HDMI on hotel TVs

[Houten Kop]

Do the new-ish TVs that US hotels use, still have coaxial inputs?  (Surprise!)  I thought coaxial inputs stopped a decade or two ago!  I thought all new TVs had HDMI inputs, a few also had VGA, but none had coaxial.  Is it possible to get the required rate of data for digital TV down a coaxial cable?

 

I thought the approximate evolution of TV input cables was, in chronological order, coaxial, SCART, VGA, DVI, HDMI.  Coaxial is ancient isn't it?

Signals of cable companies are still transmitted through coaxial wires.

[Houten Kop]

This is what I do all the time.  Remember that connection via HDMI often leaves the image on the big screen in the wrong proportions (I think that can be fixed by adjusting the big screen, but can you be bothered to find out how to do it to a hotel TV?), and connection via VGA or DVI sends only the picture to the TV, so you need to have some solution for listening to the accompanying sound direct from the laptop, ie the laptop's own speaker (often poor quality), head/earphones (need long wire?) or an external speaker bluetoothed or jackplugged into the laptop.  It's worth practicing at home to make sure you have all the hardware working properly before you try it in a hotel, and probably take both HDMI and VGA cables in case one doesn't work or the TV doesn't have the inputs on the back you're expecting.

None of my television sets here in Thailand has VGA connections, but both my notebooks still have them.

Both my notebooks have HDMI connections, but only my newer LED Television has one.

That being said I cannot understand that a tourist to Thailand would want to be losing valuable time with that kind of stuff.

[SirL]

I cannot understand that a tourist to Thailand would want to be losing valuable time with that kind of stuff.

 

My next trip to Pattaya will be for a couple of months in a condo, and I'll be using the TV screen as a big PC monitor for work.   The problem with HDMI, as I wrote further up this thread, is that you often get black bars to the top/bottom or sides, or lose a small slice of the picture, which is very annoying if it's a document you're looking at.  I suggest taking both HDMI and VGA just to be covered so that one will work well.

[Houten Kop]

I travel for work (US and Canada) but have never tried using my laptop connected to the in-room TV. What got me thinking about it was my last trip to ac. Two weeks without English TV drive me batshit crazy.

Good idea. I have been taking advantage of the three day weekend, and have been playing with kodi and Spotify running on my laptop while connected to my big screen TV's HDMI port. I'm actually kinda liking it. I lose the tool bar on the bottom of the screen, and the first left-hand row of icons on the desktop. But I've used this configuration to watch a few movies, and it hasn't bothered me at all. I assume I can calibrate the screen to see the full desktop, but can't be bothered on this old rear projection tv. Maybe when I get a new 4k tv after this one burns out. (Besides, i can barely read text on my old 65" 1080p screen, but watching videos world's just fine, and I'm kinda picky about video/audio quality.)

In Pattaya hotels televisions usually are connected to a local cable company (such as Sophon or TMN) and those cable companies provide channels in English and many other languages.

[MrDK]

In that review you stated that there was a DVD player. Any chance it is connected to the TV via a HDMI cable that could be disconnected?

 

For convenience I have put that part of the review below.

 

Capture.JPG

 

 

I just read through your fantastic review, thanks!  You say it's difficult to access the extra ports.  Would I be correct in assuming I should bring an "L" adapter for the HDMI port so the cable doesn't stick straight out?  Something along the lies of this:  http://www.cablestogo.com/product/40999/hdmi-male-to-hdmi-female-90-down-adapter

I cannot remember if the DVD was HDMI or RCA.

I am fairly sure that an "L" connector will do the job ... going from memory.

[boxershrimp]

I cannot remember if the DVD was HDMI or RCA.

I am fairly sure that an "L" connector will do the job ... going from memory.

As I recall, the DVD was connected via RCA cables, and the HDMI port was on the side of the TV anyway.

But of course there's absolutely no guarantee that all the TVs and DVD players at China Garden are the same type.

 

An L type connector would be a good idea for any place actually, I should bring one next time. (But will most likely forget it. Again.)

[Houten Kop]

Both my notebooks do have HDMI and VGA connections.
My old television only has a coax and several RCA connections.
My new television has a coax connection, several RCA connections, an HDMI port, an HDMI/MHL port, a USB port and a headphone jack.
None of my televisions has a VGA port.
With a male-to-male HDMI cable of 1.8 or 5 metres I can connect both my notebooks to the HDMI/MHL port on my new television.
The other HDMI port does not seem to support this connection.

[Houten Kop]

 

 

 

I cannot remember if the DVD was HDMI or RCA.

I am fairly sure that an "L" connector will do the job ... going from memory.

My old DVD player only supports RCA, the new one supports RCA as well as HDMI.

[SirL]

Both my notebooks do have HDMI and VGA connections.

