Mariott TVs, Consoles, and You

[Tsu]

So, has anyone else tried hooking up a console to a Mariott television yet?  I've got a flatpanel, I don't know if everyone does.  Though chances are we all do.  It's got the A/V ports set up on the side, but when we plugged in the XBOX, nothing happened.  Couldn't find a channel to view it.  Eventually we called up "At your service", who consulted with a techie, and informed us that the Mariott has set it up so that you can't hook up things like consoles to your TVs.  I guess to route more people to their pay per view and crap.  Has anyone found a work around yet?  We've scoured all the channels, no luck, and the remote control they've given is pretty simplistic so I can't try all the things I could if I have the one I've got at home.

EITHER WAY, this is a drag.  One of the reasons folks have been coming to this hotel instead of the Hilton is that you can hook up your game consoles or whatever, whereas prior to the Hilton renovation (I don't know if it's possible now or not) you couldn't.  Now we can't here either.  There's probably going to be a lot of people tomorrow night raging about this...  Ho hum...  I'm just disappointed, I wouldn't have dragged the 360 here if I'd known. :( 

[Reikon]

I have no idea about the Marriott, but the Hilton also has LCDs now. I haven't tried hooking anything up to it, but it seems like you can since there's a whole input panel in the side that looks designed for guests to use. It has HDMI, VGA, composite, S-video, and 1/8" audio in. I wish I brought my 360.  :P

[Dracil]

That looks like the same thing in my Marriott room.

[Tsu]

I have no idea about the Marriott, but the Hilton also has LCDs now. I haven't tried hooking anything up to it, but it seems like you can since there's a whole input panel in the side that looks designed for guests to use. It has HDMI, VGA, composite, S-video, and 1/8" audio in. I wish I brought my 360.  :P

Sadly, that's the thing over here, too.  These LCDs are relatively new- that is, they weren't in my room last year at the con- and have a nice, friendly-looking A/V and SVideo panel on the left side of the screen.  But if you plug in something, nothing happens, and there isn't a channel to view what you just plugged in.  "At your Service" has told us that they've simply disabled it, somehow, whether that's keeping us from going to the channel to view it on or genuinely disconnecting the A/V cable ports, I don't know.  But it's so disappointing! :( 

[Reikon]

No, I'm not talking about inputs on the side of the TV. There's a separate input box on the side of the drawers that the TV sits on. And it does work. I just tested a PS2 on it.

[PuniPuniShosa]

The only room I've seen to be able to set up their consoles is the VIP/Staff Lounge on the 4th floor.  Can't explain why they are able to, but I shake my fist everytime I have to stop by.

No, I'm not talking about inputs on the side of the TV. There's a separate input box on the side of the drawers that the TV sits on. And it does work. I just tested a PS2 on it.

I've actually tried that, but don't know how it works.  It is connected to the TV, but I don't know what it is exactly.  I should try asking someone downstairs.

[Tsu]

No, I'm not talking about inputs on the side of the TV. There's a separate input box on the side of the drawers that the TV sits on. And it does work. I just tested a PS2 on it.

Aw, hell.  We don't have anything like that. :( 

The only room I've seen to be able to set up their consoles is the VIP/Staff Lounge on the 4th floor.  Can't explain why they are able to, but I shake my fist everytime I have to stop by.

Hmmm.... Maybe someone should harass them about it XD If only they'd post here!

[Dracil]

I actually have the separate box thing in my room... I don't have a console so I can't test mine.  My friend (who booked the room for me) says I should have a concierge room though.

[Kuudere]

We had a Wii hooked up just fine in our Marriott room. The only issues we had were when the audio kept switching back to the TV, and randomly telling us we could "ORDER ADULT FILMS DIRECTLY TO YOUR ROOM!" It only happened a few times for a couple seconds each, but it seemed to always land on that phrase.

It was lol-worthy to say the least.

[SukebeStudios]

I honestly don't know what the problem is. This year, we called the maintenence guy and he came up and...yes, did explain that the HOtel has it set up so we're unable to play our systems. HOWEVER, he merely took the back panel off the TV and showed us how to D/C the hotel TV programming and make it so we can play our XBOX 360. He left us a special remote so we could change the input and all. He ended up telling us, "You wouldn't have been able to play your XBOX if you hadn't have called me up to do it." So...maybe I just got a really nice guy..or something, I dunno.

[Tsu]

I honestly don't know what the problem is. This year, we called the maintenence guy and he came up and...yes, did explain that the HOtel has it set up so we're unable to play our systems. HOWEVER, he merely took the back panel off the TV and showed us how to D/C the hotel TV programming and make it so we can play our XBOX 360. He left us a special remote so we could change the input and all. He ended up telling us, "You wouldn't have been able to play your XBOX if you hadn't have called me up to do it." So...maybe I just got a really nice guy..or something, I dunno.

Wow, lucky.  I think when we called it was around 10 or 11 pm, so maybe the maintenance folk weren't up and about at that time.  Of course chances are all you had to do was get the wrong person on the phone, and even with your story as evidence, they wouldn't send up anyone.  I dunno.  Wanna post the info on how they did it for next year? :P  Or did you require the remote even after the back was removed?

