Playing Video games on hotel tvs

Indiana

CAGiversary!
Does anyone have any experience getting their gaming system working on a hotel tv with the OnCommand system hooked to it?

There are RCA jacks on the back of the tv. The problem is that the On Command remote does not have any way to put the tv into input mode. I asked the front desk for the Zenith remote since that is the brand of the tv.

They claim that it will not work because of a chip inside the tv. I do not believe this I think I just need the correct remote to change the tv to input.

Does anyone have a recommended remote? I bought a Phillips Universal remote but it only seems to make the channels go up and down and volume. I guess I will exchange it for one of the other brands tomorrow.
 
Isn't there a pop-out panel with manual controls? If not, this is a good example of the value of a portable LCD screen.
 
[quote name='smalien1']Don't they have those n64's in hotel chains that you pay per hour for?[/quote]

Yeah, they still do.
 
[quote name='smalien1']Don't they have those n64's in hotel chains that you pay per hour for?[/quote]

Wow, last time I saw one of these in a motel room it still had SNES games like Super Mario World and F Zero.

A lot of the more "family friendly" motels around here have tvs with AV jacks in the front so you can just plug in your system.
 
Sometimes it works if you just flip through the channels. Sometimes it'll just flip to an "Input" or some similar type channel. I have hooked up a portable DVD player this way and gotten it to work. It may depend on the TV though.
 
On ever TV I've owned, I was able to get it to input by just messing with the controls on the front panel of the TV. Menu button to find the input source, and the channel button to select it, etc.
 
Mine was a Magnavox and they like covered the AV stuff that really dissappointed me.. since I had my hopes of playing some PS2. Mmmm not too sure of the remote unless you want to buy the exact same kind as them.. and playing games free? Ha.. $9.95 for 60 min for the ones I go to.
 
When I was in hotels in both Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan, my Japanese PS2 worked with no problem, except in Tokyo, where I had to have the hotel staff come and give me a remote that had audio/video on it. \:D/
 
[quote name='jbroush99'][quote name='smalien1']Don't they have those n64's in hotel chains that you pay per hour for?[/quote]

Wow, last time I saw one of these in a motel room it still had SNES games like Super Mario World and F Zero.[/quote]

Same here. The most bitchin' part was that you could actually use the controller as a remote for the TV. :cool:
 
My friends and I did this in Irvine for a club thing about a year ago. We got two rooms that connected, so we had a DC running Virtua Tennis in one room and a GC running Mario Kart. Not to mention watching playoff hockey and Chris Rock's third HBO special ("Marriage is so fucked up Nelson Mandela got divorced").

Good times...

Temporary layoffs (GOOD TIMES!)
 
[quote name='smalien1']Don't they have those n64's in hotel chains that you pay per hour for?[/quote]

This hotel actually has a PS1 built into a box that is attached to the back of the tv. Wow only $6.99 for two hours of playing 4 playstation 1 games... There is a good reason I brought my Gamecube to hook up. :)
 
[quote name='Trakan']On ever TV I've owned, I was able to get it to input by just messing with the controls on the front panel of the TV. Menu button to find the input source, and the channel button to select it, etc.[/quote]

It's too bad that this tv appears to have the menu button removed. Hmm.. guess I could try breaking the plastic covers over the buttons... or maybe try to find one of the PSone screens... Someone said Sears and Toys R Us had them on sale...
 
[quote name='CaptainObviousXl']i did this, but i had an rf box with me[/quote]

I agree, get an rf converter, then hook that up to the coax input on the tv, and put it on channel 3!
 
Some of the more Fancier hotels don't even allow you to hook it up through the coax. There's this plastic cover that prevents any type of unscrewing the coax cable. It' looks like a hard, black sleeve on the coax, right where it connects to the tv.
 
I have run into the same situation many times. The person at the front desk may be correct about the chip. One hotel I stayed at actually had a card in the the TV preventing the signal. There was a small panel on the back of the TV that needed to be opened then the card, similar to a video card in a PC, needed to be removed. Once that was accomplished I was able to play the N64 (yeah, it was a few years back). The entire process was a bit of a hassle and since many of my recent travels involve planes, bringing a Leatherman, or other such tools, is no longer possible.

Watch out for the RF Converters too. The card I mentioned above prevented that signal as well. There is also a small plastic tube like device that hotels place over the cable making it difficult to remove the existing connection from the TV without tools.

