[tvmaster]

Hi there. Planning on a LN52B630. The sales team at Fry's doesn't have a clue how PAP / PIP is utilized, nor were there any feeds to the demo set.


What are the possible combinations of PAP / PIP with Samsung LCDs - I'm assuming most current Samsung sets share architectire in this regard.


With PAP, can you only mix the coax input with HDMI - component - composite?


Can you either plug a cable box or antenna into the coax tuner input for this purpose?


thanks

 

[Quickbeam]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tvmaster /forum/post/16854072


Hi there. Planning on a LN52B630. The sales team at Fry's doesn't have a clue how PAP / PIP is utilized, nor were there any feeds to the demo set.


What are the possible combinations of PAP / PIP with Samsung LCDs - I'm assuming most current Samsung sets share architectire in this regard.


With PAP, can you only mix the coax input with HDMI - component - composite?


Can you either plug a cable box or antenna into the coax tuner input for this purpose?


thanks

So far as I have been able to tell, the only possible input for the PIP is the internal tuner from an off air antenna. Only mildly useful. I have mine set to the local digital weather radar channel currently for when those pesky hurricanes are looming I can watch TV and keep an eye on the radar. Also might come in handy during College football season, one game on Uverse via HDMI and the other off the antenna.

 

[tvmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Quickbeam /forum/post/16854138


So far as I have been able to tell, the only possible input for the PIP is the internal tuner from an off air antenna. Only mildly useful. I have mine set to the local digital weather radar channel currently for when those pesky hurricanes are looming I can watch TV and keep an eye on the radar. Also might come in handy during College football season, one game on Uverse via HDMI and the other off the antenna.

Have you tried feeding it the coax output of a satellite / cable box? There's something in the manual I found online that indicated a switch between "air / cable" for the coax tuner input. If that worked (and I assume setting the set to channel 3 or 4), could you use the output of said sat/cable box instead of antenna?


thanks

 

[st_o_p]

The PIP of the Samsungs nowadays is pretty useless. I used to have a CRT Sony XBR set from 7 years ago, and it had amazingly useful PIP. You could watch 2 channels simultaneously, switch back and forth, resize, etc. So when I was buying my new LCD I really wanted it to have PIP. I got the 8000, and all I can say is - the PIP is useless. It's more of an afterthought so someone can mention in the specs that the TV has PIP and not something you can actually use

 

[malets]

Thanks for the info

 

[tvmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by st_o_p /forum/post/16856304


The PIP of the Samsungs nowadays is pretty useless. I used to have a CRT Sony XBR set from 7 years ago, and it had amazingly useful PIP. You could watch 2 channels simultaneously, switch back and forth, resize, etc. So when I was buying my new LCD I really wanted it to have PIP. I got the 8000, and all I can say is - the PIP is useless. It's more of an afterthought so someone can mention in the specs that the TV has PIP and not something you can actually use

I looked at a LN52B630 yesterday, and the PIP seemed to have 6 positions and three sizes. I also have an XBR, and I agree it was excellent in this regard. The Samsung seems to have, sadly, the best PIP PAP available on any LCD I've been able to find. The only letdown is that one side seems to only enable you to select the RF input as a source.

But what I am hoping is that I can feed a satellite receiver into that RF jack.

 

[st_o_p]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tvmaster /forum/post/16858141


I looked at a LN52B630 yesterday, and the PIP seemed to have 6 positions and three sizes. I also have an XBR, and I agree it was excellent in this regard. The Samsung seems to have, sadly, the best PIP PAP available on any LCD I've been able to find. The only letdown is that one side seems to only enable you to select the RF input as a source.

But what I am hoping is that I can feed a satellite receiver into that RF jack.

It is not just that you can select TV antenna only as one of the sources. The whole setup on the LCD Samsungs is not user friendly. On the CRT Sony XBR, you go into PIP with a touch of a button on the remote; you can switch between the two channels you're watching and resize them at a touch of button - it's very convenient. With the new Samsungs you have to dig through menus and submenus to do any single thing - like switch audio between the main channel and the sub-channel, etc. It's too much work for casual viewing, I found I never use the PIP on this set

 

[Phil Tomaskovic]



Quote:
Originally Posted by st_o_p /forum/post/16863012


It is not just that you can select TV antenna only as one of the sources. The whole setup on the LCD Samsungs is not user friendly. On the CRT Sony XBR, you go into PIP with a touch of a button on the remote; you can switch between the two channels you're watching and resize them at a touch of button - it's very convenient. With the new Samsungs you have to dig through menus and submenus to do any single thing - like switch audio between the main channel and the sub-channel, etc. It's too much work for casual viewing, I found I never use the PIP on this set

I noticed that too when I was looking at the Samsungs and Sony LCDs. I currently have a SXRD 50XBR1 and the Twinview is great, swap audio just by clicking on the directional pad and resize either window. The left side is basically all your normal inputs and the right side are any non-HD inputs so you can do cable analog channels or a vcr for example. Looks like the new Sony LCDs don't have PIP either except for the XBR8. You have to go into options to open the PIP window (actually they are side by side like twinview). And it looks like the PIP window is only for your cable/analog tuner.