My old television only has a coax and several RCA connections.

My new television has a coax connection, several RCA connections, an HDMI port, an HDMI/MHL port, a USB port and a headphone jack.

None of my televisions has a VGA port.

With a male-to-male HDMI cable of 1.8 or 5 metres I can connect both my notebooks to the HDMI/MHL port on my new television.

The other HDMI port does not seem to support this connection.

 

I'm just suggesting that, if you really want to project your laptop screen onto the in-room TV and you think it's worth the hassle, you should take along multiple different cables so you're covered whatever inputs a hotel TV happens to have.  Of course it's kind of pot luck what inputs any room's TV will have, but you want to do your best to be covered whatever.  Laptops tend to have just HDMI and VGA at best(???) so taking those cables is the best you can do - maybe you should aim to take a cable for each output of your laptop?

 

You also want to think about how you're going to hear the soundtrack of eg a movie, and the answer might be a 5 metre headphone extension cable or an external speaker bluetoothed/jackplugged into the laptop.

[Scumbag]

Laptops tend to have just HDMI and VGA at best(???)

VGA is on its way out. Newer laptops are unlikely to have them now. My laptop only has HDMI and a DisplayPort.

[SirL]

VGA is on its way out. Newer laptops are unlikely to have them now. My laptop only has HDMI and a DisplayPort.

 

Agreed, but remember I did write "at best".  I expect far more Pattaya TVs have VGA than DisplayPorts, though, so maybe VGA gives a better chance of a match than DisplayPort?  My basic point is to ideally take a cable for each of the outputs of your laptop to give you the best chance of matching to a Pattaya TV input.

[maj_a_hole]

Update:  I checked into Areca Lodge last night, and have been messing with HDMI this morning. I wanted to update the thread with my findings (thus far.) So far HDMI is working great.  Keep in mind the following is based on a sample of one room in the hotel, and on my equipment. So YMMV. 

 

My setup:  Surface Pro (first model) w/ a 10' Mini Display Port -> HDMI cable, with Windows 10 and Kodi installed. I'm using "Private Internet Access" as my VPN.  

 

1. There are two easily-accessible HDMI ports on the back of the TV.  (along with the standard Red/Green/Blue and RCA connections.)

2. There is a standard LG-branded TV remote control (not a proprietary hotel chain remote) that allows the guest to change the input settings.

3. The sound works fine via the TV speakers.  My laptop recognized the following sound devices once I connected to HDMI: "LG TV", "LG HBS760 stereo" and "LG HBS760 Hands-Free" It took a few minutes of trial/error to get sound working, but it does work through the "LG TV" when set as the default device.

4. I have been able to watch programs using KODI via WiFi, but the connection has a tendency to drop at times. (Once the show starts, it seems to play well.)

 

If you have any questions today or tomorrow regarding Areca Lodge's HDMI settings, let me know.  I'll be moving hotels to China Garden on Thursday.  (And reviewing TV settings is NOT my primary reason for traveling half-way around the world.)

[Houten Kop]

Update:  I checked into Areca Lodge last night, and have been messing with HDMI this morning. I wanted to update the thread with my findings (thus far.) So far HDMI is working great.  Keep in mind the following is based on a sample of one room in the hotel, and on my equipment. So YMMV. 

 

My setup:  Surface Pro (first model) w/ a 10' Mini Display Port -> HDMI cable, with Windows 10 and Kodi installed. I'm using "Private Internet Access" as my VPN.  

 

1. There are two easily-accessible HDMI ports on the back of the TV.  (along with the standard Red/Green/Blue and RCA connections.)

2. There is a standard LG-branded TV remote control (not a proprietary hotel chain remote) that allows the guest to change the input settings.

3. The sound works fine via the TV speakers.  My laptop recognized the following sound devices once I connected to HDMI: "LG TV", "LG HBS760 stereo" and "LG HBS760 Hands-Free" It took a few minutes of trial/error to get sound working, but it does work through the "LG TV" when set as the default device.

4. I have been able to watch programs using KODI via WiFi, but the connection has a tendency to drop at times. (Once the show starts, it seems to play well.)

 

If you have any questions today or tomorrow regarding Areca Lodge's HDMI settings, let me know.  I'll be moving hotels to China Garden on Thursday.  (And reviewing TV settings is NOT my primary reason for traveling half-way around the world.)

Most modern televisions have two HDMI ports, one marked HDMI and one marked HDMI MHL.

You should use the HDMI MHL one, the other one is meant to be connected to a DVD player.

[Scumbag]

Most modern televisions have two HDMI ports, one marked HDMI and one marked HDMI MHL.

You should use the HDMI MHL one, the other one is meant to be connected to a DVD player.

