ok here is the issue, i am a female, so please explain in "female terminology." I just bought a panasonic dmr-es20 dvd recorder. I have a scientific atlanta cable box along with a maxent hdtv.. On the set up guide, it says that I need a cable splitter? I just want to know how to connect this thing with the accessories that came with the box. Do I need other accessories? Please help!!
If you want to be able to record analog channels, use a splitter, if not you don't need one. If you're going to use a splitter, split the incoming cable to the box and the recorder. Connect the box to the recorder with s-video or RCAs, if s-video you still need RCAs for audio. To record unscrambled analog channels, use the recorder's tuner. To record from the box, set the recorder on whatever input you connected the box to. Connect to the TV with the triple component cables so you can use progressive scan.
Connect the box to the recorder with RCA cables and set the recorder on whatever input you used. If the box has 2 sets of RCA outputs, connect one to the TV too, if not, connect coax from the box to the TV.
You have to do the whole disc. You can keep recording on the disc until it's finalized, then it can't be recorded on. If you use RW discs, they can be unfinalized, but compatibility with players isn't as good as DVD-R.