Also the PIP window is fixed size but you can still switch audio between the windows by hitting the right/left arrows.


Samsung's setup makes them unacceptable for me and Sony makes me mad for only putting it on their most $$$ LCD. It looks like it was on last year's lower end models. Wonder what will happen for the 2010 models?


I use my twinview all the time (second window for ball game) or watch Conan/Letterman at same time and switch depending on the guest. It would be nice if it worked like my twinview again, don't care if it has only 1 tuner since the main window is always on the tivo.


You would think Samsung & Sony would show interfaces past users, but I guess they don't think this feature is wanted anymore...

 

[tvmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Tomaskovic /forum/post/16864266


I noticed that too when I was looking at the Samsungs and Sony LCDs. I currently have a SXRD 50XBR1 and the Twinview is great, swap audio just by clicking on the directional pad and resize either window. The left side is basically all your normal inputs and the right side are any non-HD inputs so you can do cable analog channels or a vcr for example. Looks like the new Sony LCDs don't have PIP either except for the XBR8. You have to go into options to open the PIP window (actually they are side by side like twinview). And it looks like the PIP window is only for your cable/analog tuner.

Also the PIP window is fixed size but you can still switch audio between the windows by hitting the right/left arrows.


Samsung's setup makes them unacceptable for me and Sony makes me mad for only putting it on their most $$$ LCD. It looks like it was on last year's lower end models. Wonder what will happen for the 2010 models?

I use my twinview all the time (second window for ball game) or watch Conan/Letterman at same time and switch depending on the guest. It would be nice if it worked like my twinview again, don't care if it has only 1 tuner since the main window is always on the tivo.


You would think Samsung & Sony would show interfaces past users, but I guess they don't think this feature is wanted anymore...

What is Sony's "most expensive LCD"? I looked at the XBR9, and there was no PIP / PAP on that one. While I agree that back in the old days, Sony had the most elegant system, it's obvious they have abandoned the concept. At least Samsung has a workable system. What are Sony thinking?

 

[Phil Tomaskovic]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tvmaster /forum/post/16866098


What is Sony's "most expensive LCD"? I looked at the XBR9, and there was no PIP / PAP on that one. While I agree that back in the old days, Sony had the most elegant system, it's obvious they have abandoned the concept. At least Samsung has a workable system. What are Sony thinking?

xbr8

 

[tvmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Tomaskovic /forum/post/16866126


xbr8

Oh yeah, I dismissed that one cause' it was soooo pricey, had the same PIP architecture as the Samsung, and couldn't stream video over LAN (for the price, it probably should have been able to). Still don't know why Sony killed what was a killer PIP system.

 

[Ericdj]

I don't have the Samsung remote in my hand to remember the button. But one PIP window has to be the tuner and the other needs to be another source. You will need to be on the source input, like dvd, vcr, dvd recorder with tuner etc, not the internal tuner. In the middle of the remote where the circle of buttons is, its above it to the left I believe, info or whatever it says. Hit that then on the next menu, PIP will be on the bottom. The PIP windon to the right will be the internal tuner. It can be small window, or choice of side by side windows. Audio swap is on the menu where the pip was found.



To watch 2 channels you need the intrnal tuner (right window) and the main window would be cable box, vcr or dvd with tuner, or any other video signal going through another input. Samsung took out the dual tuners 2 models back. IM me, or reply here and I will help more when I am in front of a Samsung to help you.If you need photos of how to do it, let me know.

 

[Ericdj]

 http://www.youtube.com/user/BestBuyAnswers


Best I could do on short notice. Hope it helps.

 

[tvmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ericdj /forum/post/16873639

http://www.youtube.com/user/BestBuyAnswers


Best I could do on short notice. Hope it helps.

Wow - that was way beyond the call of duty - thanks for that. I now own the Samsung, partly because of this demo - nice work.

 

[Phil Tomaskovic]

Can't believe how complicated the Samsung usage is. I switch audio all the time on my Sony with twin view.

 

[tvmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Tomaskovic /forum/post/16875868


Can't believe how complicated the Samsung usage is. I switch audio all the time on my Sony with twin view.

Once you're used to it, it actually isn't that complicated - at least not to me.