Two Terminals in the Same Room

[bedrockboy]

Hi all,

A pretty crazy question. I have 2 tvs in my basement (a big screen and a smaller one - good for watching 2 games during football season). The problem I have is that both my HD and regular digital box seem to pick up signals from my converter so if I change the channel on 1 tv the other does the same. Is there anyway to solve this, where one converter will control only one box?

[57]

There are several solutions, although they may not do what you want.

You can have one STB off and one on, when you want to control the "off" STB, turn it on and the other will turn off - you only need one remote to control both. This doesn't work if you want both on at the same time, as the STBs use the same IR frequency. (Also may not work with Motorola or other STBs for those reading this from other service providers)

You could cover the IR sensor on one STB then uncover it when needed.

You may be able to put an "interference cover" on the STBs, far enough apart so that the remote has to be pointed directly at it for it to work.

If the game is on an analogue channel, then you can split the signal to go to the TV and STB and use the TV's internal tuner to change channels instead of the STB.

You can get a DVR. Then you can watch both games completely, with your complete attention, in about 2 hours, instead of the 3 hours for a live game. Of course this means that you are not watching the games live, but you could watch the one "pausing live TV" so you just catch up with the end of the game, just as the game ends. You can then watch the other game in about an hour, or less. So, if the games are on from 6-9, you can watch the first game from 8-9 and the second from 9-10.

[vmark]

An expensive, but fully functional solution would be to get a remote such as the MX-850 from Universal Remote (http://universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=38) which, in addition to being an incredible universal IR learning remote, also has the ability to relay remote control codes to a transponder over RF.

By placing an IR emitter from the transponder directly over the IR receivers of your equipment you can ensure that the codes for the two devices never get confused.

You can read more about the capabilities at the link above.

[Juggie]

Originally Posted by bedrockboy

Hi all,

A pretty crazy question. I have 2 tvs in my basement (a big screen and a smaller one - good for watching 2 games during football season). The problem I have is that both my HD and regular digital box seem to pick up signals from my converter so if I change the channel on 1 tv the other does the same. Is there anyway to solve this, where one converter will control only one box?

The best solution would be to run the SD tv off one of the SD outputs on the HD box. What i have done for my projector is component to my projector and then svideo/rca audio to my tv. Then i turn on one at a time either the tv or the projector.

[57]

That would only allow you to watch one channel, which I don't think the OP wants.

If you have the SA8300HD, you could perhaps do what Juggie suggests - I believe controlling the PiP controls one output and the main channel controls the other output. I have not done this myself in a long time. Audio MAY be restricted to one TV, however, the VCR output of the SA8300 MAY supply the second audio...

[Paolo]

just get 2 brands of set top boxes.. ie: PACE and Scientific Atlantic... thatwill solve ur problem

[alebowgm]

Originally Posted by Paolo

just get 2 brands of set top boxes.. ie: PACE and Scientific Atlantic... thatwill solve ur problem

Sorry to bring up an old thread but just reading this now and it is relevant to my needs. Don't the Pace and the Scientific Atlanta STBs use the same remote controls and thus the same IR controls, or are they actually seperate?

[57]

I do believe that the Pace and SA STBs use the same IR frequencies, so the info in post 6 is probably incorrect. Posts 2 & 3 have the "solutions".

[jlet]

Another expensive solution, similar to post 3 above, is to use the Harmony 890 Pro remote with its addressable IR ports on its Wireless Extender. It allows a single IR port on an extender to control a device independently from the other ports. This also allows multiple identical devices to be controlled independently from just one RF Extender. Note: I don't know if the regular Harmony 890 (non-Pro) has this feature. The feature is documented in the 890 Pro user manual, but not in the regular 890 manual.

[Sucubus]

The 890 (non-Pro) will allow you to 'Assign IR Port on Wireless Extender'.

[Snrub]

Move the two STBs as far apart as you can in the room (ie. towards different sides of the room). Put two peices of tape over the front of the remote so that you cover most of it, leaving a vertical slit on the front. Let's say that the remote control normally sprays its IR signal over a 30 degree range. Depending on how much of a slit you leave open, using the tape can lower the spread to say 5 or 10 degrees. You will have to be more deliberate in pointing the remote at the box you wish to control. I do this all the time.

[alebowgm]

I finally did it!

I took the plunge the other day and picked up a S.A. 3100 STB that someone selling on Craigslist for only $20. My goal was to add the STB in my TV Viewing Room which currently has 5 Televisions in it (yes, overkill I know). There is already a S.A. 4250 unit in the room and I wanted to avoid having conflicts of when I am changing the channels on one unit, the other unit would change channels as well. At the same time, I wanted to use a remote and not the front panel buttons.

So I stopped into the electronic store (A-Z Electronics, 1750 Steeles Avenue West (Dufferin/Steeles area)) and picked up a Phillips SRU4000/17 Wireless A/V system. Included as part of it is IR Blasters and an RF remote control. After hooking up the Video sender (sans the video since I only care about the remote control part, but I can always add video later) and IR blaster onto the IR part of the 3100 and taking a good strip of tin foil that is ontop of the IR blasters (so it is wedged now between the STB and the tin foil), going across the entire front display panel, I pointed the remote to the floor and it changed channels on the 3100 without doing so on the 4250! I then took a bit of tin foil and put it over the IR part of the remote control that was included, taped it down and pointed straight at the 4250, but only the 3100 would change channels! Horray! Now I took the stock remote Rogers gives and pointed it straight at the 3100, and the channels won't change! Back to the 4250 and no problem.

I can now simultainously control the two units which are side by side on two different TVs without interfernece. For $50 for the remote and $20 for the terminal I am pretty happy considering the alternative solutions out there - especially the Harmonys - were all in the $250 range. The remote is pretty good as well. It supports the guide and settings functions. I have yet to try ROD with the remote, but outside of proof-of-concept it will never be used for that purpose.

I am pretty happy right now. Now if I can only figure out how to add a 3rd terminal for one of the other TVs

[OldTivoUser]

Suppose I have two 8300s and two TVs. Ideally, both are in the same room and go into an HDMI switch that has two outputs, one into each of the TVs. That way, with a RF remote, either TV can watch either 8300. However, from what I understand, putting an IR blaster (or any remote) in front of the 8300s will control both of them at the same time.

Is there any other way to distinguish between the two of them? Any creative/clever ideas I haven't thought of?

Basically trying to do home networking, which I know 8300 doesn't do. Maybe the new box will have better home networking, but I'm not counting on it.

[hugh]

Why would you want two 8300's in the same room?

[bdoyledimou]

I had a setup like this as well..

I have my front projector and a 60" Sony GW II. Both using SA4250s. They were set up perpendicular to each other though, so i didn't have any any remote problems.