AV hook-up to TV on Solstice...

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

For our 5/30/10 Solstice sailing our son and a couple of his friends (17-18) will be in a balcony cabin. The LOVE video games, and would bring every system they have (AND COMPUTERS) if we let them! For this sailing, I am going to allow them to bring ONE game system - I just need to find out from someone who has been onboard WHAT TYPE of inputs the TV's have, and if you have had any success hooking up to them.

 

THANKS!

 

Tom

[cruise kitty]

They have HDMI, but it's disabled, (we tried)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

They have HDMI, but it's disabled, (we tried)

 

Thanks - I sure hope we don't end up having to take a monitor (like we have done before)! :eek:

 

Tom

[chuckdaddy]

They have RCA jacks as well, but they too were disabled. I think they may have all the inputs disabled.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

This seems to be a common theme. On Carnival TV's are not capable of being switched away from the primary input except in suites. In the case of Carnival, the only active input for the TV was the component input. As long as you had a red/blue/green (and R/L audio) you could UNPLUG what was coming from the wall to the TV and hook up your own. We successfully did this with a small DVD player.

 

Can anyone comment on what the input is for the Solstice TV's (and if it can be accessed and unplugged)?

 

Thanks again,

 

Tom

[kitty9]

They cannot be accessed or unpluged.

[cdbaum]

There are no available inputs on the TV. Let me rephrase that... there is every kind of hook up that you can imagine but they are all disabled, and you cannot unhook the primary feed.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

They cannot be accessed or unpluged.

 

There are no available inputs on the TV. Let me rephrase that... there is every kind of hook up that you can imagine but they are all disabled, and you cannot unhook the primary feed.

 

I don't suppose any enterprising individuals out there might have a photo of that inaccessible input? (For the sake of those who would be willing to turn a screw or two if needed) :eek:

 

Any idea what brand TV's they use? It was ViewSonic on Carnival recently.

 

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Are the TV's mounted fully FLAT against the wall... is this the reason for non-access?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

[kitty9]

The screens are mounted flat to the wall, there is some wriggle room, but not much. I think they're Samsung, but I might be wrong on that.

 

I just have to ask, with all due respect. With something like going on a great cruise, why do teens need to spend time locked up in their cabins playing video games? I'm not being mean, but I just don't understand paying all that money for a cruise and then having them doing the same thing they do at home, sitting in front of a TV playing games.

[Ender'sGirl]

This was on the Century but I would imagine the TVs are the same line wide. We took our Xbox360 elite because we were told there were outputs on the tvs and we could hook it up. However once on board it never worked. My guy is very tech savvy and he even got someone from electrical maintenance to come up for a second opinion but no luck. They have rigged the televisions to show only what they want fed into the rooms and nothing else. Lugged all that gear for nothing.

 

And about why would you take such a thing on board, we were first time cruisers and we were not sure how much we would enjoy the on board activities so it was a back up plan for sea days.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

The screens are mounted flat to the wall, there is some wriggle room, but not much. I think they're Samsung, but I might be wrong on that.

 

I just have to ask, with all due respect. With something like going on a great cruise, why do teens need to spend time locked up in their cabins playing video games? I'm not being mean, but I just don't understand paying all that money for a cruise and then having them doing the same thing they do at home, sitting in front of a TV playing games.

 

I ask myself the same thing!

 

Tom

[excitedofharpenden]

Are the TV's mounted fully FLAT against the wall... is this the reason for non-access?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

This is the only photo I have. The TVs are flat panel Samsungs and do pull out from the wall on hinges to angle them, but I think they have been hot wired into an onboard system and none of the inputs seemed to work.

 

 

Phil

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

This is the only photo I have. The TVs are flat panel Samsungs and do pull out from the wall on hinges to angle them, but I think they have been hot wired into an onboard system and none of the inputs seemed to work.

 

 

Phil

 

Thanks!

 

To the others who tried the accessible inputs --- were they not "hot" because there was not a "Menu" or "Input" button to access - or was that feature blocked/grayed out (on-screen menu)?

 

I have read in places that there is a "hotel mode" that can be set to disable other inputs. Now to search GOOGLE to determine if there are links (Samsung) to see if there is an "undo" procedure. On the Carnival Dream I did bring a universal remote which I had programmed for ViewSonic. Using that I was able to access menus - though to no avail. At least there I could access and unplug the primary (fixed) input on the back of the set.

