Re: pip
TimSykes
Specialist - Level 2
I find PIP useless myself. I guess if I liked sports then it would be useful, but to me its no big deal. 
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Re: pip
BassBob
Newbie

To each his own, I guess; PIP is something I use EVERY day and would find TV watching far less satisfactory w/o it.

Here are two typical scenarios:

1.  You're watching a regular broadcast show on the "main" picture and don't want to see the commercials.  When the "main" show goes to commercial, you swap pictures and surf or whatever until you see in the PIP that the "main" show has come back from commercial.  Then you swap back.

2.  You're wife is watching a show that is....let's say not to your liking.  Open up the PIP and she watches what she wants on one side of the screen and you on the other.  This requires YOU to have the audio output of the "sub" channel connected to headphones (I have wireless ones that allow me to catch the audio even when I go out the mailbox), but it works GREAT!  Been doing this since we had a 27" ProScan many monitor years ago.  Now that we have a 46" HD, when you split that screen, you have two very watchable views.

BTW, this is on a Comcast system and since most of the shows I'm interested in (news junkie) are still available on their analog side, it's not a problem.  Once they start shifting their lineup, I will lose some channel availability.  THIS whole issue is one of the reasons I'm holding off on switching to FiOS; it would be more difficult to use their system in this manner.

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Re: pip
Dissonance
Enthusiast - Level 1

This was the first negative I found after my switch from Time Warner.  I live in NYC so I always saw Mets and Yankees games with PIP using a Scientific Atlanta DVR.  I guess the lady who handeled my order didnt understand me when I asked "Will the DVR have picture in picture?" because she said Yes.  The guy who installed it said they'll probably turn PIP on eventually so hopefully he knew what he was talking about.

PLEASE VERIZON, JUST GIVE US THIS FEATURE.  It's one of those things that people get used to and don't want to give up: like call waiting or the DVR.

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Re: pip
KenAF
Specialist - Level 2

@Paddy wrote:

I have said this before and I'll say it again. Verizon needs to get their stuff together.  The Motorola Boxes are capable of supporting PiP, Verizon just has not made the software upgrade for that to happen.  The get two STBs idea is flat CRAZY.  My sister in law subscribes to Cox in San Diego and her STB is fully PiP functional.

If you want PiP, keep harping on VERIZON!!!!  They are the ones who need to get competitive with the competition and make it happen!!

Paddy


No Motorola DVR from any cable provider supports picture-in-picture, and no picture-in-picture support is planned.  The hardware in Motorola's new QIP7216 is incapable of supporting PIP.  The hardware in the older QIP6416 could theoretically support that feature, if Verizon were to "dumb down" their interface to free up more memory, but Verizon has no interest in moving back to a plain UI, and Motorola has no interest in developing a feature for older boxes that will not work on their newer ones.

To get picture-in-picture with FiOS, without renting another set-top box, your TV would need to include a built-in digital cable (QAM) tuner.  That way, you could use PIP and switch between the DVR and the digital cable (QAM) tuner in your TV.  To do this, you would split the coax before the DVR, sending one end to the DVR and the other to the cable input on your TV.  Note you would only be able to tune the locals (incl. locals in HD) and public interest channels on your TV's tuner, unless it has a CableCard slot.

If you have an older TV without a digital cable tuner...well, you won't get PIP with FiOS unless you rent another box or buy a separate digital cable tuner.  You really have to buy your own box, because there's no simple way to control two Motorola boxes, both of which would respond to the same remote commands.

Message Edited by KenAF on 12-23-2008 05:12 PM
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Re: pip
CharlesH
Specialist - Level 1
I would love it if the HD STB supported pip! I don't feel like rigging in odd fashion with coax + STB...I hope it's released soon =[
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Re: pip
coupe80
Newbie

@KenAF wrote:

@Paddy wrote:

I have said this before and I'll say it again. Verizon needs to get their stuff together.  The Motorola Boxes are capable of supporting PiP, Verizon just has not made the software upgrade for that to happen.  The get two STBs idea is flat CRAZY.  My sister in law subscribes to Cox in San Diego and her STB is fully PiP functional.

If you want PiP, keep harping on VERIZON!!!!  They are the ones who need to get competitive with the competition and make it happen!!

Paddy


No Motorola DVR from any cable provider supports picture-in-picture, and no picture-in-picture support is planned.  The hardware in Motorola's new QIP7216 is incapable of supporting PIP.  The hardware in the older QIP6416 could theoretically support that feature, if Verizon were to "dumb down" their interface to free up more memory, but Verizon has no interest in moving back to a plain UI, and Motorola has no interest in developing a feature for older boxes that will not work on their newer ones.

To get picture-in-picture with FiOS, without renting another set-top box, your TV would need to include a built-in digital cable (QAM) tuner.  That way, you could use PIP and switch between the DVR and the digital cable (QAM) tuner in your TV.  To do this, you would split the coax before the DVR, sending one end to the DVR and the other to the cable input on your TV.  Note you would only be able to tune the locals (incl. locals in HD) and public interest channels on your TV's tuner, unless it has a CableCard slot.

If you have an older TV without a digital cable tuner...well, you won't get PIP with FiOS unless you rent another box or buy a separate digital cable tuner.  You really have to buy your own box, because there's no simple way to control two Motorola boxes, both of which would respond to the same remote commands.

Message Edited by KenAF on 12-23-2008 05:12 PM

If this is indeed true, then I'm returning to Time Warner Cable.  Yes, I realize that may be a drastic response to this issue, but I was VERY specific with the sales person here in Stuyvesant Town (NYC).  I asked to speak with the manager of the sales office because I learned from previous interactions with the other sale reps that they were poorly trained and uninformed.  I sat at a workstation in their sales office and asked him directly if their box supported PIP.  He very confidently stated "yes, it does".  When asked if the HDDVR box had two tuners and utilized each tuner for the PIP, he stated clearly "yes, it does".   I'm generally pretty savvy when it comes to researching technology issues, but I never thought to Google the FIoS PIP subject after obtaining such a confident response from the store manager.  I have no one else to blame but myself.

Verizon/Motorola should really do a better job of researching the demand for product features.  A feature like PIP is a basic option for such an advanced system.  Seems almost intentional to leave it out.  When I bought my Sharp LCD TV, I didn’t care that it was not equipped with PIP because my TWC box supported the feature.

Thanks for letting me rant.

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