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Hotel disabled HDMI input for TV?

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Old Feb 26, 2012, 6:21 am
  #1  
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Hotel disabled HDMI input for TV?

Mr. Nacho and I stayed at Hamburg Marriott, and we brought our own laptop for movies. We brought our HDMI cable to connect to the TV (we checked beforehand that they have LCD there).

We plugged in the cable but not able to change to HDMI. We could do it at CY Hamburg.

I wonder if Marriott tries to block people to use their TV to watch movie?
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 6:23 am
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If you press "0" on the Marriott remote a few times it tends to switch the input ports and allow HDMI. This doesn't work in all instances.
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 7:10 am
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Originally Posted by nacho
Mr. Nacho and I stayed at Hamburg Marriott, and we brought our own laptop for movies. We brought our HDMI cable to connect to the TV (we checked beforehand that they have LCD there).

We plugged in the cable but not able to change to HDMI. We could do it at CY Hamburg.

I wonder if Marriott tries to block people to use their TV to watch movie?
i have faced similar issues at many marriot hotels all over the US. in general i have found that FS marriotts have TVs that are modified to not accept any direct inputs, although some will have a collection of inputs on the desk that can be used.

other brands, in particular springhill suits, have TVs that you can plug things into.

i have not been able to discover a universal rule for which hotels that have TVs that you can plug items into. it seems to not only vary by brand, but also location.
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 8:38 am
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I do not know what the official technical term for this is, but I called it bypass mode myself. This issue happened 80% for all my hotel stays in Canada. My trick for that is unplug the cable that look like a telephone cord in the back of the TV (if you can reach it) That cord seems to be what required for the hotel system to control the TV. Once it is removed, the hotel TV remote do not work anymore in some cases. Then I use the button(s) on the side of the TV to change my channel.

Hope this help at your hotels.
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 10:29 am
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Originally Posted by nacho
I wonder if Marriott tries to block people to use their TV to watch movie?
Of course but its not limited to Marriott, its just general greed built into the Lodging system.

Used to travel with little kid hockey teams for years who would drag X-Boxes, Play Stations and what not to pass the time between games (and give parents a break over 3 day weekends. Many times the TV's wouldn't allow inputs or be blocked off in some manner and I had to visit a local Best Buy to get a TV.
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 2:46 pm
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The Los Suenos Marriott in Costa Rica had the HDMI ports disabled as well. Really annoying as I was traveling with young kids.
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 2:51 pm
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Originally Posted by nacho
I wonder if Marriott tries to block people to use their TV to watch movie?
Hotel Entertainment Providers do often times deactivate inputs on TV's which is why MI is installing the "jack packs" in hotels these days allowing guests to plug their laptops into the entertainment systems
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 2:52 pm
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Originally Posted by joshua362
Of course but its not limited to Marriott, its just general greed built into the Lodging system.
Actually it's to ensure the system works properly for the next guest in the room (not saying I'm not with you guys in plugging my laptop in these days - I wish more hotels had the jack packs in them)
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 3:15 pm
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Originally Posted by socrates
Actually it's to ensure the system works properly for the next guest in the room (not saying I'm not with you guys in plugging my laptop in these days - I wish more hotels had the jack packs in them)
Thanks for the clarification, my cynical mind always defaults to making things as difficult for the traveler in order to get as much $$ as possible...
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Old Feb 26, 2012, 5:07 pm
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Originally Posted by joshua362
Thanks for the clarification, my cynical mind always defaults to making things as difficult for the traveler in order to get as much $$ as possible...
Especially if you have kids sitting down on a couch with pop corn in their hands, waiting for a movie to start but then the laptop can't be connected to the big screen TV. You can either put it on a small laptop screen or pay the hotel for Movie channels.
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Old Feb 27, 2012, 10:29 am
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Originally Posted by socrates
Hotel Entertainment Providers do often times deactivate inputs on TV's which is why MI is installing the "jack packs" in hotels these days allowing guests to plug their laptops into the entertainment systems
That's great if and when the jack packs work... I have run across any number of Marriott properties where the jack packs are worthless.
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Old Feb 27, 2012, 11:16 am
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Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer
That's great if and when the jack packs work... I have run across any number of Marriott properties where the jack packs are worthless.
The jack pack at CY HK doesn't even have a HDMI port Can you use USB cable connecting a TV and a laptop to watch movie?
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Old Feb 27, 2012, 11:57 am
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Originally Posted by joshua362
Of course but its not limited to Marriott, its just general greed built into the Lodging system.
I hate it when they hold a gun to my head and make me watch their pay-per-view movies...
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Old Feb 27, 2012, 1:10 pm
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Originally Posted by Old Hickory
I hate it when they hold a gun to my head and make me watch their pay-per-view movies...
Well if you have small kids itching for a movie or to play video games to give you a few moments of peace, and the hotel has restricted its TV in some manner, on purpose, you just might call it extortion...

Not to mention you've dragged all the stuff with you in the first place. I ran into this so often when traveling with my kids, I actually resorted to packing a 25" TV (old style, box attached) or buying one locally. Better than having 20 kids roaming the hotel looking for entertainment...
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Old Feb 27, 2012, 5:12 pm
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Originally Posted by joshua362
Well if you have small kids itching for a movie or to play video games to give you a few moments of peace, and the hotel has restricted its TV in some manner, on purpose, you just might call it extortion...
Yes. Also if they allow you to bring drinks and food from outside to consume in your room, why wouldn't they let you watch BYO movies on their TV?
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