# HDMI Splitter & TiVo Bolt



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

I've searched and found several threads about splitters, but didn't find one that specifically addressed my issue.

So I just took advantage of the Premiere to Bolt upgrade. My current Premiere is using component video with digital audio going to my TV. I am also using HDMI going to my Onkyo receiver. I do this so I don't need to have the receiver on all the time I'm watching TV. I would like to retain this flexibility with the Bolt, but since it doesn't have component video I'm wondering if I can just get a HDMI splitter and send one signal to the receiver and one to the TV. But I guess what I don't know is if the receiver is not on will the HDMI to the TV work properly.

If this will work, any recommendations on HDMI splitters?

Is there another configuration option I may be overlooking/missing that would still give me the flexibility to watch TV connected directly to the TV or through the receiver?

Thanks!
Josh


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

It most likely WILL work.

-KP


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

Ok, thanks. I'll do a little research on splitters to find one that will suit my needs.


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Don't be too cheap.

The Sewell's are pretty easy to find and not too expensive and I've seen them work well.

-KP


----------



## tamathat (Sep 11, 2011)

Does your Onkyo receive Optical digital (toslink) cable? Would be a lot cheaper than hdmi splitter


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

HDMI audio and Toslink audio are not equal in quality.

-KP


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

I've narrowed down my search to these two. The less expensive one had good reviews on Amazon and was reviewed a lot. The more expensive one had good reviews, but less reviews. I can't tell from the specs alone what is different between them. The specs look the same. I've emailed the company to see what they say. I'll report back when I find out.

The only thing about these is they are not HDMI 2.0 compliant, just 1.4b. The Bolt is 2.0 compliant. I debated on getting a 2.0 compliant splitter, but none of my devices or cables other than my Bolt are 2.0 compliant. Plus these had better/more reviews then the 2.0 splitters I saw.

J-Tech Digital ® Premium Quality 2 Ports HDMI v1.4 1x2 Powered Splitter with UltraHD 4Kx2K

J-Tech Digital JTD-MINI0102/4k 2 Port 1x2 Powered Super Mini Splitter Supports Ultra HD 4K Resolution and 3D


----------



## NoVa (Feb 26, 2006)

kpeters59 said:


> HDMI audio and Toslink audio are not equal in quality.
> 
> -KP


I use the Toslink setup for my TV & HDMI for my receiver.
Reason being that TV speakers sucks for the most part so for watching news, sitcoms - Tolslink is more than suffiice & @$5-10 - is plug & play.


----------



## tamathat (Sep 11, 2011)

NoVa said:


> I use the Toslink setup for my TV & HDMI for my receiver.
> Reason being that TV speakers sucks for the most part so for watching news, sitcoms - Tolslink is more than suffiice & @$5-10 - is plug & play.


I use Toslink too and have had no issues, very stable. In fact I prefer it because it automatically turns my surround system off and on when I power the tv. No need to ever use the surround remote.


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

just to be clear, do hdmi splitters work TiVo bolt? I am trying to output the bolt signal to two different TV's. I have tried 2 different cheap splitters so far. what I get is a picture on each tv for 3 seconds, then it switches to tv snow and then back to a picture and so on. it is a powered splitter.


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Is there any other information you might be able to provide?

-KP


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

what else would you like to know


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

before the new bolt I used the premiere with the component for one and the hdmi for the other, worked fine


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Well, it might be helpful if we knew what model HDMI Splitter. Cable lengths. TiVo output resolution. TV make model...anything more than nothing would be good...

The Snow you're describing is a handshake issue.

-KP


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

SOWTECH 1X2 HDMI Splitter Version 1.4 Powered HDMI Splitter Dual Monitor HDMI Splitter for Full HD 1080P Support 3D (One Input To Two Outputs) 
1 cable 6 feet, other @15 ft, tv resolution both 750p one Viseo, one Magnavox, no more than 4 years old


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

HDMI Splitter & TiVo Bolt ?

-KP


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

the other splitter was a famirosa, I believe it is also a Sowtech, thanks for the help


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Does a different device work? Blu-Ray? Roku?

