BOCS
Xtender
Frequently Asked Questions

General

 

Technical/Install

 

General

Is Xtender HD compatible?:

Absolutely - most users, we have found, have a nice HD setup somewhere in the house. Leave all that equipment as-is and you'll continue to get HD on your nice big set. Now, connect Xtender to that same equipment, and the rest of your house (which generally is not HD) can have access to all the same entertainment. While Xtender does not transmit an HD signal all over your home, it works in harmony with what you already have.

We are working on an upgrade solution so that when you buy your second HD TV, you can Xtend a full HD signal to that as well. In the meantime, Xtender provides a near-DVD quality signal to all TVs including HD TVs.

How far will the remote controls work from the Xtender unit?:

It is a little different from home to home - depending on what kind of walls you have, how many stories, and even if you have anything around or stacked on top of the Xtender unit; but, in general, you should get whole-home coverage. There are a few things you can try to extend the range: Make sure there is nothing on top of or directly behind Xtender - especially metal items. Re-orient the antenna on the back of Xtender - if it is pointing up, try swiveling it out or to the side, and last but not least, purchase a repeater and plug it in somewhere between the farthest TV and the Xtender.

One thing to watch for - if you are in a distant room and trying to control something plugged into Xtender - for instance trying to change channels on a TiVo DVR plugged into the Red channel - when you push Channel Up, if the remote is having trouble communicating with Xtender you will either notice nothing happening (channel does not change) or the power light on the remote stays on for longer than just a "flash" - that means the remote is trying over and over to send that channel up command and it is not getting through. You can hold the remote up high, change the way it is pointing, or even try standing up on your bed - but you look pretty silly doing all that and it usually means you need to get a repeater.

What happens if two people want to watch the same Xtender channel?:

Instead of putting complicated systems in to allow a user to grab control of an Xtender channel, we decided to leave the "fight" as a family issue - but a couple suggestions:

1) Be courteous - if you notice someone else controlling the TiVo DVR, go watch something else

2) Try splitting the content - if you have two DVRs, put Adult stuff on one (i.e. Green channel) and kid stuff on the other (i.e. Blue channel) - there will be a lot less fighting.

Will the remotes work with anything? Any TV? Any A/V device?:

We are using a very large database of IR codes (the same infrared codes used by the high quality universal remote controls) and with over 2000 devices supported ranging from TVs to DVD players to stereos to DVRs, you really shouldn't have any trouble finding the right code. If you bought either the very latest model of an Asian TV, or an off-brand from a little known supplier, there is that chance we don't have the code in our database - in that case just get one of our learning remotes. Those have the ability to learn the codes of just about anything.

More specifically, pretty much anything with composite video/stereo audio out that can be controlled using an infrared (look for the little lights sticking out the front that you can't actually see light up) remote can be hooked up to and will work well with Xtender. We've tested with most of the Cable and Satellite box/DVRs (i.e. Dish, DirectTV, Comcast, and others), TiVo DVRs, many many DVDs, VCRs, iPod docks, Windows Media center, and even some really off the wall stuff. If you find something that can't be controlled by Xtender, we will send a guy over to sit there 24/7 and wait for you to yell at him to push play (OK, not really, but we are pretty confident in our coverage of A/V devices)

Can I watch two things at the same time from the same TiVo DVR?:

No - Xtender is actually a pretty simple device - we are not directly accessing the hard drive in the DVR or magically making one DVD player look like two - we simply Xtend the audio/video out of a device all over the house. If you play a program from a TiVo DVR, you can watch that program on any TV or on all your TVs at the same time, but if you want to watch a different program you either need to switch to another Xtender channel or watch local TV.

Can I connect my iPod into Xtender?:

Absolutely - you actually have a few choices. If the goal is whole home audio from an iTunes or other library, you can hook a Windows Media Center computer OR and iPod dock into Xtender. The only rules are:

1) Make sure that whatever you want to connect has composite video and stereo audio output

2) Whatever you connect must be controllable with an IR (Infrared) remote control (look for the little LED light poking out the front of the remote or behind a red-colored window).

Note that these kinds of devices are pretty new to the "universal remote control world" and so only a few codes are available in the standard Xtender remote control - but never fear, if you followed the rules above, Xtender can learn the codes for just about anything.

Can I connect my AppleTV into Xtender?:

Apple's iTV product, is one of the few consumer devices on the market that does not have a composite output (the yellow RCA jack that Xtender uses as the video input), so you will need a component to composite converter. There are several on the market, but one that we have been using can be found here for a little over $100.

This particular converter is ONLY a format converter and does not rescale - so this low cost method requires you to put your iTV in 480i output mode - which looks fine for remote TVs. Many customers are choosing to buy a new iTV and dedicate it to serving the home through Xtender while leaving another iTV hooked into the high def TV in the living room. The main computer can easily be set to mirror both devices so the same content is available on both.

