Problem hooking up second TV to DTV HD Receiver?

[kirk]

I just bought a 22" Vizio LCD # VO22L 1080p for my Kitchen and I just wanted to mirror it off of my Living Room TV which is conected to a Direct TV HD Receiver. I went to Radio Shack and they gave me a splitter with one in and two outs. My problem is that on the back of the receiver there is only one satellite in area and no sat out? The other area is for the OTA Ant. I tried using the splitter but I'm still not getting a signal on the Vizio. I ran the coax cable from the Vizio to the receiver and tried splitting it there, I have no idea what I am doing, I hope someone can help me out.
Thanks,
Kirk

[Dave3putt]

No DirectTV HD receivers that I know of have any kind of output for another TV. I believe Dish has one, but the second TV can only get 480i. If you think about the outputs on the back of a HD receiver, the only ones that will give you HD are HDMI and component. The "Sat out" port you are looking for was/is only on SD boxes.

The only way to do what you want to do with HD, as far as I know, is to split the signal above the receiver, but then you would need two receivers. Doing that has problems also. Call DirectV and ask them for help. They are still in the business of trying to make people happy. Mostly.

[algopher]

I have Dish so I'm not familiar with the outputs from the Direct receivers. Sounds like you don't mind having the same channel on the second TV as the first. If you are using the rf input to your HDTV, why not use the other outputs to the second TV. I don't know your distance so that may be a drawback. You could use the HDMI or component to the HDTV (number 1 set) and the RF output of the Satellite receiver to the second set if the Direct units have those type of outputs.

[stevekaden]

IMHO....you are barking up the wrong tree. Unless you have a DISH receiver, which has a mere 480i RF (at normal tv channel frequencies) you are asking for more trouble than it is worth (and 480i will look terrible on your tv). Even if you could output an HDMI or Component/audio to the kitchen - I am guessing you will have a cabling nightmare. That either due to length or simply routing and hiding.

The cost of a basic box for the kitchen (and the effort to mount it under a cabinet) is all minimal - and you will not be wasting the capability of the TV. And D-TV will probably install it for free.

In the end, efficiency can overridge bargain.

[pzieger]

I have 3 DirecTV HR20 HD DVR's and a PS3 (read Blu-Ray player) in my Family room with a 52" Sharp Aquos LCD TV.
I have a Akai 42" LCD Monitor in my bedroom.
I purchased an Apogee HDMI 4x2 Matrix switch from www.supermediastore.com for $99.

http://www.supermediastore.com/search.h ... rue+matrix

I can select any of the three DVRs or the PS3 in my family room while at the same time any of the three DVRs or the PS3 in my bedroom. I had to run 1 HDMI cable from the "B" output of the switch to my bedroom monitor. Something like this could serve your needs, as well as feeding a DVD player with HDMI to your kitchen set as well.
Pete

[genemc]

I ran the coax cable from the Vizio to the receiver and tried splitting it there, I have no idea what I am doing, I hope someone can help me out.
Thanks,
Kirk

You cannot split the satellite coaxial cable to do what you want but the DirecTV HDDVR's can output on both the HDMI and Component at the same time and I think your receiver probably will as well. If that is the case, you can run component video and stereo audio (red & white RCA audio jacks) to the kitchen. HDMI suffers from distance limitations but component does not have that problem. You can either run the actual cables or you can buy a set of "Cat5 baluns" which allow you to run the component video and stereo audio (or with some, HDMI) over one or two Cat5 network cable which is more flexible and easier to run but some of them only carry digital audio which is fine if your kitchen TV has a digital input of the proper kind. Another way to do it would be to use "Rapid Run" from Cables to go.