MHL = Mobile High-Definition Link and it is way of connecting a mobile phone to a HDMI port on a TV. As far as I know all HDMI ports on TVs are capable of doing the same as all the others. If a port is labeled as such I suspect the MHL part is the name of the port when the RV lists the available sources.

[maj_a_hole]

Currently staying at Palm Plaza in Malate, Manila. HDMI working great here, too. I'm never traveling without my HDMI cable and a laptop full of movies/shows again!

 

Unintended side benefit... when I have my laptop connected and the TV set to HDMI, the girls haven't tried to fuck with the TV once. Now if I could just get a cell phone jammer for my laptop bag...

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Scumbag]

I remember someone mentioning earlier about non-standard remote controls. If you come across a hotel that has their own remotes (I have never found one) and you have something other than an iPhone you are likely to have an infra-red transmitter on your phone. You can download an app to act like a standard TV remote.

[singalong]

Just to confirm that the TVs at The Stay in Soi 10 support an HDMI input from a MacBook...

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[maj_a_hole]

I checked into April Suites this Wednesday after returning from Manila and spent a bit less than an hour trying to get HDMI working.  Physical access to the HDMI port was difficult due to the way the TV was bolted against the wall. There where two HDMI ports, but one was obstructed by the coaxial cable which used an "L" bracket to connect. This partially covered the first HDMI port.  With only a few scrapes and bruises I was able to get my cable plugged in to the second HDMI port. (It was a straight-shot into the TV, no L bracket required. But the TV was mounted close against the wall, and all of the cable connections were located about center mass of the TV.

 

The remote control provided simple access to the input connection menu but selecting HDMI (1 or 2) did not work.  No signal found" after several reboots and "Project Screen" setting changes.  (It's possible I did not get the HDMI cable plugged in fully due to the challenge of the wall mounting, but I believe I had a good firm connection.)  When I tried to look deeper into the TV settings menu, the menu was set to Chinese characters.  I was able to locate the Language setting, but for some reason English was not available to be selected.  (Plenty of Vietnamese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, etc... options, but no English.)

 

I finally gave up.  I may have been having some kind of moron user error, or may have been a bad TV in the room. (Room 610, by the way.) I suspect maintenance would not have put much effort into resolving, and I didn't want to spend more than a half-hour trying to get it to work anyway.  I just called it "Broke" and moved on.

 

 

Areca Lodge - No issues getting physical access to the HDMI port, and the remote worked fine.  

China Garden - No issues getting physical access to the HDMI port, and the remote worked fine.  

Palm Plaza (Malate Manila) - Getting physical access to HDMI port required using an "L" bracket due to wall mount configuration.  Remote/TV worked fine.

April Suites - No success.  Getting physical access tot he HDMI port difficult due to wall mount. TV did not recognize HDMI signal.

[Luv2Phuket]

Just wanted to check back in and say "THANKS!"

 

After reading this thread, I bought a 10 foot HDMI cable to toss into my travel back.  I took it with me to rural Alabama this week (visiting sick relative), and it was GREAT in the room -- used hotel wifi to stream Netflix and Amazon Prime videos.

 

The Netflix was via my nephew's subscription, but Amazon Prime is mine.  Am I going to need a VPN to get Amazon Prime (or Hulu) to work while I am in Thailand?  

 

I seriously doubt that I will use either of them while in Thailand -- I'm more focused on using the HDMI cable to stream my Slingbox to the TV in my room (which means I can watch my beloved NFL and college football on a much bigger screen than my laptop).  Just curious as to whether or not they will work....

[singalong]

No experience web Prime/Hulu but with spotify you must need the VPN to sign in. After that you can use it without the VPN as long as you remain signed in...

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[bknight102]

There are multiple ways around the HDMI block as well as ip address for foreign countries as well  

[Loom]

In most US hotel chains, the HDMI port on TVs are disabled or not accessible to mortal humans. (Or I'm not smart enough to get them working.) I would like to connect a chromecast, or my laptop via an HDMI cable to the hotel TV so I can stream Netflix or movies saved on my laptop during downtime.

 

Does anyone know if TVs (and remote controls) at Areca Lodge and China Garden will accommodate a third party HDMI connection?

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

Yes, I played my PS4 and hooked my computer up with HDMI in Areca, Nova Gold, AtMind.

I havent read the entire thread here though... 

[MONOCHROMEMAN]

I did connect a tablet via HDMI cable to the telly in my room to watch films in Areca Lodge when I stayed there.

 

Can't comment on a Chromecast.

What tablet did u use out of interest?

[dirkdeee]

What tablet did u use out of interest?

I think you need to check whether tablet has something like a mini hdmi port then the appropriate cable.  My Asus tablet had this and I have used to successfully connect to TV.  So TV box, laptop or tablet are all options.