921 DVI Questions

[DishBacker]

I just recently purchased a second HDTV and I want to be able to watch HD on it from time to time. Its complicated, but I'm not at a point to add an 811 and was wanting to just use the DVI connection from my 921 to do HD from time to time. The second TV is in my bedroom right behind the wall from my family room TV and my 921.

So, I'm looking for anyone with experience with using the 921 DVI connection. I've read in the past that there was some 'sync' issues with using DVI, requiring that you have the 921 on before you turn on the TV (or visa versa). Is that still an issue? If it matters, my new TV has an HDMI input port (and I'm gonna get a DVI to HDMI cable for the connection).

Also, I believe you can't use both the DVI and component connection at the same time on the 921. Is that still the case? Its not too much of an issue for me to just plug in the DVI connector as I need it because I'll just be watching it in the bedroom instead of the main room. Just a short term workaround until I can replace my trusty 501 with a future HD MPEG4 DVR box.

Any other 'gotchas' with using DVI that I should be worried about?

Thanks!

 

[Larry]

I have had the "sync" issue...or whatever it was, but only every once in awhile. It only seemed to happen when I didn't really have time to do a reboot before the program I wanted to watch came on. I had it up to 4 days ago when I finally reconnected the component video connection. I don't know if you can use both at the same time, I never tried. I put the DVI cable away, but I guess I can get it back out if it will help you out.

 

[SatinKzo]

I've never experienced any problems with my 921 DVI (that is about the only part I haven't had a problem with)

 

[BobMurdoch]

Ditto, the DVI connection works fine.

One thing..... my composite outputs to my DVD recorder send out a REALLY bad signal. Everything looks like it is bathed in a bright white light like the Close Encounters mothership just opened the door nearby. Didn't have this problem with my old 921 which put out a decent picture for SD.

 

[gpflepsen]

My old 921 would not feed DVI and Component simultaneously. The DVI over-rides the component and shuts it down.

 

[BobMurdoch]

My old 921 would not feed DVI and Component simultaneously. The DVI over-rides the component and shuts it down.

Ditto. I wanted to run component video to the TV directly as I had some free inputs in my TV (in case my receiver was tied up sending CD or DVD based music to my backyard or something)

No dice. If the DVI is hooked up, component video ports are dead.

 

[KKlare]

You could probably split the component RGB cables to two rooms with some impedence mismatch. The DVI cannot be spilt because of the back-stream copy protection, I think. And I think plugging the DVI shuts off the component. If the distances are more than say 20 feet, the farther should get RF (any distance) or possibly short composite/S-video outputs. That would require switching SD/HD button and using one at a time.
(Note if you are in SD for several hours, when you come back to HD you may only get the small upper-left-corner picture. Reboot required. Why is that? Don't know but I found this with overnight S-video DVD recording.)
-Ken