TV Input Panel
 

Is there a trick getting this to work? I've tried unsuccessfully at a few hotels now yet everything works fine on my two systems at home. Doesn't work with my Ipad or my laptop, so not really sure what the deal is.

Call the front desk. There was an issue with my hotel room television once where the necessary channel had been blocked. Maintenance came up with the super ultra remote control and added the channel. Might be something like that.

I fought with these things quite a bit trying to use my Roku. I finally determined that the HDMI input does not include audio, so you have to use the old style RCA jacks. The Roku supports these and comes with a set in the box. Not sure about Apple TV. Otherwise you will need an adapter for the PC input (standard VGA) or a composite adapter. Not sure what the HDMI is supposed to be for or how it is wired. Also, the box is supposed to switch right away once you plug something in, but sometimes you may need to change the input source with the remote control.

It not a channel, but rather an input that needs to be changed.

Look on the right side of flat panel TV's. You will see a button called INPUT. Push that and you will rotate through all available inputs. Plug in your HDMI and it works, with audio.

It is possible that the hotel TV was ordered with certain inputs not activated, maybe to slow down theft.

An iPad 1 or 2 will send out 1080p if the content is in 1080p and you use an HDMI cable. Otherwise you often get a "picture in a box" effect where you can't fill the screen.

I understand that new iPad (3) has a native resolution greater than 1080p, so you should fill the screen - if the TV understands the input signal. I need to play with one to be certain.

Apple TV, RoKu and Boxee will also work on most Marriott TV's once you change the INPUT button.

Hotels do keep custom remote controls in rooms. Maintenance probably added a channel that requested HDMI input.

Is it supposed to? Many hotels limit their TVs functions so that customers can't mess up things by accident. Other hotels don't, and at those (typically not in the Marriott family) hotels on one of every dozen or two stays I end up in a room where the TV initially doesn't work because someone left it on some settings other than TV (or the TV uses an external interface and thus TV has to be left on a certain channel, but someone changed the channel on the TV itself itstead of on the channel selector box).

So perhaps you're at hotels of the former type, which have locked out the functions that can cause problems for the next guest?

At most Marriott properties I stay at (in multiple brands within the Marriott family, everything from FS Marriott to Fairfield), the TV has a built-in on-screen Marriott menu that pops up whenever you power the TV up, and only the selections on that menu seem to work. So it's obvious to me that these TVs have been customized for Marriott, and thus I wouldn't expect them to work like a typical consumer TV.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Not trying to mess with the tv settings, just want the panel/box to do its job. Oh well, I'll see how the next hotel goes tomorrow.

In case you're curious, here's part of the press release from 2007(!) regarding the panels:

Washington, DC - 26 February 2007 -

Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, and Renaissance Hotels & Resorts will become the first lodging brands to offer high-definition, LCD televisions with a digital connectivity panel in all its guest rooms in the U.S. and Canada. Using the new plug-in panel, guests can connect a host of digital devices to view on the flat panel, high-definition screen, including laptops, camcorders, digital cameras, video games and more. The standard 32 inch televisions are also equipped with a 25-watt stereo speaker system so guests can listen to the tunes on their MP3 players and iPods; no headphones required.

Yes I use them. It bothers me sometimes when I forget my video cable and FD doesn't have any :(

Haven't seen that at Marriott Suite Scottsdale Old Town - stayed there Feb 26. All I have seen is a docking station for ipod? I'm not an apple fan and I don't have any 'i' thing so it's useless to me.

I've been the super-duper panel at the downtown CY Grand Rapids MI. It was a quick stay for me (in at midnight; out at 8am) for a social event so I didn't bother bringing laptop, etc, to try & hook up to it. I've also seen them at a couple other properties, but I'm so technology challenged that I haven't attempted to hook up laptop or Kindle Fire HD yet.

Cheers.

Working through a new hotel and computer / iPad video output. At the FS Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley, which uses the multimedia panels described above. As jadam mentioned do not touch the inputs if there is a media box on the desk.

From my computer, the screen is duplicated on the TV with full audio. Using Displayport ==> HDMI ==> HDMI input on media panel. Works fine.

Using iPad 2 ==> HDMI adapter ==> HDMI cable ==> media panel, I got sound from iTunes, Vimeo and Netflix but no video. Youtube has neither audio nor video. Looks like a signal (a sync signal?) is not strong enough to get the attention of the TV. Too much attenuation through multiple connections can have this symptom, but I suspect some other signal output issue from the iPad.

Computer directly to TV - nope. The media panel controls the input sources to the TV. No direct HDMI connection worked, audio or video. Simply cannot change the TV input.

my trick had been just unplug the RJ11 cable from the back of the TV, this will unlock any restriction of the menu.