 

Tom

[tejmar]

 

I just have to ask, with all due respect. With something like going on a great cruise, why do teens need to spend time locked up in their cabins playing video games? I'm not being mean, but I just don't understand paying all that money for a cruise and then having them doing the same thing they do at home, sitting in front of a TV playing games.

 

I don't understand it either, but then I guess it's for the same reason people bring their computers with them on vacation.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I don't understand it either, but then I guess it's for the same reason people bring their computers with them on vacation.

 

Well - we are talking teenagers here. After they exhaust the "fun" at the arcade... it's not like they can drink or gamble. They are not huge social people, so they won't hook up with any "group" of kids and hang out. They are not interested in Tea Time, Bingo, Napkin folding classes, and they don't worship the sun (hang out at the pool).

 

So, at least they are planning ahead how they might occupy their time, without roaming the ship BORED! :)

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I don't understand it either, but then I guess it's for the same reason people bring their computers with them on vacation.

 

oh -- and I will bring my laptop. Between the two of us we will have 180 FREE internet minutes to use up. Some of that will be mail from my son's friends to their parents. Aside from that, I will be checking mail.

 

Mail checking, BTW, is how we discovered last month that Cheryl's mother died while we were on a cruise. Not the kind of news you want to hear, but we needed to. Upon debarkation we made a 400 mile drive to the funeral with TEN minutes to spare. :(

 

Tom

[tejmar]

oh -- and I will bring my laptop. Between the two of us we will have 180 FREE internet minutes to use up. Some of that will be mail from my son's friends to their parents. Aside from that, I will be checking mail.

 

Mail checking, BTW, is how we discovered last month that Cheryl's mother died while we were on a cruise. Not the kind of news you want to hear, but we needed to. Upon debarkation we made a 400 mile drive to the funeral with TEN minutes to spare. :(

 

Tom

 

I guess you missed the point being what's the difference why your kid's want to bring their games with them and that adults bring their electronic toys with them also. I don't care what people do on their vacation. My idea of a vacation is to get away from all the things I do when I'm home, while others like to take them along with them.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I guess you missed the point being what's the difference why your kid's want to bring their games with them and that adults bring their electronic toys with them also. I don't care what people do on their vacation. My idea of a vacation is to get away from all the things I do when I'm home, while others like to take them along with them.

 

No, actually I did not miss the point at all - which I why I added the part about taking our laptop.

 

We DO NOT travel away from home (overnight) without it. That is a personal decision. For those who can totally unplug, I applaud you. I prefer to stay connected, and that is by choice. So I am at peace with that!

 

When you go on vacation (not only cruises), do you take your cell phone... just in case? :confused: (They can come in handy!)

 

Tom

[utseabee]

oh, that stinks! My husband and I do the P90X workout, and were hoping to keep up with it while we were gone. So we'll have to figure something out without playing the DVDs!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I suppose we could simply switch our booking from a Concierge Class cabin to a Celebrity Suite (or higher), then they could easily hook up to the the Home Entertainment System and "occupy" our living room.

 

I am thinking not, LOL.

 

That's nice, how Celebrity makes it doable.... for a price! :rolleyes: (Of course, the same holds true on other lines.)

 

Tom

[excitedofharpenden]

I guess you missed the point being what's the difference why your kid's want to bring their games with them and that adults bring their electronic toys with them also.

Seeing as you asked there are a heap of differences, but I'm not going to list them. Either way for kids or adults alike with their "toys" it is down to the individual. It's great to have a choice, isn't it?

 

Phil

[cruise kitty]

Like I said, we tried, but we're not experts. You can plug into any of the inputs, they are not physically blocked, they have been disabled, the monitor will not detect your device. The televisions are all running on a platform similar to apple tv, that's why there are so many movies on demand available & why you can pause & rewind them. I'd bring a monitor to entertain the teens.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

It would appear that this link regarding "Hotel Mode" on Samsung TV's might just address "the problem".

 

That should "re-activate" all of the inputs. Likely having a Samsung remote (or Universal remote w/Samsung codes) would then make surfing through the input choices a bit easier!

 

Anyone willing to give this a try before we sail ? :D

 

Tom

[Straughn]

Since all of you seem to be electronically knowlegable, I have a question:

 

Solstice/ Sky Suite

 

Do they have an Ipod dock or can I hook it up thru something in the cabin in order to listen to music w/o earbuds. I am not worried about charging it; I just want to be able to play it.

 

Thanks!