HDMI Box - what gives

Ynggrpa · 08-09-2016, 04:36 PM

Wondering if anyone can help here. Just got our brand new Windsport 29M, have taken it out for a long weekend already, and almost everything is working great.

Only issue is the known one about the Seiki TVs not being able to decode some cable signals, but we had really good over-the-air signal on our first trip, so it was nice to sit outside and watch a ballgame in the evening while I grilled some brats. I will be replacing all 3 TVs pretty soon. Any recommendations?

Anyway, while messing around with trying to get those TVs to accept cable signals, I discovered a huge HDMI box in the cabinet above the dinette. 2 HDMI cables go into it, and it has 4 ports going out, but only 1 HDMI cable going out. It has a power button and a switch button, but nothing I did with it changed anything on the TVs. The only thing that did change was when I plugged it in. Then the "cable" signal was much better, but we still only got limited channels (because of the QAM decoding). The "switch" button didn't seem to do anything either.

So, anyone know what the heck this thing actually does? I have attached some photos.

brianh442 · 08-09-2016, 04:48 PM

That is the HDMI splitter, it's supposed to allow two different HDMI signals to go out to multiple (in your case 3) different TV's. Each tv in your coach should have an hdmi plugged into it from this control box. You can plug in your sat receiver and another source, such as a blue ray or DVD player. The limitation with this box is, if you are watching a blue ray outside, then all the other TV's have to watch that hdmi source. You can switch your tv source to TV and watch over the air programming if you can get a signal.

The only other option is to place another DVD player someplace, for me I placed one in the bedroom, that way, we can watch something different if the kids are watching something on directv.

JamieGeek · 08-09-2016, 04:57 PM

Here is that switch/splitter:
2x4 HDMI® Switch & Splitter - Monoprice.com

Yup: Whatever input is selected goes to all 4 outputs.

You could replace that guy with something like this:
Blackbird 4K Pro 4X4 True Matrix HDMI® Powered Switch with EDID and RS232 Control - Monoprice.com

To get the four outputs independent of each other (select whichever input you want, plus this has 4 inputs).

Ynggrpa · 08-09-2016, 05:10 PM

Thanks guys. Still a little confused though. Since it only has 1 HDMI cable going out, does that mean that there is some place where all the TV HDMI cables come together? There are 3 TVs (bedroom, living room, outside), so it seems like they must join up somewhere if this sends a signal to all 3 at the same time.

If that is the case, why have a 4 output box that takes up so much space?

Also, what 2 HDMI sources would be going into it right now? The only things I can think of are the cable and the antenna.

brianh442 · 08-09-2016, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynggrpa

Thanks guys. Still a little confused though. Since it only has 1 HDMI cable going out, does that mean that there is some place where all the TV HDMI cables come together? There are 3 TVs (bedroom, living room, outside), so it seems like they must join up somewhere if this sends a signal to all 3 at the same time.

If that is the case, why have a 4 output box that takes up so much space?

Also, what 2 HDMI sources would be going into it right now? The only things I can think of are the cable and the antenna.

There should be six total hdmi plugs on the back of this box, 2 of them will be labeled input, this is where you will plug the cable from your sat and dvd or blue ray player.

The other 4 ports should be labeled output, this is where your hdmi cables go out to your TV's. Each tv should have an hdmi cable plugged in, as well as a regular coax cable. The coax cable is providing the over the air tv signal from local stations. The hdmi cable will provide a signal from the HDMI source you have selected from the HDMI splitter box.

On your tv remote, press the source button; from there you will have to select which HDMI source you have plugged in, 1-2 or 3.

If you only have 1 HDMI source plugged into the splitter, you will only get one signal out to your TV's.

In my case I have my directv plugged into 1 and a blue ray player plugged into 2. If I want to watch direct tv, I simply press button 1 and I can watch direct.

Hope this clears it up!!

**EA37TS** · 08-09-2016, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynggrpa

Thanks guys. Still a little confused though. Since it only has 1 HDMI cable going out, does that mean that there is some place where all the TV HDMI cables come together? There are 3 TVs (bedroom, living room, outside), so it seems like they must join up somewhere if this sends a signal to all 3 at the same time.

If that is the case, why have a 4 output box that takes up so much space?

Also, what 2 HDMI sources would be going into it right now? The only things I can think of are the cable and the antenna.

Your Windsport may be setup differently or could be wired wrong.

In my Challenger there is 1 input and that is the DVD player. There are three outputs which are the 3 televisions. When I took delivery of the coach mine was wired incorrectly. They had the DVD wired to an output and two televisions wired to inputs.

You might want to check the back of your televisions to see if there are HDMI cords attached. If so then those cables, more than likely, are not attached to the HDMI switch and the ends are just laying somewhere.

As a note, I attached an HDMI cable to input 2 and that allows me to connect my iPad to the system for viewing downloaded movies.

Joe-FL · 09-11-2016, 03:39 PM

I am trying to understand the HDMI Switch box also. I can get several channels from the air antenna without messing with it. While being still on the road I have a loaner Direct-TV dish to use until we get back to Florida and have one installed on roof.

Problem is I have the sat aimed and plugged into coach, ran through SWM and through our Direct-TV DVR. It won't recognize the SWM nor let me configure the satellite. It is almost like by plugging it into the convenience center it won't let the signal come through the coach up to where the HDMI Switch box is.

SuperD · 09-13-2016, 10:59 PM

There is another switch you need to be aware of also, found mine by accident! In the cabinet where the HDMI splitter is there should be a coax outlet. On the same plate there is a SMALL button that turns the antenna booster on/off along with a SMALL green light, mine is on the side where I couldn't see it standing on the floor. If you hook up to campground cable the booster MUST be off, if it is on the only signal you will get is from the roof antenna.

HDMI box: As others have stated you will have outlets going to each tv, and two empty inlet ports. Unless you hook a dvd, HDMI satellite, or game console the box does nothing. If you hook up say a DVDs player, turn on the power switch, then the push button is used to select whichever port the dvd player is attached to. If the factory hooked it up right, and you haven't installed anything, the two inlet ports should be empty. Doesn't make any difference which tv is hooked to which outlet port because they will all get the same signal.

Kinda long-winded, but hope this helps!

**EA37TS** · 09-13-2016, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe-FL

I am trying to understand the HDMI Switch box also. I can get several channels from the air antenna without messing with it. While being still on the road I have a loaner Direct-TV dish to use until we get back to Florida and have one installed on roof.

Problem is I have the sat aimed and plugged into coach, ran through SWM and through our Direct-TV DVR. It won't recognize the SWM nor let me configure the satellite. It is almost like by plugging it into the convenience center it won't let the signal come through the coach up to where the HDMI Switch box is.

One thing I found on my 37ND is if I connect my iPad into the HDMI switch the switch and TVs will not pick up the iPad screen until I turn on the DVD player. Once the DVD player is on and selected I can then re-select input 2 (iPad) and it will be displayed on the television(s). Once the iPad is displayed I can then turn off the DVD player.

Don't ask why because I do not know the answer, I just know that is what I have to do to view a movie from Amazon downloaded to my iPad.

Joe-FL · 09-15-2016, 12:50 PM

As per a suggestion on another post, I contacted Thor and Customer Care emailed me all the production drawings for my coach. I probably printed over 30 pages and there were several pages dedicated to the TV's and HDMI switch box wiring.

I will make another run at it in a couple weeks. If I still have issues I will have one of my 10 or 12 year old grandsons stop by and figure it out!

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