How To Set Power Up Input Default to AV rather than TV on Panasonic HD LCD or Plasma Televisions using TV Hotel Mode
By Rik Ravado
Power Up Your Panasonic TV with your Satellite or Cable Box as the Default
The Problem: Let me describe my problem and how Hotel Mode is a useful hack to get a Panasonic TV to do what you want.
I recently bought the Panasonic TX-32LXD8 LCD television. This works fine and has a great picture except it always powers up in TV mode (either Analogue or Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB)) rather than from one of the SCART or HDMI inputs.
Although there should be a means, via the Set Up Menu, of programming the TV to power up in AV mode this doesn’t seem to work on UK versions of the TV with built-in Freeview (UK free digital service). If you set the television to power up in AV mode it still powers up in TV mode.
The solution (I found this via online forums) is the existence of ‘Hotel Mode’ that seems to work on most Panasonic TVs. The problem is Hotel Mode is not mentioned in the Panasonic handbook or the Panasonic website.
Here's How To Select Hotel Mode
- Go to the side of the set and hold down the -/V button on the side of the TV (middle of 5 buttons).
- At the same time (holding this button down) press the AV button on the Remote control 3 times
- The Hotel Mode Menu should then appear on screen
This is very similar to hacking a DVD player to change the Region.
Hotel Mode Menu (From my TV)
Here is the Hotel mode Menu (above). Before you use it note options such as Button Lock and Remote Lock – Do not select these or you will create a huge problem. Remember you need both the side buttons and the Remote to get into Hotel Mode!
Now you can select the power up input (initial INPUT in the Menu) to anything you like including AV1 (typically used for Cable or Satellite Box). You also need to turn Hotel Mode on before pressing the EXIT button.
The only problem I now have is that the TV will no longer automatically switch to AV2 when I turn on my DVD player so I have to switch manually via the remote. I assume this is a 'feature' of Hotel Mode.
I suspect hotel mode allows TVs to be set up so the public can't fiddle with them. Very useful in hotel lobbies and public buildings where otherwise a member of the public could turn up with a remote and reprogram the TV or simply change channel to watch their favourite show!
If you read the comments below, you'll find people from all over the world have found this useful. In one case even to make the TV default to a camera in a bird nesting box making it easier to keep an eye on those growing baby birds!
So there you have it. Hotel Mode is a great way to control the way your Panasonic TV powers up and what input signal it defaults to.
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Comments
Thanks for stopping by Hermes - glad you found this useful!
I just found this page and it's been immensely helpful! I had the same problem, I'm running an HTPC in my living room and it was a pain to have it always default to a blue screen saying "No DVB service found" and have to hit AV and roll down to HDMI1. Thank you for making my life just a little bit easier! :)
Have a good one!
Nicky - Great to know it was helpful. Thanks for stopping by!
I love this - having switch to AV it was starting to do my head in - my flatmate doesn't know I've changed it yet but I'm sure he'll love it too....thanks!!
Lyn
Brillant to know you found it useful - thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for describing the hotel mode. It will help immensely!
Thanks a million. Worked on my plasma to.
Mr Gasman and paul - Thanks for responding and glad you found it useful!
Finally!! Thanks from Norway!
Glad to be of help, Lars!
Thanks!
Works like a charm...
Glad to be of help Tom!
Excellent help. Explained very clearly. Great to have that annoying niggle removed. Thanks very much.
Great to know it worked for you!
Am very grateful for your tip. Startup defaulting to the unnecessary freesat was driving me nuts; Now when my mother in law babysits I won't have to leave detailed instructions on how to switch the telly on to Sky!
Many thanks again!
you are a legend, thankyou!
Thanks from Ireland also! It's a big help - esp. when my parents come to stay!
patrik, p4g3y and Pat from Ireland - glad to know this was useful - A pity Panasonic set their sets up to default this way!
Thanks a lot for that, even the Panasonic shop guy was lost when i asked him for a soultion. Thanks again.
Thanks! This really made my day.
Deano and PC - Glad you found this helpful and thanks for taking the trouble to reply.
No signal was doing my head in!
Thanks for the useful info :)
Glad it helped!
Thank you ^^ Great help( Me Bows deep ).
I do have a question tho.
Those other options (initial POS and Initial VOL Level), do you have any knowledge of that to?, except for the last 2 ,thats simple :P (NEVER TOUCH THOSE!!!).
I am currious about those 2 ^^ .
Greetings Johan
Johan - thanks for stopping by. I believe the initial POS allows you to select a default TV channel number and initial Vol sets the initial sound volume level.
Thank you! merry christmas
hi will this cure the problem im having with my remote,ive a panasoni viera and its a ex display model,do you think i have the locks on it as both the tv and remote dont interact? ill try this at my brothers house,thanks
THX from Russia
Thanks alot! Huge irritation now gone! (Just love the internet:-)
same here.... this menus/manual are sometimes realy strange. Huge thanks for help!
Thanks this has made my parents tv viewing slot easier and now they have it others have decided to do the same
Brilliant. Thanks!