-KP


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

I saw the Sewell post from @ 10 years ago, do you know if they still work?


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

I only hooked up a laptop and it did work


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

I don't know.

I think there's over a million, billion splitters available.

You'll probably need to drill down through the reviews...

-KP


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

john brady said:


> I only hooked up a laptop and it did work


With the same cables?

What output resolution is the Laptop outputting?

-KP


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

same cables, 1080, I did set the TiVo output to 720 still not working


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

I would suspect it's because the Bolt uses HDMI 2.0 and that splitter only does 1.4...

-KP


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

I had thought it was backward compatible, I will contact TiVo to confirm and look for a 2.0 splitter and try that, thank you for your insight. I will report back with the results
JB


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

An update on things, I asked received feedback on the difference between the two splitters I mention in this post.

The company said that the guts are pretty much the same and just manufactured from different manufactures. The main difference is cosmetic. I went with the JTD-MINI0102/4K on Amazon for $17.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TJ6QVPE

It was supposed to be delivered today, but didn't make it. Once I get it and test it out I'll report back whether it functions as I would expect.

Josh


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

I don't see where that's HDMI 2.0 either?

-KP


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

https://support.tivo.com/articles/Features_Use/4K-UHD-Resolution


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

It's 1.4b. If you have the TV and HDMI cables to support [email protected]/60 then yes look for a 2.0 splitter. I don't have a 4K TV or HDMI cables so for me this will work as long as it splits the signal and works as expected.

Josh


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Yeah, but you DO have an HDMI 2.0 Bolt...

-KP


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

This is true


----------



## john brady (Oct 5, 2017)

Many thanks to KP
got a HDMI 2.0 splitter and it worked. I now have my Tivo Bolt displaying on 2 separate TV with sound.
Thanks for the help
Link to splitter below
John

Sewell Direct SplitDeck, 1x2, 4K HDMI Splitter - Supports full HD, 3D, HDR signals, [email protected] (One Input to Two Outputs)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K0B205G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

I got the splitter yesterday and everything works great! It is pretty small. I've attached some pictures.

Josh


----------



## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

Legacy777 said:


> I got the splitter yesterday and everything works great! It is pretty small. I've attached some pictures.


Curious, does it strip HDCP?


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

I've sure never seen any that do.

I've heard you can 'find' HDCP strippers, but nothing 'mainstream'.

-KP


----------



## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

kpeters59 said:


> I've sure never seen any that do.
> 
> I've heard you can 'find' HDCP strippers, but nothing 'mainstream'.


Earlier versions of that model did strip HDCP. I was wondering about current versions.

Sometimes TiVo users use the HDMI splitters to work around HDMI/HDCP bugs in the TiVo software.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

All the splitters I've tried strip HDCP.


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

sfhub said:


> Curious, does it strip HDCP?


Is there a way for me to check?


----------



## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

Legacy777 said:


> Is there a way for me to check?


I'm sure there are many ways to check. If I were to check, with the equipment I have, I would connect an HDMI to DVI cable to one of the splits and connect to computer monitor that didn't have HDCP support. Set the TiVo to output 720p. See if a picure shows up.


----------



## Legacy777 (Sep 11, 2008)

sfhub said:


> I'm sure there are many ways to check. If I were to check, with the equipment I have, I would connect an HDMI to DVI cable to one of the splits and connect to computer monitor that didn't have HDCP support. Set the TiVo to output 720p. See if a picure shows up.


Ok thanks. Unfortunately I don't have all that equipment. I'll have to check the spare cables I have at work to see if I have something that would work.


----------



## MrPlastic (Apr 27, 2008)

I recently purchased a HDMI Splitter SIIG that supports HDMI 2.0 and it looks like their top of the line, but when I use it with my Bolt + I get a unsupported content message. I can get it to work on a 4K set in the ARC port but otherwise it doesn't work. I contacted Tivo support and they stipulate that they don't support a splitter. So I was hoping before I purchase a different one some one might confirm that their model currently works & on an older set without ARC.