[SukebeStudios]

I honestly don't know what the problem is. This year, we called the maintenence guy and he came up and...yes, did explain that the HOtel has it set up so we're unable to play our systems. HOWEVER, he merely took the back panel off the TV and showed us how to D/C the hotel TV programming and make it so we can play our XBOX 360. He left us a special remote so we could change the input and all. He ended up telling us, "You wouldn't have been able to play your XBOX if you hadn't have called me up to do it." So...maybe I just got a really nice guy..or something, I dunno.

Wow, lucky.  I think when we called it was around 10 or 11 pm, so maybe the maintenance folk weren't up and about at that time.  Of course chances are all you had to do was get the wrong person on the phone, and even with your story as evidence, they wouldn't send up anyone.  I dunno.  Wanna post the info on how they did it for next year? :P  Or did you require the remote even after the back was removed?

Ok, here's what went down. When I called, I just asked if they could send a maintanece guy up, without telling them what for. The guy came up and asked what was up. We explained it to him, and he unscrewed the back of the TV, and showed us a small grey/silver box that was connected to the tv by a phone cable like thing. Unplugging the cable from the tv disables the hotel control of the channels. Unfortunately, then he had to give us a special remote that he let us hang onto for the duration of the convention.

[xXunyuuXx]

I tried hooking up my Ps2 to watch dvd's and play games and so on but when I call them and ask them about it, they told me the tv doesn't support that kind of thing (>=o=)>
So in the end, I wind up watching crappy commercial all night. But I did take a lot of their tea and coffee as gifts >.<

[Kuudere]

I tried hooking up my Ps2 to watch dvd's and play games and so on but when I call them and ask them about it, they told me the tv doesn't support that kind of thing (>=o=)>
So in the end, I wind up watching crappy commercial all night. But I did take a lot of their tea and coffee as gifts >.<

Wait, if I'm not mistaken, don't they charge tea/coffee to the bill? I know they do that with those nice bottles of water, so I avoid taking anything other than the mini shampoos.

[Kyra_Maverick]

I tried hooking up my Ps2 to watch dvd's and play games and so on but when I call them and ask them about it, they told me the tv doesn't support that kind of thing (>=o=)>
So in the end, I wind up watching crappy commercial all night. But I did take a lot of their tea and coffee as gifts >.<

Wait, if I'm not mistaken, don't they charge tea/coffee to the bill? I know they do that with those nice bottles of water, so I avoid taking anything other than the mini shampoos.

I'm pretty sure she means the coffee and tea bags that are next to the coffee maker. No charge for those.

[xXunyuuXx]

I tried hooking up my Ps2 to watch dvd's and play games and so on but when I call them and ask them about it, they told me the tv doesn't support that kind of thing (>=o=)>
So in the end, I wind up watching crappy commercial all night. But I did take a lot of their tea and coffee as gifts >.<

Wait, if I'm not mistaken, don't they charge tea/coffee to the bill? I know they do that with those nice bottles of water, so I avoid taking anything other than the mini shampoos.

^(0.0)^
Hmmm, well I open the cab under the TV and saw a bottle of water so I just drank it.
But when it's time for check out and my bill came, nothing change or said anything about the water bottle.

[Tsu]

I tried hooking up my Ps2 to watch dvd's and play games and so on but when I call them and ask them about it, they told me the tv doesn't support that kind of thing (>=o=)>
So in the end, I wind up watching crappy commercial all night. But I did take a lot of their tea and coffee as gifts >.<

Wait, if I'm not mistaken, don't they charge tea/coffee to the bill? I know they do that with those nice bottles of water, so I avoid taking anything other than the mini shampoos.

^(0.0)^
Hmmm, well I open the cab under the TV and saw a bottle of water so I just drank it.
But when it's time for check out and my bill came, nothing change or said anything about the water bottle.

They definitely don't charge for the tea or coffee, it's like the shower amenities.  They're free.  The water, on the other hand, was supposed to cost 4 dollars.  If you're talking about your bill when you checked out, they reserve the right to alter it if they find that you've used something (or taken something) that they didn't know about.  So you might want to keep an eye out for that. 

Ok, here's what went down. When I called, I just asked if they could send a maintanece guy up, without telling them what for. The guy came up and asked what was up. We explained it to him, and he unscrewed the back of the TV, and showed us a small grey/silver box that was connected to the tv by a phone cable like thing. Unplugging the cable from the tv disables the hotel control of the channels. Unfortunately, then he had to give us a special remote that he let us hang onto for the duration of the convention.

Thanks for the info. If I go to the con/stay at the Marriott next year, I'll ask them to send up the maintenance dude instead of just asking.  Since at least one other person said they called and asked and got the same info as me, there's a chance the guy did it under the table for you... which is pretty awesome! Hopefully he won't get in trouble for it.

[xXunyuuXx]

wow, I've been drinking the water for the past 2 years in the hotel room from that bottle >_<
Okay, I'll be careful from now on.

[G.I.R]

At this very moment, I am in a room at a Motel 6 in Las Vegas, sitting beneath a 32" flat screen set mounted on the wall, that has a  separate  panel with a HDMI, VGA, and Composite Video inputs, and yes they are accessible fro the remote.  pictures to follow.

[Tsubasa]

I had a Marriott room with a LCD and input box to the side.  For the record, I hooked up composite and HDMI sources just fine.  Hella hooked up a PS3 via HDMI.  Worked like a charm.