I am really confused & looking for help. Trying to hookup a VCR, HDTV receiver, and an LCD TV. The HDTV receiver plays well with the TV. The VCR used to play well with the TV. Unfortunately the 3 together aren't working out. Here's what I've got - where did I go wrong? - OTA antenna goes in to VCR & out to HD box. RCA cable goes from VCR to TV, composite cable goes from HD box to TV. OTA signal goes OK thru VCR to HD & on to TV OK. Do I need channel 4 instead of 3? Can't get menu for VCR to show on TV. ARGH! Thanks for any help!
Listen pal (I always wanted to write that ), I am assuming you can't play a tape on the VCR and see the video, if you can't get the VCR's menu to show up either. If, as you say, you have the "RCA cable goes from VCR to TV" then you must change inputs on the TV in order to see the VCR's output signal. And in doing this you are bypassing the TV's tuner, so channel 3 vs. 4 is irrelevant.
pal177
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Am I ever a mixed up "pal" - argh - I must have been delirious from juggling 3 remotes when I wrote that question. Thanks for your thoughts! As it turns out, I DON'T have an RCA cable (or any other type) going from the VCR to the TV. So I think the Hi Def Set Top Box didn't know what to do with the analog signal that the VCR was sending to it via the coax OTA antenna cable.
So I presume if I add the missing RCA cable from VCR to TV, and I set the TV mode to the right video-in port, all will be fine. That means switching the TV mode back & forth for either the VCR or the Hi Def to work.
I'm also thinking of another approach - splitting the OTA coax antenna into two - 1 for the VCR, 1 for the Hi Def box. The VCR will run a coax antenna cable to the TV, the Hi Def tuner will run component cable to the TV. This would allow a compromise in the hi-tech battle: the TV could be operated the "old fashioned" way (which the rest of my family understands real well & isn't afraid of) and I can switch the TV to component mode when we want Hi Def. Makes sense? Any pitfalls? Phew!! Thanks!
Maybe not, but it does know channel 3 or 4 from the antenna out on the box, and it does know the composite line outputs from the same box. Either if these can be used to record any channel on the box. The recording won't be HD of course, but it'll still work.
), I am assuming you can't play a tape on the VCR and see the video, if you can't get the VCR's menu to show up either. If, as you say, you have the "RCA cable goes from VCR to TV" then you must change inputs on the TV in order to see the VCR's output signal. And in doing this you are bypassing the TV's tuner, so channel 3 vs. 4 is irrelevant.