J.F.SEBASTION

Hey guys...

I feel foolish asking this but I'm not getting any help from the brain surgon cable TV installers.

Bought the SONY 27" WEGA for myself over the summer & needless to say , it has improved my DVD/TV viewing 100% ..however , I nearly died getting it up the multi stairs /flights to it current throne!!! Heavy as ****!!


Here's the Question, my set has Picture In Picture & I have not been able to set it up or use it at all since I got it.

I've never had it before, so I'm not too frantic about it but I paid for it, I have it...I should be able to use it.
(I have Digital cable by the way)
Is this something that the cable company has to hook up for me? Can I do it myself ? Does it cost more (that sounds insane, but just asking)

Any help would be appreciated.

:

palebluedot

I am pretty sure for PIP using digital cable you nee 2 cable boxes.

[Edited by palebluedot on 02-15-01 at 10:47 AM]

J.F.SEBASTION

[QUOTE]Originally posted by palebluedot
[B]I am pretty sure for PIP using digital cable you nee 2 cable boxes.


PLEAAAASE TELL ME THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IF SO, that is completley idiotic an makes me want to



BLUEDOT, is this how you use the PIP feature?

ANDREMIKE

This is not true!!!!

You have 2 options....Here is the best option. Use a splitter on the cable that comes out of the wall and send one end into the cablebox and the other into the ANT IN of the TV. You now will be able to use the tuner inside your TV!!!! Is your TV a 2 tuner PIP? (If it is you may have to do something slightly different....but I can't remeber off hand.)

Scott

I've connected the cable directly to my 27" PIP VVega, right out of the wall. No box. I've the upper end 27" (never can remember those model numbers, must be one of those senior moment things), and I believe it has two tuners. I do have the cable split so it also goes to the TiVo and the VCR.

I find I don't actually use the PIP that much. The kids probably do, though, since they tend to flip through the channels (drives my to @#%*&#**@@ distraction).

Suggestion - if you take a few minutes and calibrate the video, you'll find the results fantastic.

DigIt

Since you know nothing about PIP, a few things should be explained. PIP allows you to watch a second program in a small window on the TV screen. It's helpful when you're monitoring two programs at once like two football games, or when you're surfing during a commercial break you can monitor the original program and flip back when it returns from commercial. All it does is allw you to watch two programs at once.

This is not a paid service. You simply connect the right components to the right inputs. In most cases, you will be watching the antenna input (cable TV) with a small window of Video 1 (DVD) in the corner. You should be able to do it yourself without the cable company's help.

Your situation is tricky because of digital cable, which means you need to use the cable box, whereas PIP uses the TV tuner. I hope that you can get standard cable from your cable antenna without the box. Not knowing if you have PIP or 2-tuner PIP, I would suggest what ANDREMIKE suggests.

Split the cable as it comes out of the wall. Send one connection directly to the TV's antenna input. Send the other to the digital cable box. The box shold have a video/audio output. Connect these to the Video 1 input on the TV. Hopefully, this is what will happen: you can watch digital cable on Video 1 using the cable box to change channels, and you can also PIP standard cable using the TV's built in tuner. The TV will not be digital, but you will be able to surf around and see if you'll need the PIP feature.

There's all sorts of problems you can run into (like needing more video inputs, losing stereo sound, etc.), but this will basically give you an understanding of PIP. If you like it, you'll soon figure out how to organize the components to your preferences. If you never use it, then you can put your system back the way it was.

ANDREMIKE

It should also be noted that if you put the cable into the TV and use the TV tuner you will need to send the Audio out from your TV to your reciever to use the reciever for volume control.( You will need to turn off the main speaker in your TV's menu) If you ask me this is the best way to get audio out of all your components with your reciever.(This can not be used for DVD!!!)

If you are still confused list in detail all your equipment and I will tell you how to hook it up tomorrow..

ANDREMIKE

By the way I love PIP!!! use it all the time to switch between programs during commercials!!

