# Using a 612 on two TVs... Dish told me it was possible... but is it really?



## eaeskywalk (Apr 6, 2010)

I hope you'll forgive me coming in here, a newbie to the forum and asking for help... but I have a problem I haven't been able to solve, and judging on what I've seen on these boards, I feel there are people here smarter than myself who may be able to shed some light!

I recently signed up for Dish Network. I have two TVs, and what I wanted was a dual DVR that would be set up with my main television in the living room, but could be accessed by the TV in my bedroom. It's my understanding that the second TV would SD, which I would be fine with, even though both TVs are HD.

What I got was a VIP612 in the living room and a VIP211K in the bedroom. When I got the email saying this is what would be installed I called Dish Network to confirm that the equipment they were setting me up with would support the two TV set up I wanted (the model type "solo DVR" worried me). They assured me it would. We checked again with the technician that actually installed the equipment. He said that once we hooked our receivers up to the internet we would be able to access the DVR from the second TV.

Well, as I was worried would happen, we have done so and we still cannot access the DVR from the bedroom TV. I'm feeling quite frustrated with the whole situation. I was specific in my request that this is what I wanted when I called to set up service, when I called to confirm what was being set up, and a third time when the technician was actually at my house.

Everything I see on the Dish Network website tells me that the 612 cannot be hooked up to two TVs. But because I was told so many times it would work, I wonder if I'm missing something obvious. I don't want to call Dish Network to ask them why, after I asked so many times, I was given a setup that won't support what I wanted if it actually WILL and I just don't know how. 

Is anyone aware of a way that I could set my system up so that programs recorded on the 612 DVR in the living room can be viewed on the bedroom television?

Any help would be much appreciated.  Thank you!


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## peano (Feb 1, 2004)

You need a 622 or 722 or 722k to do what you want.


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## dewzan (Nov 7, 2009)

yes you can but realize you can't watch 2 different programs, both will show the same thing. the easiest way is to hook up the tv next to the receiver with an HDMI cable, then hook the other tv using a component cable. I have had good luck with NXG cables from radioshack.com. all outputs on VIP series receivers are live and can be used simultaneously.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

What confuses people is the lack of a graphic to explain it as follows:










*All outputs are hot offering the same TV program.
HDMI = 1st TV HD
Components with Digital Audio = 2nd TV HD
S-Video or RCA Video with RCA Audio = 3rd TV SD
RF Coax = 4th TV SD plus any other TV on the coax system
*
​


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

As phrelin point out, all the outputs on the receiver are on, so you can hook up multiple TVs to the same receiver, but of course, you won't have independent channel/output control. All TVs would have to watch the same thing.

The 612 and 211 are both "Solo" HD receivers designed to run 1 TV. The "Duo" 722 is an HD-DVR designed to run 2 TVs, sharing the DVR content but having independent control of the 2 separate sets of outputs (as you noted, the TV2 output is SD-only).

You obviously wanted a 722 and didn't get it. You have 3 days from activation to get these types of mistakes corrected, so call immediately!


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## Apollo182 (Jun 8, 2010)

this message is mostly for phrelin, but if anyone else can help that would be great. I am looking for a dish receiver that will allow me to display one output on a HDTV and output a second signal(HD - component or RF coax) to a personal DVR for my Mac MINI. I like to keep some shows for personal use in iTunes for all of my i devices. is this possible?


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## langlin (Apr 8, 2005)

One nice thing about the ViP612 is that you can have a 4x3 aspect ratio on the rf feed to a second tv while keeping the 16x9 on the HDMI output. You can't do that with the 622/722 receivers.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

langlin said:


> One nice thing about the ViP612 is that you can have a 4x3 aspect ratio on the rf feed to a second tv while keeping the 16x9 on the HDMI output. You can't do that with the 622/722 receivers.


Really? My 622 has TV 2 RF feed is showing 4 X 3 while TV 1 is 16 X 9. If you mean the same program feed as TV 1 in shared mode you may be right (I never checked), but as long as it's a DUO DVR the TV 2 feed is 4 X 3 by default.


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