Why don't TV's do picture in picture anymore?

[Canada]

Why don't TV's do picture in picture (pip) anymore? Pip was one of my favorite features of my parents old CRT TV. With PVR's able to record two programs at once one would think TV's could do pip easily but they don't.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by Canada

Why don't TV's do picture in picture (pip) anymore? Pip was one of my favorite features of my parents old CRT TV. With PVR's able to record two programs at once one would think TV's could do pip easily but they don't.

Previously you fed the analog signal directly into the tv via a coaxial cable. Inside the tv dual tuners were then able to take the signal and allow for the picture in picture function by assigning one tuner to each channel. With the change from analog to digital came all the Digital Rights Management (DRM) signal blocks which had all but made it impossible for tv without some sort of box to access the content. Even with internal tuners, cable companies require cable cards or boxes in order to gain access to their programming. Since coax cables no longer go directly into the tv, but rather into boxes, tv's can no longer access multiple channels at once.

In theory if you had a rare tv which allowed for installation of a cable card, you could likely use the picture in picture function. With that said, many cable boxes had this function for some time so while tv's couldn't provide PIP, the box itself could.

As for why tv's don't offer it any longer... they likely just don't see the reason since it's so unlikely to be used. At this point, with tv's being as cheap as they are and the advent of Roku and cable/satellite apps which allow access to the cable signal, it costs very little to set up two displays and simply run two separate channels that way rather than having true picture in picture. In theory you could have your tv on one channel, your cellphone tuned to another, your tablet tuned to another, and your laptop tuned to yet another. Why bother with PiP when it's already so easy for folks to watch multiple channels using the devices they already own.

[LordoftheRings]

I'd like to see 3D back before picture-in-picture.

Pic&pic was a distraction for panel TV nerds, 3D was a redemption for "the planet is plane flat" believers.

[slimdude]

I don't know about the 2018 and the 2019 TV models but, my 65" LG 4K TV that I've bought a couple of years ago have PIP, and my Panasonic 58" Plasma that I have in my bedroom have PIP too, and Ive never used it either. Picture in Picture is not a feature that everybody use frequently if not at all. PIP is basically used for sport events, when the viewer can watch both games at the same time. PIP can't be used for anything else because, you can't concentrate and watch two movies or any other TV programs at the same time. PIP was a popular feature in the late 90. You don't hear consumers talk about nor requesting PIP on their TVs. The feature has been put on the back burner, now everybody is looking at 4K UHD, HDR, Dolby Vision, streaming digital movies, dolby atmos, DTS:X and all of the new bells and whistles on their new TVs and A/V receivers, but not PIP.