TV over fireplace

[chwtom]

We would like to hook up a 32" LCD TV over the fireplace in our new construction home. It would be in the master bedroom. I had planned to get a dual-tuner box for the family room, and have the master bedroom be the 2nd TV.
The reason I'd like to do this is so I can just have a TV over the fireplace, without any extra boxes or wires coming out. We don't really have a good place to put the satellite box, so i tohught a dual-tuner would be perfect.
But now I find out the 2nd TV wouldn't be in high-def. Wondering if it matters for a TV this size, and if there are any other solutions that might work?

thanks

 

[DWS44]

Not sure how far your bedroom is from where the receiver would be located, but one option might be a long run of component cable, instead of coax. That way you could hook both TVs to the 622 with one using the TV1 HDMI connection (assuming your TV has an HDMI/DVI connection, and the bedroom using TV1 component connection. They are both active on the 622. Downside is that the 622 would need to be in single mode, and you be watching same channel on both TVs, but you would get HD at both locations. Not sure what the max length for component would be, but I'm sure someone else on here has done this.

 

[Van]

Dish is going to have a dual tuner dual hd receiver coming out soon or it may be out now, I think its the 222. That being said you should consider the issue of heat from the fireplace on the tv. Heat is the the third worst enemy of electronics only followed by water as number 1 and dust as number 2. If its a gas fireplace then it wont be as bad as a wood fireplace but its still a concern. I would talk with a couple of local home theater companies and get more info from them on this before committing to it.

 

[garys]

The 222 is out and it is basically a 622 without the hard drive (no dvr). It only has one HD output.

 

[primetimeguy]

Dish is going to have a dual tuner dual hd receiver coming out soon or it may be out now, I think its the 222.

The 622 (DVR) and 222 (non-DVR) are already dual tuner HD receivers, but neither can output HD from the second tuner and that is the issue here. I am not aware of any firm plans of Dish offering a box that ouputs HD to two TVs.

And if it were me I wouldn't mount a TV above a fireplace.

 

[KAB]

I agree about the TV over the fireplace. But to your basic question. A 622 and 222 have two HD outputs, HDMI (video and audio) and component. Therefore, you can output to a second HDTV if your TV(s) support one or both inputs. Example, hook up your primary TV with component and audio optical cables, and run an HDMI cable to your second HDTV. You can purchase an additional RF remote to control TV1 when in single mode (I believe). So, in this manner, think of TV2 as an extension of TV1.

 

[primetimeguy]

I agree about the TV over the fireplace. But to your basic question. A 622 and 222 have two HD outputs, HDMI (video and audio) and component. Therefore, you can output to a second HDTV if your TV(s) support one or both inputs. Example, hook up your primary TV with component and audio optical cables, and run an HDMI cable to your second HDTV. You can purchase an additional RF remote to control TV1 when in single mode (I believe). So, in this manner, think of TV2 as an extension of TV1.

Right, but both TVs have to be tuned to the same channel in that scenario.

 

[tsduke]

Another option would be to put a receiver in the basement or closet or whatever work and buy a uhf remote to run it.

 

[Dgenx321]

Don't buy a UHF remote, just use UHF Pro and control both TV1 and TV2 with UHF.

 

[chwtom]

Thanks for the hlep. It is a gas fireplace, and has a heater that you can turn off and on, and most of the time we'll have it off, even when the fire is going. Hopefull that will be ok.

The basement is unfinished, and the drywall isn't in yet, so i could probably just get a second box and run component cables through the wall. the only nice thing about watching from the same box is (besides the extra box cost) that any shows we have recorded on the dvr couldn't be watched in the bedroom. Sounds like i could run components to the bedroom from the family room, but then i couldn't watch two things at the same time in different rooms (so no football and food network at the same time).

maybe there isn't a perfect solution. but any other ideas are welcome.

thanks

 

[osu1991]

I wouldn't worry to much about the display above the fireplace. Had a plasma above my sisters fireplace for 3 years now and my brother in law is a wood burning fanatic. He likes to have a fire going just for the ambiance in the fall and winter. No problems so far, luckily I thought ahead and redid the wiring before they moved in and while my other brother in law was building a new mantle and surround I ran 9 pieces of coax up both sides and put a 12" by 6" pull up door in the top of the mantle to access all of the cables right in the middle.The plasma is mounted about a foot above the mantle and the mantle is 2 feet above the top of the fire box. The center speaker on the surround system hides the wires where they come out of the center of the mantle and connect to the bottom of the plasma display.

 

[Jared Twomey]

622 in the basement. Run component up to the tv above the fireplace off of the tv1 side. Get an extra UHF pro remote for that tv.
Then run coax from tv2 side to master bedroom tv.
Done.
Both rooms can watch tv independently, share dvr hard drive, and there is no additional expense monthly, as long as it is plugged into a phone line.

Thanks for the hlep. It is a gas fireplace, and has a heater that you can turn off and on, and most of the time we'll have it off, even when the fire is going. Hopefull that will be ok.

The basement is unfinished, and the drywall isn't in yet, so i could probably just get a second box and run component cables through the wall. the only nice thing about watching from the same box is (besides the extra box cost) that any shows we have recorded on the dvr couldn't be watched in the bedroom. Sounds like i could run components to the bedroom from the family room, but then i couldn't watch two things at the same time in different rooms (so no football and food network at the same time).

maybe there isn't a perfect solution. but any other ideas are welcome.

thanks

 

[primetimeguy]

622 in the basement. Run component up to the tv above the fireplace off of the tv1 side. Get an extra UHF pro remote for that tv.
Then run coax from tv2 side to master bedroom tv.
Done.
Both rooms can watch tv independently, share dvr hard drive, and there is no additional expense monthly, as long as it is plugged into a phone line.

The OP wants HD at both locations so this won't work.

 

[Building]

100' of component works

Not sure how far your bedroom is from where the receiver would be located, but one option might be a long run of component cable, instead of coax. That way you could hook both TVs to the 622 with one using the TV1 HDMI connection (assuming your TV has an HDMI/DVI connection, and the bedroom using TV1 component connection. They are both active on the 622. Downside is that the 622 would need to be in single mode, and you be watching same channel on both TVs, but you would get HD at both locations. Not sure what the max length for component would be, but I'm sure someone else on here has done this.

I use the 622 for my whole house. Hooked up box in Theatre room TV1 HD via HDMI and run 100' of Component to HDTV above fireplace in the great room upstairs. I have a gas fireplace with a fan. I run to a bunch of SD tv's througout the house with coax too. I use Dual mode. The HDTV's will be watching the same thing though. You need to set up a remote for TV1 UHF control.

 

[Sharper]

Run two cables.

Run the component for HD and a second cable off of tv2 for SD to one TV and hdmi/a second SD cable to the other TV.

That way you can watch HD most of the time and in the rare cases where you want to watch two different things on the two TVs at the same time, just switch one TV input to the SD feed from tv2.

I think that's your best bet for keeping just one receiver and doing what you want.

 

[chwtom]

So I managed to get into the house just before the drywallers got there, and fished a long HDMI cable from where TV1 will be in the family room to where TV2 will be above the fireplace in the master.

Once the TVs get hooked up, what kind of remote do I need for the master bedroom to change the channels, since the box will be in the other room? Also, since the 622 can control 2 TVs seprately, and the family room TV and fireplace TV are running off the same feed, can I have a third TV that is controlled from the box (using the TV2 output)?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[osu1991]

Yes just get another remote and change the remote code for the third tv so it is different than than what the other two tv's are sharing.