As Duugg implied, the secret of successful PIP is to get the TV to switch the audio for you when you press the SWAP button. The trick is to wire the audio of your PIP sources in series, yet have each video source feed to the TV independently. I just recently got my PIP working well, and with the help of my MX-500, it's a piece of cake, and has a high FAF (Fiance Acceptance Factor). It's now so intuitive that I actually use the PIP! I'll describe the parts of my setup that are relevant to PIP. I use a digital cable box (DCB) and a Panasonic TV. My TV has three inputs: ANT, VideoIn1/AudioIn1, VideoIn2/AudioIn2. Each of these has discrete codes, which are used in device switching macros later. The TV also has AudioOut, which is also key.

VIDEO WIRING:
Coax from the wall is split, feeding TV Ant and the DCB.
Composite video from DCB to TV VideoIn2.

AUDIO WIRING:
DCB AudioOut to the TV AudioIn2.
TV AudioOut to preamp AudioIn1.
The TV speakers are set to "Off" using the TV setup menu and are never used.
>>>The audio out is now in series, from DCB to TV to preamp AudioIn1.

The MX-500 has the TV and the DCB set up as two separate components (TV and CABLE), so you can use either tuner independently. To watch cable, select CABLE from the MX-500 main menu (one-second press), and a macro switches the TV to TV VideoIn2 and switches preamp to AudioIn1. The DCB audio PASSES THROUGH the TV to the preamp. To watch TV, select TV from the MX-500 main menu (one-second press), and a macro switches the TV to ANT (direct cable feed from the wall) and switches the preamp to AudioIn1.

Side Note: So why bother setting up both TV and CABLE devices on the remote if you always watch digital cable channels? My JVC VCR has an IR emitter to control the DCB for timed recording, including premium channels, and the cable box coax feeds the VCR. If I'm recording HBO (cable box required), but I also want to watch non-premium channels at the same time, I use the TV device. Watch one show, record another.

So what about PIP? Say you are watching the DCB as the main source on the TV (video to TV VideoIn2, Audio passing through TV to Preamp). Hit the PIP button, and the ANT source displays in the PIP window. And now the payoff: Press SWAP, and the TV will switch ANT to be the main picture, and puts TV VideoIn2 (DCB) into the PIP, AND THE AUDIO FOR ANT IS NOW PASSING TO THE PREAMP INSTEAD OF THE AUDIO FOR TV VIDEOIN2 (DCB)!!!

To make all of this intuitive, I programmed the first page of the MX-500 CABLE device with all of the standard PIP commands: PIP, SWAP, MOVE, SIZE. I added a PIP> button, which cycles through the TV video sources, so you can change what is showing in the PIP window if it gets out of sync, or if you want to select the DVD or VCR on TV VideoIn1. I also added two buttons on the LCD in the CABLE device to change the TV channels (<< TV and TV >>). This allows you to change the PIP channel (when PIP=ANT) without having to go to another MX-500 device, since the channel up/down and 0-9 on the CABLE device all control the DCB.

You could, in theory, "daisy chain" the audio of several devices together: Cable box to VCR to DVD to TV to preamp/receiver, and get the same effect. (Yes, the audio quality could suffer; I said "in theory"!) Just make sure that the video out of each device has it's own input on the TV. The MX-500 is invaluable in this application, since it allows you to send a macro when changing devices, thus being able to select the right audio on the preamp/receiver, and the right video on the TV.

Try it out; feedback is welcome!

Scott



This message was edited by Scott in CO on 05/02/02 14:47.38.