watching recordings on a 2nd tv

I have just realised that my solution of using an hdmi splitter and long cable is not going to be suitable for my needs as the splitters only seem to be able to let you have one tv operating at a time
Not if you buy the right "splitter". What you are talking about is a switch (1 in, 1 of 2 out) not a 2-way splitter (1 in, 2 of 2 out). My main entertainments hub comprises two HDR-FOXes and a Blu-Ray player as inputs to a 4 in, 2 out HDMI matrix switch, and either of the outputs can repeat any of the inputs independently and simultaneously. The outputs feed a TV on a short lead, and a projector over a 10m HDMI lead (that's the longest you should go for, and needs to be decent quality). There are also ways to send HDMI much further over a dedicated Cat5 (Ethernet) cable.

The point is that the HDMI splitter has to be an active electronic unit with its own power supply and not a simple passive switch.

If I was to use a rf modulator connected to the scart instead would this allow both TVs to be viewed at the same time? If I was to network the HDR Fox T2 box using a wifi dongle what would I need at the 2nd TV to receive the signal?
I prefer a HD-FOX. Anything able to access media over the home network will do, eg a Roku box or a cheap Android tablet (with HDMI output). Even a Raspberry Pi can do it. You have to turn in the DLNA server on the HDR-FOX, and the player unit has to have DLNA client capability. (The remote playback of recorded material is limited to StDef recordings only as standard, unless the remote device is a HDR-FOX or HD-FOX, but we can get around that if required.)

This is proving to be much more complicated than using my PVR 9200T !
I still think you could try a long analogue video cable (phono), with a phono-to-SCART adapter if the TV doesn't have phono inputs. At least two members of this forum have run remote TVs that way. Cheap, simple, and not restricted to recordings - anything the HDR-FOX is sending to its HDMI is simultaneously going out on the analogue ports.
 
If I was to use a rf modulator connected to the scart instead would this allow both TVs to be viewed at the same time?
YES. In SD minus without expensive stuff.
I still think you could try a long analogue video cable (phono), with a phono-to-SCART adapter if the TV doesn't have phono inputs. At least two members of this forum have run remote TVs that way. Cheap, simple, and not restricted to recordings - anything the HDR-FOX is sending to its HDMI is simultaneously going out on the analogue ports.
But why use the rather lower quality SD minus option when an HD option is available via pretty low cost HDMI splitter (not switch) and cable. The only downside is that a larger hole in the wall is needed. But even that is arguable if you are using a pre-terminated cable of any sort. You would likely use an HDMI switch to run two separate video sources into one display.
 
Not if you buy the right "splitter". What you are talking about is a switch (1 in, 1 of 2 out) not a 2-way splitter (1 in, 2 of 2 out). My main entertainments hub comprises two HDR-FOXes and a Blu-Ray player as inputs to a 4 in, 2 out HDMI matrix switch, and either of the outputs can repeat any of the inputs independently and simultaneously. The outputs feed a TV on a short lead, and a projector over a 10m HDMI lead (that's the longest you should go for, and needs to be decent quality). There are also ways to send HDMI much further over a dedicated Cat5 (Ethernet) cable.

The point is that the HDMI splitter has to be an active electronic unit with its own power supply and not a simple passive switch.


I prefer a HD-FOX. Anything able to access media over the home network will do, eg a Roku box or a cheap Android tablet (with HDMI output). Even a Raspberry Pi can do it. You have to turn in the DLNA server on the HDR-FOX, and the player unit has to have DLNA client capability. (The remote playback of recorded material is limited to StDef recordings only as standard, unless the remote device is a HDR-FOX or HD-FOX, but we can get around that if required.)