SIIG Premium 4K 60HZ HDR 1x2 HDMI Splitter with EDID - 18Gbps - HDMI 2.0 - HDCP 2.2 - Aluminum Housing - 1 in and 2 out - New Arrivals - AV PRODUCTS

Is the model I currently have so I was thinking either the Sewell or the JTech that people had posted working would be the logical selection.


----------



## A J Ricaud (Jun 25, 2002)

Some TVs only support HDCP ver. 2.2 on 1 of their HDMI ports. Maybe yours is one of them?


----------



## MrPlastic (Apr 27, 2008)

So if the Sewell or JTech brand strips the HDCP ver 2.2 that wouldn't be an issue...


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

I've read this thread and believe I have a similar requirement.

1) How do I set the TiVo to 720p?

2) Would any of the suggestions solve the below - 1020p defaulting to 720p because of the 720p analog converter?


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Why wouldn't you just use the analog output on the TiVo?

-KP


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

kpeters59 said:


> Why wouldn't you just use the analog output on the TiVo?
> -KP


Perhaps because this is Bolt thread and the OP has a Bolt? If it was a Roamio I would also mention that the two televisions should not be within hearing range since the A/V output is not in sync with the HDMI output.


----------



## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

The 3.5mm jack on the back of the Bolt is audio only? That caught me off-guard...

Ooppss...

-KP


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

kpeters59 said:


> Why wouldn't you just use the analog output on the TiVo?
> 
> -KP


Excellent question! I am currently using the analog connector on the TiVo. But... 20% of the time the video will not sync-up. I use sync-up because... If I flip up/down the channels from the un-sync'd channel... It most of the times is will sync back up.

I'd be perfectly happy using TiVo's analog connectors if I could depend on it working 100% of the time.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

CCinPA said:


> Excellent question! I am currently using the analog connector on the TiVo. But... 20% of the time the video will not sync-up. I use sync-up because... If I flip up/down the channels from the un-sync'd channel... It most of the times is will sync back up.
> I'd be perfectly happy using TiVo's analog connectors if I could depend on it working 100% of the time.


I thought you were using a Bolt? Are we missing something?

I can understand if you mean that the audio output doesn't sync with the HDMI output.


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

My bad for not clarifying... I have a Big TiVo T6.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

How to connected 2nd TV to TiVo box?


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

JoeKustra said:


> I thought you were using a Bolt? Are we missing something?
> 
> I can understand if you mean that the audio output doesn't sync with the HDMI output.


Actually... With the HDMI splitter I get neither audio or video to the converter.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Sorry, after reading the other thread I can't help. Also, I don't have a Bolt. With a Roamio, the A/V output is never in sync with the HDMI. I use both in the summer.


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

JoeKustra said:


> How to connected 2nd TV to TiVo box?


Reading now...


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

JoeKustra said:


> How to connected 2nd TV to TiVo box?


 I'm aware of this thread... I kind-of started it!  I was provided a number of theories... But not a specific solution.

It was suggested I read this thread... Seems I'm stuck...


----------



## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

I also want to split the output of my Bolt but the TV's have different resolutions. One is a 4K and the other is not. From all the reviews that I have read the splitter will output the lowest resolution of the two TV's connected to it. So I would not get a 4K UHD 3D HD signal going to the 4K TV.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

An HDMI splitter sends the same signal to both outputs. If the two TVs are showing a different resolution it is because one or both of the TVs is either up-scaling or down-scaling. You probably don't have a TV that will down-scale a 4k signal; I don't know if there is such a beast, and I there was, I would buy a 4k TV instead.

Who the heck is transmitting a 4k 3D signal?


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

ej42137 said:


> An HDMI splitter sends the same signal to both outputs. If the two TVs are showing a different resolution it is because one or both of the TVs is either up-scaling or down-scaling. You probably don't have a TV that will down-scale a 4k signal; I don't know if there is such a beast, and I there was, I would buy a 4k TV instead.
> 
> Who the heck is transmitting a 4k 3D signal?


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

It seems I may have found a solution:


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

CCinPA said:


> It seems I may have found a solution:


That's a very expensive solution at $400 or higher.