This really made my day! I've only been using 1 input (HDMI) of my tv for years and had to switch from TV every time it powered on. This really is an excellent feature and thank you for sharing!
thank you, after 2years finally improved my panasonic :)
Thanks alot! Worked on my Panasonic PX-P42X10 plasma tv. This has bothered me for two years now. Incredibly stupid of Panasonic not to include this feature in the standard mode.
That is excellent and many thanks for this. Both my bedroom LCD and living room plasma have been annoying me on this for ages. This fix however works perfect in both.
Brilliant. My 42" Viera used to power on in AV1 position. Perfect. Then I moved it from one side of the room to another and it decided to turn on on channel 21 - AKA snow. Your solution restored normalcy.
Thank you a million times.
Thanx you so much....also worked on my panasonic TH-50PZ
Thanks! Worked on my Panasonic PZ85. It has irritated me for 3 years.
is there a way I can disable the power button on the tv only with this menu or another one? my toddler keeps turning the tv off by the power button on the tv and its doing my head in x
Kera
I don't think there is an easy answer. You could put black tape over the button and then switch the TV on from the wall socket.
If you use hotel mode to set button lock then you can't get back into hotel mode to unset it so could never use the TV buttons again. Sorry there is no obvious solution!
Thanks a lot.
Hi Rik!! Thank you SO MUCH for publishing this trick!! We have our TiVo box setup on HDMI2 and it's always been a pain to use two remotes in order to watch TV. This is one of the best tricks I've learned in a long time. Thanks a ton!
thank you very much, works very well, now our television is much easier to operate.
thank you!
Thank you very very very much! Just purchased a new 2011 LCD HD 32inch and this still works also there are a couple of new options now available on the Hotel mode menu - not had time to play with these yet;-)
Thanks a bundle - I've just spent three hours trying to resolve this on a new Panasonic 37" TV before I found your advice. Great work !!
Thanks for this, certainly makes life easier.
Thank you for this, you saved my life
Helped me out immensely
Thanks a lot - I found your article after 2+ years of having to switch to the first HDMI channel upon turning on the tv. Now I can say goodbye to the AV button! :D
thanks very much been using the av button for 2yrs to get cable at start up , just got a bluray player and it dont auto switch to hdmi2 when i power on any help please????
Stu - Hotel Mode can be used to select the default but this means you need to manually select other inputs. I think it will only auto select your bluray if you don't use Hotel Mode to select the default input.
Thanks a lot for this. My wife is blind and this makes her life easier!
Been wishing for this for ages. Auto-detect would be better, but being able to set my default is good.
From Portugal, thanks
A great find! Thanks for writing it up.
It works just fine on my 2011 Viera and allows choice of the initial channel viewed as well as selection of DVB chan only. Great!
Thanks a lot! I had issues with my tv and the directv remote that made it power un on "PC". But now everything is fine.
Thanks for that.
Panasonic P42G20B
Had Sky installed, but couldn't boot straight to HDMI.
Works - Will give it a go.
Very useful thank you!!
Hey! thank you! it works on my plasma from 2006! by the way might be useful to say that the -/v button stands for volume down. took me a minute to figure that out.
hey is there a way to take it out of hotel mode if necessary?
Many Thanks
A big thank you. I had forgotten how you came to this menu. Have switched to a new Panasonic and it was a few years ago I made this setting on the old one.
Was mad at it when it first started up on the analog everytime and it was just image noise.
Thanx for the excelent tip! This increases the WAF on our '06 plasma & MP based HTPC.
just brilliant..
Thank you for saving me 6 button presses every day :o)
Works fine - thank you very much!
Greetings from Germany!
Thank you so much and for sharing with us. Why Panosonic does not make this an easy setting to change I don't know.
Life saver - I was going crazy! My wife was giving me **** because of the NOT easy-to-use TV I bought.
Great
Thanks! Defaulting to TV tuner each time was driving me crazy, I don't even have TV cable. I suspected it must be changeable somehow but I never thought about a secret hotel mode.
@jon: Hahaha same here! This really helps a lot!!
Oh joy! Best menu ever! Thx mate!
Your a lifesaver my mum was having a nightmare. Thanks solo much :) !!!
Echoing everyone's thanks.
I have connected our bird box camera to the TV on AV1 which has no other aerials etc connected.
Wanted Mrs to be able to flick a mains switch and see the birds!
Mission accomplished thanks to this article.
thanks again.
Brilliant and so easy when you know how.
Thank you. This has made it easier for my parents and children to use.
Excellent hack... Been 2 years of having to select the HDMI input for Sky! final switch the TV on and have it on to the correct input straight away!
Thanks for the info.
Rik, you made my day. I love Forums and helpful answers. Have a great wkd!
Thanks, working perfectly.
Excellent! Two years and this hack is still useful. Just set my plasma to default to hdmi2.
Thanks,
John.
Thanks, this helped a lot!
Thank you so much! This is why the internet is brilliant... my elderly mother was so confused by her new TV not going straight to the channels after the analogue signal was switched off. I tried to mark up the remote so she'd select AV, but if she pressed too hard or the wrong one... disaster! This works like a dream. No more confusion... woohoo!
Thanks, simple instructions to resolve an annoying problem.
HERMES 2 years ago
Thanks for the info. It works on plasmas from 2009. Thanks again. It's very usefull