I have connected a Sharp Lc-13b2u Aquos LCD TV, a Direct TV D11 receiver, and a Magnavox zc352mw8 DVD recorder. This DVD recorder HAS a digital tuner. When I tune the channels, only channel 3 is tuned. This makes sense, I guess, since all channel changing is done through the box rather than the TV. However, does this mean that when I record I have to have the channel already set? Is there a way to hook up my equipment so that my DVD tuner will detect the channels through my box? Or am I just missing something? NOTE: I do NOT have a DVR!! Is this the essential element I'm missing?
My setup right now (which is apparently correct, according to the diagram provided with my DVD recorder): -RF from satellite into ant. in on box -RF from ant. out on box to ant. in on DVD -RCA audio and video out from box to audio and video in on DVD -RF out on box to ant. in on TV -RCA audio and video out from DVD to audio and video in on TV
No DVD recorder will directly tune satellite channels. Set the recorder on whatever input you connected the RCAs to to record from the sat, video will be far better than the RF input and audio will be stereo, RF audio will be mono.
If the Direct TV receiver has 2 sets of line outputs, connect the second one to the TV. Never use the RF in/out unless there's no other way to connect.