Digital TV box- VCR question -NF

[Pigeontroller]

Can someone more techically savy than myself shed some light on this for me. Since hooking up the digital cable adapter in the fall I've noticed that we can no longer record with the VCR while watching another show...Traditionally the cable would go through the VCR then to the TV, so you could watch one show and record another. I hooked up the digital adapter the way shown, cable goes directly to it, then through the VCR. Anyway, I tried running the cable into the VCR first and of course there's no signal when the VCR is on...Is there a way to do this? I assume the VCR just doesn't read the digital signal...

[pikehunter]

Same here. Fortunately the vcr is in the rec room and there is also a tv in the living room. We can record through the tv even if the tv gets shut off but I can no longer set the vcr program in advance for timer recording. as the callender on it doesn't go beyond 2011. If I want to use the timer then I'll have to figure out which year the dates line up with 2012 and I haven't looked that up yet.

[pics]

Thats why I went and got a PVR....too complicated with the vcr....or maybe it's cause I'm over 40...

[mercman]

Dax, look into a DVD writer. I believe the better models have a biuilt in digital decoder.They work exactly the same ways a a vcr, except they write to a hardrive then onto the DVD disc automatically.They are really inexpensive now too.

 

 

Paul

[Muskieman]

Split the cable ... Send one to the BOX and another to the VCR ... Then use your AV ( red , yellow , white) and hook em up to the input on your TV... This way you totally by-pass the Cable Box ... I did exactly what I described for the TV in my Man Cave ...

 

I hope that my instructions are clear.

 

Good Luck!

 

Randy

[John Bacon]

If the cable goes directly to the VCR then to the TV; then all stations are available to the VCR which allows you to record one station and watch another.

 

If the cable runs to the box and then to the VCR, the VCR will only receive the channel that the box is set to. Thus, you cannot watch one show and record another as you have already discovered.

 

Running the cable to the VCR and then to the box should allow you to record one show and watch anther (I haven't actually tried this). However, you would only be able to record the basis channels. You would not be able to record any channels that required a digital box. You wouldn't be able to record any channels in the triple digit range for example.

 

If your TV has PIP (Picture in Picture) you probably notice that it doesnt' work either. That is because your TV only receives one channel now.