----------



## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

OK I just bought this splitter from Amazon and it does just what I needed. I am sending the signal to two different resolution TV's and they are each getting the correct resolutions. The lower HD TV does not cause the 4K to lower to the same resolution of the HD TV.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUMJRLY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## CCinPA (May 29, 2016)

SNJpage1 said:


> OK I just bought this splitter from Amazon and it does just what I needed.
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUMJRLY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I am glad you found something that will work for you! Unfortunately, it sounds like it may not be a solution for me:

*##- Please type your reply above this line -##
RE: 
J-Tech Digital JTD0102/4K J-Digital Most Advanced 2 Ports HDMI 1X2 Powered Splitter, Support Ultra HD 4K 3840 A 2160 Resolution and 3D

Your request (48804) has been updated. To add additional comments, reply to this email.










Qousey (J-Tech Digital)

Mar 13, 09:03 CDT

Hello,

When the input is 1080p, then the outputs are 1080p. It will not show on the 720p TV because the source is a higher resolution. The only way it will work is if you change the source signal to a 720p signal so both 1080p and 720p will display the image.

-

Best Regards,

Qousey
J-Tech Digital Support Team
12803 Park 1 Drive Sugarland, TX 77478
Tel: 832-886-4042
Email: [e-mail address removed]
Come see us at InfoComm 2018! - Booth C710












Crist D. Clapper

Mar 12, 19:29 CDT

Let me see if I understand&#8230; When input is 1080p&#8230; And the outputs are 1080p and 720p&#8230; As long as the 1080p output doesn't down-speed to 720p&#8230; Would this work for me? *


----------



## m.s (Mar 8, 2007)

Most HDMI splitter won't re-scale. So, if you want the signal to go everywhere, you have to send the Least Common Denominator - a signal which all the display devices can deal with.


----------



## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

m.s said:


> Most HDMI splitter won't re-scale. So, if you want the signal to go everywhere, you have to send the Least Common Denominator - a signal which all the display devices can deal with.


Exactly. Which is why I can't get my head around this post:



SNJpage1 said:


> OK I just bought this splitter from Amazon and it does just what I needed. I am sending the signal to two different resolution TV's and they are each getting the correct resolutions. The lower HD TV does not cause the 4K to lower to the same resolution of the HD TV.
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUMJRLY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Are you saying you are getting HD (1080p or lower) on one TV and 4k on another TV *at the same time*? This would be a first for a splitter, as every other splitter at that price point will not include a scaler to down sample the 4k to HD for a lower resolution TV on one of the outputs. Typically the TV with the lowest common denominator dictates the resolution and audio outputs for all TV's on the splitter. It would be more likely (but still very unusual) that you can only watch one TV at a time if you want the 4k TV to get 4k.

Please get back to us on that as I am very interested to hear your confirmation.

Thanks,
craigr


----------



## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

CCinPA said:


> I am glad you found something that will work for you! Unfortunately, it sounds like it may not be a solution for me:
> 
> *##- Please type your reply above this line -##
> RE:
> ...


If you have a TV on the splitter that only supports 720p and no higher, than you would need to set the TiVo to 720p for both TV's to work. The 1080p TV will get a 720p signal and work and the the 720p TV will get a 720p signal and work. If you set the TiVo to 1080p the 720p TV will not work.

craigr


----------



## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

Might not some tvs take that 1080p and downrez to the tv's native format, allowing the 1080p tv to get full HD?


----------



## CIR-Engineering (Sep 24, 2017)

mattyro7878 said:


> Might not some tvs take that 1080p and downrez to the tv's native format, allowing the 1080p tv to get full HD?


Sure, there are plenty of TV's with a native resolution below 1080p that will still accept 1080p and downrez the signal to match the TV's native resolution. This includes 720p and 480p TV's, as well as anything below 1080. Many TV's will do that.

I should have been more clear, but it was late and I was thinking of a 720p TV that could not accept signals above 720p.

There are also older HDTV's that can only accept 1080i and cannot accept 1080p or 720p (Mitsubishi mostly).

craigr


----------