I still think you could try a long analogue video cable (phono), with a phono-to-SCART adapter if the TV doesn't have phono inputs. At least two members of this forum have run remote TVs that way. Cheap, simple, and not restricted to recordings - anything the HDR-FOX is sending to its HDMI is simultaneously going out on the analogue ports.
Thanks for your advice, the tv I am going to connect has a scart, ariel in and 2 hdmi connections and I have already bought a 10 metre hdmi cable so assuming I can find a suitable powered hdmi splitter I think I will that method of connection to keep it simple, cheers
 
Thanks for your advice, the tv I am going to connect has a scart, ariel in and 2 hdmi connections and I have already bought a 10 metre hdmi cable so assuming I can find a suitable powered hdmi splitter I think I will that method of connection to keep it simple, cheers
I have one that you can borrow (and if it works I will be happy to sell it). PM me an address and I'll put it in the post tomorrow.
 
I have one that you can borrow (and if it works I will be happy to sell it). PM me an address and I'll put it in the post tomorrow.
Thanks Martin, that's very kind of you, but I have just ordered one that the seller
assured me will meets my needs, he's even offering a refund if it doesn't work, I appreciate the offer, and the help I have been given by everyone that replied! :)
 
But how would you control the box from the remote TV?
The IR remote package on a laptop or tablet should allow full control since you will be able to see on the remote TV any on screen menus from the Humax.
 
Topfield digital pvrs had a built in PAL I modulator and also near uniquely component output on scart. (RGB or Component which greatly helped with AV receivers which only had component inputs and upscaling to HD from these inputs). Unusually all the connections had external RCA sockets. Tuner 1 in. Tuner 1 out, Tuner 2 in, Tuner 2 out and seperate modulator in/out sockets (an arrangement that made the box very flexible (you could use a different aerial to connect to each tuner input). The original software preceded AR and series recording).

Additionally the operating system was open source and could be modified by users using add on modules known as TAPS.

Simple example it was possible to record a complete MUX, and even a well known video game was available., sadly HDD sizes at the time were not the same as these days. Black Hole clearly is too young to remember these halcyon days :)

Presumably Topfield never built a DVB-T2 model, thanks to the increasingly restrictive DRM restrictions that came with HD. Something that never applied to HTPC kit.
 
The thing about a HDMI splitter is that both destination devices have to support the same video standard. It's a completely passive device. If you connect two display devices with differing video capability, say a HD ready device with only 1080i viewable capability and one with full 1080p/50 or 1080P/60 capability, then without reducing the source output to one that both display devices can handle you will not be able to view the source on both displays without some sort of active (powered) convertor.
 
My matrix won't convert, but still needs to be powered. It recreates the handshaking so something needs to power the logic for that. A completely passive splitter will seriously reduce the ability to drive a long cable.

As for the Toppy: my memory, as you put it, only goes back to analogue switch-off here - I did not take much notice of what was available before that, and when I did the Topfield was too expensive for my taste.
 
My matrix won't convert, but still needs to be powered.
Don't forget there's +5V on HDMI pin 18 of the source device. It's intended to supply the DDC circuity in the sink at a minimum of 55mA and you're not supposed to draw more than 10mA continuously, but it is used by low consumption stuff like HDMI to VGA converters.
 
Sure, but 10mA ain't much headroom. Things like Chromecast sticks need aux power from a USB port.
 
That sounds useful. Details?
This one was branded 'Iconbit Toucan Stick 3d Pro ', based on an Allwinner A20 SoC featuring a 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 ARM CPU with a Mali400 MP2 GPU from ARM, 4GB NAND flash and 1GB DDR3 . Seems to have been sold on the Russian market as it defaults to Moscow location and time, and almost everything about it on the interwebs is in Russian. Which is why I was given it to play with.

But it's just an Android stick like a Chromecast etc running Jelly Bean 4.2. Basically a tablet that uses the HDMI-connected TV as its display with external 5V supply, microSD slot, WiFi and two USB ports. Came with an RF non-gesture 'airmouse' but you really need a USB keyboard to set it up properly and much to my surprise it recognised my Logitech k400 wireless keyboard/trackpad.

Being an Android device it'll run apps so was simply a matter of registering with Google Play and downloading VLC for Android, which can act as a DLNA client. Once I'd told VLC to always use hardware graphics acceleration it streamed stuff perfectly from the HDR over WiFi.

Went back this morning, set up for the UK and with instructions.

[Edit] Well you did ask...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top