Note that many higher end receivers have a scaler/format converter built in and can easily handle serving iTV content both locally in HD and in composite for Xtender.

How do I know if I need a learning remote control?:

Here is the rule -

Xtender comes with the ability to learn to control anything you plug into it - iPod docks, weird new DVRs etc. No need to buy a learning remote for anything that plugs directly into Xtender Red, Green, or Blue inputs.

Learning remotes are required anywhere you need to control something directly from an Xtender remote control and the code for that device was not in the standard remote. That could be an off-brand TV in the guest room, an old stereo component you've still got from high school, or anything else that you need to point the remote at to control it - rule of thumb, if it is in the same room as the remote and not plugged into Xtender, you probably need a learning remote.

Can my neighbors see what I'm watching?:

Well - if you leave your blinds open they are going to see more than just what's on your TV - but the answer is no - even though Xtender creates new TV channels to distribute your stuff all over your home, as long as the supercombiner is installed correctly, those signals stay entirely inside your home.

What if I have more than three things I want to watch all over my house?

You might want to consider simplifying your life - or donating all those old VCRs to GoodWill...

Xtender comes with the ability to Xtend three devices throughout your home - if you want more, it is possible to install a second Xtender in your home, but we strongly recommend that you consult a professional installer to determine if it will work well in your area - for Satellite homes, you won't have any trouble since there is plenty of space for more channels, but in Cable TV homes, you will likely have to give up something to get more Xtender channels - maybe a couple home shopping channels, a foreign language network or something else. Also, you will have to get the version of Xtender that allows you to set the channels to anything you like - find a Dealer on our "buy Xtender" page and give them a call.

If you do get a second Xtender, we use the function key on the remote to get to your three new channels - Fn-Red, Fn-Green, Fn-Blue are your three new (additional) channels.

Why does each remote need to stay in its own room?:

It has to do with the TV in that room, not the Xtender system. Remember when you first got Xtender, you programmed the remote to be able to control the TV in a specific room? So now that remote knows how to talk to that TV to change channels, change volume, and ge to Xtender channels - but unless you bought all the exact same TVs for every room of your home, all it knows how to do is talk to that one TV.

In fact, we put little stickers in the package with each remote so you could make sure you remember which remote belongs in which room...

One little trick though - the remote doesn't really know where it is in the house, so you could put all the TVs in the house on the Red channel and carry a remote around in your pocket to change songs or forward through commercials while doing chores - you might not be able to change volume or the channel on any TV if it is not where the remote belongs, but you have control of whatever is plugged into Xtender.

How is this different than other modulators on the market?:

We use a similar type of technology to commercial name-brand modulators but we take entertainment to a higher level by using a very unique user interface and control system. Unlike with other cobbled together distribution systems, Xtender:

 

Technical/Install

I'm using the scan feature to find a TV code but it is not working:

Let's do a quick review:

First, turn on your TV either directly or with the remote that came with it.

Hold down the guide and the button you want to program (choices are local TV, DVD, Aux, or CBL/Sat but for this example let's say you are trying to program a TV so you are holding guide and Local TV) - the power light comes on and stays on. If the light does not come on and stay on, you didn't press the two buttons at the same time - yes, some folks have to try a couple times but no one is watching - it isn't hard, just try it again and do it carefully.

Press the kind of device you are trying to program (Local TV to program a TV, DVD to program a DVD player etc... This tells the remote to start at the very bottom of the TV code list instead of from whatever code you had programmed in before) - the power light should stay on.

Now, point the remote at the TV and hold down the up arrow - you will notice the power light blinking once every 3 seconds or so - every time it blinks it is sending out a "power" command using a different TV code. You are carefully watching for the TV to turn off. When it does QUICKLY release the up arrow - if you are still young, you can go for broke and hit the OK button to save the code. If you are a little slow in reacting or you think you might have been distracted and passed the code, no problem, release the up arrow, punch the down arrow (goes down one code and sends a power command) - maybe a couple times watching for the TV to turn back on - you can push the up and down arrows to narrow down to the right code - BUT don't wait more than about 6 seconds between pushing anything or the remote will come out of program mode and you have to start all over - also don't forget to push the ok button to confirm your selection and save that code.

If all else fails, (You get through the whole code set and the TV never turns off - you will know because the power light will stop blinking) look up the code for your TV and manually type it in (see instructions in the manual).

Some TVs respond to more than one code - you might find a code that turns a TV off but will not control the volume - follow the same steps as above but skip the part where you push the button for the type of thing you are programming - i.e. go straight from holding down Local TV and Guide and go straight to holding down the up arrow... see if you can find another code that works that same TV.

