I have a recently purchased HDTV that automatically receives the digital broadcasts. I do not have cable TV of any kind; I just watch the local broadcast channels.
How do I use my old analog VCR to record TV shows? All of the instructions I’ve found so far talk about hooking the VCR up to the converter box, which I don’t have since the TV doesn’t need it.
(This answer assumes you are located in the US)
>How to record from a digital TV using an analog VCR?
You buy a converter box and install it between your antenna and VCR. You will probably want to put a splitter on your antenna so you can attach separate cables to your DTV & converter box.
Almost no TVs have video outputs, so there is no way to record a program "from" the TV. The VCR needs to have its own video source, and a converter box is the only cheap way to do this.
The better models of converters are no longer stocked in stores. You will probably have to get a used one off of ebay.
just plug it in with a standard scart lead. a vcr only records the `finished product`, ie whats on the screen. how it gets there ie digitally or by normal transmission, makes no difference. for example, if you take your camcorder and play it back on your tv, you can record the images onto tape, cant you? and that hasnt been broadcast at all, its the finished product. try a scart lead and see what you get.
References :
You need a digital to analog converter box between the antenna and vcr or you can get a vcr with a digital tuner built in. If you go with a converter box, you will be able to record a show on the channel the box is set to. If you get a digital tuner built in, you’ll be able to set the vcr to record one show on one channel then record another on a different channel without being home to manually change the station.
References :
(This answer assumes you are located in the US)
>How to record from a digital TV using an analog VCR?
You buy a converter box and install it between your antenna and VCR. You will probably want to put a splitter on your antenna so you can attach separate cables to your DTV & converter box.
Almost no TVs have video outputs, so there is no way to record a program "from" the TV. The VCR needs to have its own video source, and a converter box is the only cheap way to do this.
The better models of converters are no longer stocked in stores. You will probably have to get a used one off of ebay.
References :
http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/VCRs_and_Converter_Boxes.html
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/converterbox_vcr.html
You can record from a VCR by using a 2-port splitter. Connect your antenna to the input, port 1 to your TV’s antenna jack, and port 2 to the VCR antenna jack. Connect the VCR’s A-V (yellow-red-white) output to a similar input on your TV.
However, you won’t be thrilled with the result after watching live HD broadcasts. The recorded program on the VCR will be standard-def, narrow screen analog, and it won’t be as clear as if you had the VCR hooked up to an old analog TV. HDTV’s are designed for digital input, and give the best picture from a digital source.
As an alternative, if you want to do a lot of recording off the air, consider an outboard tuner-DVR with an ATSC tuner. See the link below for an example. These are not cheap, but this particular model gets good user reviews, and it works essentially the same as a cable or satellite DVR.
Edit: forgot a key element: you’ll need a digital-to-analog converter between port 2 of the splitter and the input to your VCR. Another reason to invest in a digital DVR like the reference.
References :
http://www.dishnetwork.com/dtvpal/dvr.shtml
The Dish Network TV Pal converter box has a eight
event VCR timer that will restore the VCR function.
I have one and use it every day. I bought mine at Kmart, but
they don’t sell it anymore. The better answer is to buy
a Panasonic DVD recorder at Best Buy for $230. I have
two of those along with my VCR. A strong signal from a
roof antenna is best for a viewable recording.
References :
The old Sony VCRs work best with the converter box,
least picture shake.