Connect DVR to 2 TV's

mikedinkels

I connect my FIOS motorola QIP6416-2 HD DVR to 2 TV's. a small one in the bedroom with HDMI, and a larger one in the living room through RCA connections.

If I turn on the bedroom set (TV and DVR with HDMI connect) it works fine.

If I then turn it all off, and turn on the living room set (TV and DVR with RCA connect) it works fine also.

But if I then turn it all off, and go back into the bedroom (TV and DVR with HDMI connect) the DVR turns on but the TV says no signal. None of the buttons on the DVR work, and if I turn it off, it simply wont turn back on. I have to unplug it and then it will work fine.

Is there a way around this while I'm waiting for my HDMI splitter to come in the mail?

JPL

Sounds like a handshake issue between the DVR and your bedroom TV. I wonder if the HDMI splitter will actually fix that. It could be an issue with your TV - I have my DVR hooked to my TV with HDMI, but I also have the RCA audio out going to a switch box, and from there to my receiver, so I can listen to the digital music channels through my stereo without having the TV turned on. I don't have any issues going back and forth, turning things off and on.

You may want to see if there are known HDMI handshake issues with the firmware for your TV. One other thought - have you considered going with component for your bedroom TV? Also, when that lockup happens, I wonder if you can restore the signal by unplugging and replugging in the HDMI cable.

Finally, one other solution - just never turn off your DVR. There's really no advantage to shutting off your DVR anyway (doesn't save you much in electricity usage, e.g.), since your DVR never really shuts off.

mikedinkels

thanks for the input. the concept of never turning off the DVR seems like a good one. Do you know if there is a way to make the DVR remote turn off just a TV when you hit the power button (while still in STB control mode)?

JPL

Not sure. I don't use the Verizon remote for my main TV - I have a Harmony, which would make doing that really easy. I know there is a way to program the power button (e.g. you can have it NOT affect the TV when you're in STB mode), but I don't know if you can have it NOT shut off the DVR when in STB mode. Check the documentation on the remote - if you don't have it, check here:

http://www22.verizon.com/Residential...etUp/SetUp.htm

Justin

I am pretty sure there is not.

I do have the TV and DVR control separated using the Verizon remote. It took a week or so, but I adjusted pretty easily to just hitting the TV button on the remote before turning the TV on or off. Actually, I have two remotes in one room, one on my desk and one by the recliner, so I really had to get used to that because if I turned the TV off with one and went to turn it on with the other, the DVR got turned off instead.

As has been said earlier, the DVR draws almost the same power whether it is off or on, so that really is no reason to turn it off. I have been leaving mine on for 3+ years, still on the original DVR, no major problems.

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Justin
Verizon FiOS TV and Internet
Motorola QIP6416 DVR
Sony KDL-V40XBR1 LCD
Sony SLV-D360P DVD/VCR