and VCR tuners can only tune in the analog channels. The best you can do is PIP one digital channel, one analog channel, or two analog channels.

 

[Mike Pgh]

Ditto on what the others have said. That's how I have my 50" Toshiba set up (50A61) Chances are you won't be able to use the "swap" function of the PIP either. I figured it was better than nothing though. I can watch digital cable on the big picture and check the score of a football game or see if a particular program is starting on the little picture.
EDIT: I just remembered, your TV may in fact have a built in splitter. My Toshiba does however I don't have it hooked up this way. Check the back of the TV to see if you have three cable jacks. Mine are labeled ANT1, ANT2, and OUT. What you do is take the cable from the wall directly into ANT1. You then run a piece of coax from OUT on the TV into the cable box IN. From the cable box OUT you run another piece of coax into ANT2 on the TV. No need for an external splitter. You'll then have analog cable on ANT1 and digital or premium cable (whatever your case may be) on ANT2. I'm not sure if the Sony's are set up this way or not.
[Edited last by Mike Pgh on November 17, 2001 at 11:22 PM]