How Do I Set Up Multiple TVs?
The parts to do this will be available at most online retailers and stores with an electronics section. You’ll only need cables and a signal splitter. If you have a clear line of sight between the two TVs that’s unlikely to be broken, consider using a wireless transmitter to keep cable tangles to a minimum.
Why Set up Multiple TVs in the Same Space?
There are a couple of reasons you might consider doing this at home. One is that it gives you more ports to connect other signal sources to, so for example, you could set up a private gaming area on one side of the room for when others want to watch TV instead while setting both TVs to your cable box when the game’s on, and guests are over.
In other cases, you might want to stream a specific video, like a baby monitor or security camera, to locations all over your house without checking your phone constantly. It can also be an excellent way to monitor what children watch without walking back into the room.
Troubleshooting Multiple TVs
Once your TVs are up and running, there are a few common problems you’ll likely need to resolve.
Control
Most remote controls still use infrared “blasters” to send commands, which viewers must point directly at the signal source. This setup can be inconvenient among multiple TVs.
For streaming boxes connected to your Wi-Fi, use a remote app on your phone or your tablet. For cable boxes, consider relocating the box to a convenient place to point your remote during parties or upgrading to a universal remote that uses voice commands or Wi-Fi to control your TV. You also might want to consider “pairing” your remote with each TV so you can tweak individual settings without needing to find a specific remote.
Poor Video Quality
Especially over very long distances, 25 feet or more, you may notice a drop in video quality. A signal will degrade as it travels over a cable due to the material’s resistance in the cable itself.
Optical HDMI cables will offer lower resistance for distances over 25 feet to 50 feet. Use active HDMI cables for distances of up to 100 feet. These amplify the signal using electronics built into the cable. For longer distances, use HDMI extenders. These are converters where you connect a short HDMI cable to your splitter and another to your receiver, connect the extenders to the cables, and then connect the two extenders using an Ethernet cable.
Delayed, Blaring, Or Muddy Audio
If you have both TVs in the same room, you might notice a slight delay between the two, that the audio is hard to discern, or just that it’s too much sound in too small a space.
In smaller spaces, mute one TV and use the other for sound. For larger spaces, connect a separate sound system to your signal source, such as a cinema audio system or a soundbar. You can also stream audio to multiple wireless speakers through a transmitter, allowing you to configure the audio setup to your liking.