You can bring your game system to the hotel lobby and play it there. The TV's in the lobby usually don't have On Command. I have done this on more than one occasion and never had the hotel question me. It's also a good way to meet a few people too. Passer-byes frequently stop to chat or join in.
 
[quote name='bignick'][quote name='CaptainObviousXl']i did this, but i had an rf box with me[/quote]

I agree, get an rf converter, then hook that up to the coax input on the tv, and put it on channel 3![/quote]

This has generally been the way we've handled it - however many hotels somehow "lock" the coax into the TV to prevent removal (like doctorfaustus mentioned). We were easily able to get this removed several times from several places with a call to the service desk (someone just came up with a tool and removed it).

On my recent trip however, the coax was left alone (no sleeve), but the TV had no AV input. I'm assuming they do this to prevent you watching your own DVDs, etc via laptop or porta-DVD hoping you'll purchase movies through them instead.
 
I take my Xbox or GC or PS2 to every hotel...I have 2 cables I take....1 RF with all 3 conx on the other end and 1 A/V with all 3 on the end....

I have never had a problem that 1 of these couldn't tackle...I have seen all the situations you are refering to...usually the "00" channel is the video..

try programming the tv to allow it to change to that channel...if no av plugs on back or front...head to the old RF adapter...most of those bugger lil RF covers are just that ... covers...pull it out and your good to go...if it does have one of the more fancier ones you may need a screwdriver, but its simple enough to hook back up....

lobby as he said works too....and you know Lobby Chicks dig some Monkey Ball Action
 
[quote name='bignick'][quote name='CaptainObviousXl']i did this, but i had an rf box with me[/quote]

I agree, get an rf converter, then hook that up to the coax input on the tv, and put it on channel 3![/quote]

That's not possible they put one of those metal washer locks on it like the cable companies use.
 
Sounds like I will be heading to Sears and Toys R Us after work to find one of those PSOne screens... thanks for the ideas everyone... OnCommand sucks. :x
 
[quote name='Indiana'][quote name='bignick'][quote name='CaptainObviousXl']i did this, but i had an rf box with me[/quote]

I agree, get an rf converter, then hook that up to the coax input on the tv, and put it on channel 3![/quote]

That's not possible they put one of those metal washer locks on it like the cable companies use.[/quote]

Then I wold head down to radioshack and buy:
2 coax connectiors
1 coax stripper
1 coax coupler
 
[quote name='Ledhed'][quote name='jbroush99'][quote name='smalien1']Don't they have those n64's in hotel chains that you pay per hour for?[/quote]

Wow, last time I saw one of these in a motel room it still had SNES games like Super Mario World and F Zero.[/quote]

Same here. The most bitchin' part was that you could actually use the controller as a remote for the TV. :cool:[/quote]

Same thing over here and other hotels I've gone to but now some are upgrading :roll: to N64s.
 
JESUS.

DON'T BOTHER GOING ON VACATION IF ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS PLAY VIDEOGAMES.

"Oh, sorry honey, no fucking tonight, I'm really close to beating the second mini-boss on the 10th level..."
 
[quote name='dragonfireflys']JESUS.

DON'T BOTHER GOING ON VACATION IF ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS PLAY VIDEOGAMES.

"Oh, sorry honey, no shaq-fuing tonight, I'm really close to beating the second mini-boss on the 10th level..."[/quote]

I think some of the people are trying to play games on business trips
 
[quote name='dragonfireflys']JESUS.

DON'T BOTHER GOING ON VACATION IF ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS PLAY VIDEOGAMES.

"Oh, sorry honey, no shaq-fuing tonight, I'm really close to beating the second mini-boss on the 10th level..."[/quote]

Heh. So what about watching TV or a movie in a hotel room? Is that ok? Videogames are a part of all of my vacations in some form or another. Same can be said for my wife. I was in Hawaii recently and I saw an arcade. Am I going to pass up an opportunity to game in another state? Noooo. Sea turtles can wait! A round of SF3 in new territory cannot!

If vacations are for relaxing and having fun, and video games are for relaxing and having fun, then vacations are equal to video games :)
 
[quote name='dragonfireflys']JESUS.

DON'T BOTHER GOING ON VACATION IF ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS PLAY VIDEOGAMES.

"Oh, sorry honey, no shaq-fuing tonight, I'm really close to beating the second mini-boss on the 10th level..."[/quote]

Right, because the only reason people get hotel rooms is to have sex.
 
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