# Purpose of the video/audio input on 921?



## Danny R (Jul 5, 2002)

How does the composite video/audio input work?

I'm assuming it does NOT allow one to record since the unit doesn't have an mpeg encoder. 

Thus does this pass any inputed video through one of the composite outputs when the 921 is turned off, or is there a bypass function that can be selected?

Is it used for Picture in Picture?

It would be really cool if this input could be used to upgrade any signal coming in and output it via the component outputs, but wouldn't that require the same hardware as is needed to record an analog signal?


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

All it does is pass through the signal to channel 0 on your guide. You can't record anything, but it is a way to play a game machine if you have run out of inputs on your TV or A/V receiver.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

It is the same as the front panel input on the 721. It comes in handy if you want to quickly hook up a camcorder or other video device.


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

Does it have a Mic jack like the 721?
I have always wondered just why that was included. It really makes no sense


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

Big Bob said:


> Does it have a Mic jack like the 721?
> I have always wondered just why that was included.


I was told that at one time they had plans for using it for "future internet features" but couldn't get any more details than that. My guess would be for some feature like voice e-mail.

I really doubt that we will see any internet features on the 721 so it is likely that we will never see that connection used. I notice that they are not saying anything about internet access on the 921 so I would guess that internet access is dead on the x21 receivers.


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

I'm not 100% sure on this, But....

I thought it was mentioned on the Tech chat that the box could upconvert the input to DVI. It's needed because the new E* (RCA) Hi-Def monitors have ONLY a DVI input.


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

I don't know if Daves right, but he sure makes a good point.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Bill R said:


> I was told that at one time they had plans for using it for "future internet features" but couldn't get any more details than that. My guess would be for some feature like voice e-mail.
> 
> I really doubt that we will see any internet features on the 721 so it is likely that we will never see that connection used. I notice that they are not saying anything about internet access on the 921 so I would guess that internet access is dead on the x21 receivers.


Only 10% of the Dishplayer folks used the WebTV functions in it's heyday 2-3 years ago, so I don't think it is any great loss. I wonder how many of that receiver's problems were due to the box trying to do "too much" from a resource standpoint. I did like viewing some static webpages with the WebTV service, but I only used once every month or so.


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## md_paul (Jan 21, 2003)

The 721 does allow the composite video input on the front to be viewed on all available output formats on the back (S-Video, Composite , & RF) while watching channel 0, so it is doing a little more than just passing the video through the receiver from the front to the back like a switch. I can hope that the 921 will do the same for all it's available output formats.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I seem to remember that one of the tech chats mentioned some limitation with the video output of the 921, where it could only output EITHER SD or HD at any one time. It wasn't able to output both simultaneously.

That would explain the button on the 921 remote which seems to toggle back and forth between the two.


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

Remember too that the 721 "converts" analog audio to PCM for output via the optical out... That's a neat feature.


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## krazy k (Apr 27, 2003)

the big thing that needs to work is the fire wire output, to record hd to d-vhs tape.
krazy clark Kent


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