DVD recorder connection help. (long post)

[de8212]

Does anyone have a similar setup?

[*]Stand alone DVD Recorder
[*]Cable Box
[*]TV

Can you record higher channles on your DVD recorder (above say, channel 60 or 99)?

Can you record one program while watching a different?

If you answered yes, can you offer me some assistance?
If you answered no, can you give it a shot?

Previous hookup is as follows:
coax from the wall>cable box input>coax out of cable box>coax input of dvd recorder>coax out of dvd recorder to TV.

This is how the dvd recorder manual suggested. When we did this and had the dvd recorder powered ON, it would not AUTO find any channels. When the dvd recorder was powered OFF, cable could be watched fine through the cable box. I assume (I know I left this wide open) that you should be able to chanhge the channel with the dvd remote to, say channle 155, and record the program. Remember when vcr's were all we had and you would have to AUTO find the channels in order to be able to record them/watch them through the VCR?
I called magnavox (the maker of teh dvd recorder) and after a loooooong conversation he said our cable company must block people from recording things. I have no direct proof but I completely do not believe this.


Current hookup is as follows:
coax from the wall>cable box input>composite A/V out of cable box>composite EXT2 of dvd recorder>coax out of dvd recorder to TV
This method sorta works. EXT2 is an output on the back of the recorder. With the cable box connected to it, all stations can be recorded but we can't figure out a way to change the channel to watch a different show.

Note: In both connection methods above, the dvd recorder is also hooked up via component cable and composite audio to the tv. DVD's play fine in both methids so that should not be an issue.

I couldn't get a direct link to magnavox's dvd recorders but for refernence, here is the link for the dvd recorder @BB.
I don't have a link for the tv but it's a 42" plasma so it has numerous connections. and should be able to handle this.


Whew. Anyone have any advice they can offer, I would be greatful. I'm actually helping someon else with this and have spent several hours troubleshooting this.

 

[Dulanic]

Originally posted by: de8212
Does anyone have a similar setup?

[*]Stand alone DVD Recorder
[*]Cable Box
[*]TV

Can you record higher channles on your DVD recorder (above say, channel 60 or 99)?

Can you record one program while watching a different?

If you answered yes, can you offer me some assistance?
If you answered no, can you give it a shot?

Previous hookup is as follows:
coax from the wall>cable box input>coax out of cable box>coax input of dvd recorder>coax out of dvd recorder to TV.

This is how the dvd recorder manual suggested. When we did this and had the dvd recorder powered ON, it would not AUTO find any channels. When the dvd recorder was powered OFF, cable could be watched fine through the cable box. I assume (I know I left this wide open) that you should be able to chanhge the channel with the dvd remote to, say channle 155, and record the program. Remember when vcr's were all we had and you would have to AUTO find the channels in order to be able to record them/watch them through the VCR?
I called magnavox (the maker of teh dvd recorder) and after a loooooong conversation he said our cable company must block people from recording things. I have no direct proof but I completely do not believe this.


Current hookup is as follows:
coax from the wall>cable box input>composite A/V out of cable box>composite EXT2 of dvd recorder>coax out of dvd recorder to TV
This method sorta works. EXT2 is an output on the back of the recorder. With the cable box connected to it, all stations can be recorded but we can't figure out a way to change the channel to watch a different show.

Note: In both connection methods above, the dvd recorder is also hooked up via component cable and composite audio to the tv. DVD's play fine in both methids so that should not be an issue.

I couldn't get a direct link to magnavox's dvd recorders but for refernence, here is the link for the dvd recorder @BB.
I don't have a link for the tv but it's a 42" plasma so it has numerous connections. and should be able to handle this.


Whew. Anyone have any advice they can offer, I would be greatful. I'm actually helping someon else with this and have spent several hours troubleshooting this.

Here is the way I would do it.... if you want to watch something else...

First option, low quality:

Cable out of wall, into a spliter, split the coax to both the DVD and to the TV. That will let you record 1-99 or so and watch something else at the same time with the Cable box...

But how you SHOULD have it is with a HD Cable box... if you do what you should do is....

Spliter -> DVD Rec -> TV via component
Spliter -> Cable Box -> TV via component
Cable Box -> DVD Rec via S-Video

So what you can do... is record either via the cable box for channels 100+... and just use the built in tuner for channels below 100. Now you wont beable to watch both TV and record a DVD on channels 100+ at the same time, but this is the closest you can come...

Also the reason you cant auto find channels when the cable box is out is it doesnt passthrough the cable when its on, it outputs whatever channels your watching via channel 3.

 

[de8212]

Thanks for your info Dulanic.
I should have mentioned I tried the splitter method you desribed first and we could oonly get ~62 channels. They want to be able to record channels above that.

An afterthought was to have a splitter after the cable box. So coax out of wall to cable box>out of cable box to splitter>one site of splitter to tv/other side of splitter to dvd rec. Then connect dvd rec. to tv via component video and composite audio.
Thinking about this has just got me running in circles.

I will mention to him about the HD box. I don't thin he wants to pay more per month for cable though. I wonder if the cable co. can swap his box with one with multiple s-video out/??? Would that possibly work instead of the HD w/components?
I know they gave me a box with s-video out as well ast optical (sound) at no charge.

 

[Dulanic]

Originally posted by: de8212
Thanks for your info Dulanic.
I should have mentioned I tried the splitter method you desribed first and we could oonly get ~62 channels. They want to be able to record channels above that.

An afterthought was to have a splitter after the cable box. So coax out of wall to cable box>out of cable box to splitter>one site of splitter to tv/other side of splitter to dvd rec. Then connect dvd rec. to tv via component video and composite audio.
Thinking about this has just got me running in circles.

I will mention to him about the HD box. I don't thin he wants to pay more per month for cable though. I wonder if the cable co. can swap his box with one with multiple s-video out/??? Would that possibly work instead of the HD w/components?
I know they gave me a box with s-video out as well ast optical (sound) at no charge.

The spliter method will work, but here is what you need to do... when you want to record a digital channel you NEED to use the cable box to tune the channel you want, so you need to have the DVD Recorder on either the EXT input and use the cable box to tune to the channel (If you use Composite, or S-Video to hook the cable box to the DVD Recorder), or have the DVD recorder on Channel 3 and use the cable box to tune (If you hook the cable box to the DVD Recorder with coax). So when you are for example recording a digital channel on the DVD Recorder what you do is use the TV to change the channel using the TV tuner, so you can record a digital channel using the cabel box as a tuner, and watch a analog channel using the TV tuner. Or if you want to watch a digital channel while recording a analog channel, use the DVD recorders built in tuner to record a analog channel, and use the cable box for the TV to watch a digital channel.

You will never beable to have both the TV and the DVD Recorder both using a digital channel at the same time unless you have 2 cable boxes.