Kromax

This option does not work for everyone. In the outerboroughs of New York City, Time Warner forces you to buy a second box (although some areas can connect with a "watch & play" box that does enable PIP with one box).

Plugging the cable from the wall into the TV will give you a signal, but (1) you can't get your premium channels without the box; (2) not every basic channel comes in; and most importantly (3) the channels are not numbered properly--channel 2 might by channel 35 and channel 4 might be channel 11.

I had to get two boxes, both of which sit on top of either side of my bigscreen TV, angled outwards so that you can aim the remote and one of the boxes without changing the channel on the other one (which sux if you're recording something). BUT, despite the fact that Time Warner knows both boxes are connected to one set, I can only get mypremium channels on one box. To get them on the other one, I'd have to pay double.

Damn, didn't mean to turn this into a rant on Time Warner. Sorry.

palebluedot

He is using digital cable. I may be wrong but I don't know of any TVs that have a digital cable tuner built into them therefore requiring you to use two cable boxes.

Thunderball

ok, I have a similar problem, so I figured I'd chime in here as well.
I have the 32" VVega with the 2 Tuner PIP. I have Time Warner cable. There is NO NO NO way to use the PIP feature the way it was meant to be with the cable box. Time Warner has all these stupid arse "plans" that make you pay extra for "basic" channels(ESPN/TNT/TNN, etc). Without the box, you can't decode these channels.
But, the real question is, how does the digital cable look on the VVEga? In my area, we're switching over this summer.

ANDREMIKE

All cable systems might be different but I can tell you that in my area both cable signals are sent down the same coax. Therefore you do not need a second box. And you don't need a digital tuner. Yes you don't get the premium channels but big deal! The biggest reason is its better then using a TV antenna! Which is certainly an option.

ANDREMIKE

Follow the directions above and your PIP will work great!!
Digital cable will look AWESOM. The picture will be almost as good as DVD.

Again I know a your TV will not decode certain channels but that is the price you pay...its better then a antenna.

palebluedot

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ANDREMIKE
[B]Where I am at, here in MA, I have to re-wire my place with RG6 coax because you can't use the regular coax for the digital signal. That is good news about not needing a second box. I wasn't aware that TVs could decode the digital signal.

DigIt

Another option would be to connect rabbit ears to the antenna input and try to get local channels on the PIP, with the digital cable on Video 1.

ANDREMIKE

I never said the TV will decode the digital signal....I am not even sure if it could.. I can tell you that both signals are sent down the same coax and your TV will decode the analog signal that is coming through.
Just hook up your cable to your TV and see if it works! If it does then you are all set.

You may not have to rewire your place if the analog signal is coming through as well. You should be able to hook the two cables together.

[Edited by ANDREMIKE on 02-16-01 at 07:05 AM]

J.F.SEBASTION

WOW,

THANKS FOR ALL THE REPLYS GUYS, It seems like a complicated situation. I am in Jersey & my main reason for wanting it would be watching 2 hockey games at the same time & occasional other stuff. I am printing the above posts and will try it out. Is calibrating my WEGA simple & is it in the manual??

For anyone thinking about switching to digital cable,
I strongly suggest you do it ASAP. The picture quality on my WEGA looks fantastic for the channels that are digital, Unfortunatly, some of the network channels that are not digital look sub-par comparred.
Plus you get alot of cool stuff that reg cable subscribers do not get: BBC AMERICA, 2 ENCORES, 2 ACTION CHANNLES, 2 SUNDANCE CHANNELS, MTV2, MTVX, 2 or 3 VH-1's , 4 DISCOVERY channels and something very cool...40 commercial free music stations that play tunes 24 hrs a day. Since it's going through your stereo it sounds great and I can make alot of MiniDisc comps off of these digital channels.

Thanks again

Scott

It's relatively simple, but you'll need either Video Essentials or Avia. I've tried them both, and I much prefer Avia. It's easier to understand, and the navigation is much better. I purchased Avia at half.com for less than $25. One of my better investments.