When I push an Xtender button on the remote I don't get an Xtender channel:

Don't forget that even though we tried to make this as simple as possible, the remote still has to be able to tell your TV where it wants to go - with a standard installation we put the Red channel on 14, Green on 98 and Blue on 96... One thing that is a little different about an Xtender remote is that it usually has to tell your TV two things to get to an Xtender channel - '1' and '4'... The most common problem is that you don't keep the remote pointing at the TV long enough and the TV only sees the '1', it happily goes to channel 1, you realize that is not where you wanted to be and quickly push the Red button again - only to take you to channel '11'

The solution is simple - make sure you point the remote at the TV and keep it pointed there until the TV goes where you want - some TVs take a while to respond. if the TV only sees one digit, wait until that clears before you try pushing the Xtender channel button again.

One other thing to watch for, some TVs need a long time in between pressing buttons - if you press the Red button (and have the default configuration where red is on channel 14) and you see the 1 on the TV but the 4 never shows up, see the next FAQ item "When I push an Xtender channel button on the remote it only sends one digit".

When I push an Xtender channel button on the remote it only sends one digit:

Some TVs need a long time in between pressing buttons - if you press the Red button (and have the default configuration where red is on channel 14) and you see the 1 on the TV but the 4 never shows up (and you were a good user and kept the remote pointed right at the TV), it is likely that the remote is sending the channel commands too quickly. We have noticed some Insignia TVs and a few others have this problem.

The tradeoff is that it will take longer to change between Xtender channels, but since the alternative is not ever getting there, we suggest the following:

Quick - pre-explanation first...

What actually happens when you push the Red button is the remote sends a "1" then pauses then sends a "4" ... Depending on the TV, a different "pause time" is required - for now you will have to play with it a little to get it just right (as we get more feedback from users we will publish a detailed pause-time list for various TV models - so if you don't mind let us know what works for you if you have to adjust this in your house)...

To set the pause time,

Hold down the MENU button and the "4" key: The power light should come on and stay on

press one of the following and then press Select/OK to confirm

1 for a pause time of 1/10th of a second (fastest channel changing)

2 for a pause time of 1/5th of a second (a little slower...)

3 for a pause time of 1/2 of a second

4 for a pause time of 3/4 of a second

5 for a pause time of 1 second

6 for a pause time of 2 seconds

When I press an Xtender channel button, the corresponding activity light on the Xtender unit does not flash:

When you push the Red Xtender button (on any remote) the red light on the front of the Xtender unit should flash (Green-green, blue-blue - yeah you got it)... if it does not, Xtender is not recognizing that remote...

This is also something you have to do for any new remote you add to your system - and any remote that did not come in the same box as the Xtender unit.

First - are the batteries good? go ahead and try putting a new set in -

If the lights on the remote blink when you push buttons, but it just won't flash the lights on the Xtender you need to tell Xtender and the remote that they belong together.

First hold in the button on the front of the Xtender unit with the BOCS logo until the lights on the front of Xtender flash.

Then on the remote that is not working, hold down "MENU" and "Channel-UP" buttons - after about 2 seconds, the power light on the remote should blink twice and the lights on the front of the Xtender should stop blinking.

Test it - push the Red Xtender channel button on the remote and make sure the red light on the front of Xtender blinks.

Video quality of Xtender channels is not as good as my Cable TV stations:

If you had an installer come out and put in your Xtender system, they should have already adjusted everything, but just in case, Xtender allows you to adjust the quality of your Xtender channels just by using the remote control:

Make sure the remote knows how to talk to Xtender - press the Red Xtender channel button on the remote and make sure the red light on the front of Xtender blinks - if not see the FAQ above about binding a remote to Xtender.

Now - go to the furthest TV from where your Cable comes into your home - (if you don't know where that is then just go to the TV where you think the Xtender channels are the weakest) - with the Xtender remote for that room/TV- hold down "MENU" and "1" until the power light on the remote comes on. Now (as long as you don't ever pause for more than 10 seconds and the remote comes out of program mode) you can press the up arrow to make the signal stronger and the down arrow to make it weaker - there are about 16 different choices - once you find one that looks good press the select/OK button to save that setting.

We recommend you set the signal as low as you can and get a good picture - just setting it to its highest level could interfere with other TV stations you receive.

Now - you should go around to all the other TVs and make sure they all look good as well - you can up the signal again to try to get the best picture everywhere.

Keep in mind you are adjusting the signal level for the whole house every time you make this adjustment and not just for the TV you are observing so be careful.

Oops, I bought a standard remote but it doesn't have the codes for my new TV:

No problem, all remotes can be upgraded to a full learning remote instantly by calling technical support at 1-877-465-6451.

After purchasing the upgrade, the customer service representative will have you read them the serial number from your remote and then provide you with a key sequence to upgrade the remote to learning.

Note that all Xtenders will learn codes to control devices plugged directly into the Xtender - upgrading a remote to learning is only necessary if you need to learn codes into the remote itself to be able to control a TV or a device programmed into the DVD, CBL, or AUX slots on your remote.