ILO DVDR04 Black Screensaver during VCR Playback?

[Racer2x]

Anybody else have this going on?: Almost every time I play a tape in my vcr for my kids, at least once or twice, during that time, I start getting a black screen, with something like a +R/RW icon towards the center. If I hit power or eject, or something else like that on the unit, it returns the video to the screen. I NEVER lose audio, just the video. Anybody have any idea what it is doing, why, and how I may get rid of it? Is it something stupid, I'm doing, or NOT doing? HELP! Thanks.

[solidsnake]

thats a screen saver, to prevent burn in from a static image like the dvd recorder menus. Do you have your vcr in an input, and have to turn your dvd recorder on all the time to watch a vcr movie? I would suggest hooking your vcr directly to the tv through your tvs a/v inputs. Or use the rf coaxial input and outputs from the vcr to the dvd recorder then to the tv. Then turn the channel on the tv to 3 to watch a movie.

[Racer2x]

I don't understand why the screensaver would be kicking in, since there IS no static image. My chain goes: Satellite out to vcr in, vcr out to Ilo's in, Ilo's out to TV in. It is an older RCA TV, but does have multiple inputs. I was running it THIS way, in the event that I wanted to convert some tapes to DVD. I might just have to skip that notion, at least for now.

[solidsnake]

I don't understand why the screensaver would be kicking in, since there IS no static image. My chain goes: Satellite out to vcr in, vcr out to Ilo's in, Ilo's out to TV in. It is an older RCA TV, but does have multiple inputs. I was running it THIS way, in the event that I wanted to convert some tapes to DVD. I might just have to skip that notion, at least for now.

yeah I understand what you mean. It shouldnt have a screen saver when its on input mode, but it does, I guess just a design flaw. But there is a way around it. On your vcr, use the yellow/white/red outputs on the back and hook it up to the ILO and when you want to record from the vcr or satallite, you can turn it to that input mode on the ilo. Then in addition to that, hook your normal coaxial cable from the vcr to the ilo, and then run another normal coaxial cable from the ilo to the tv. This is how I have mine hooked up, it lets me watch my vcr tapes without turning on the Ilo, you have to turn the tv to channel 3 or 4 depending on the vcr setup, and if you need to record something on the fly you can still do that easily. I hope this helps

update: Actually I misunderstood your question I think, your saying the screensaver turns on while your watching a vcr movie through the Ilo? I dont know whats wrong then, thats strange.

[RowMan]

My LiteON DVD 5001 (which is the same as the ILO) does the same thing. I find that very old tapes and over-the-air TV recordings with poor reception tend to make the screen-saver kick in. It may have to do with the signal strength of the tape. Newer tapes and better recordings rarely activate the screen saver if at all.

[Racer2x]

That's EXACTLY what I thought was going on. For instance, it always does it during my kid's tapes, which are at least 5-8 years old, and never any other time. I have an ehnhancer, downstairs, between my other vcr, and my PC's capture card ( My old way of burning to DVD). I might have to drag that puppy up here, and give it a shot, before the Ilo. Otherwise, I'll do what Solidsnake said: Split the signal coming out of the satellite reciever, with the composite hookups going straight to the Ilo, and the coax going to the vcr. then, if I want to , I could take the coax out of the vcr, back into the coax in of the Ilo. That will kill 2 birds with one stone: 1) get rid of THIS issue, and 2) Get rid of that annoying static audio and video snow, as I flip past the coax input option on the "source" menu for the Ilo.

[solidsnake]

Otherwise, I'll do what Solidsnake said: Split the signal coming out of the satellite reciever, with the composite hookups going straight to the Ilo, and the coax going to the vcr. then, if I want to , I could take the coax out of the vcr, back into the coax in of the Ilo. That will kill 2 birds with one stone: 1) get rid of THIS issue, and 2) Get rid of that annoying static audio and video snow, as I flip past the coax input option on the "source" menu for the Ilo.

When you say split from satallite, you mean have two pairs of yellow/red/white going to the vcr and ilo? You record satallite programs with both devices? Also if you dont use the tuner in the ilo, I would say just bypass that completely, and hook the screwtype coax cable from the vcr out to the tv in, then you wont have to deal with the ilo when you just want to watch tv or a vhs movie. And then if you want to record from sat or vcr, just turn the ilo on to whatever input its hooked up in. the Ilo tuner sucks, its also in mono.

[Racer2x]

No. What I mean is I have both a coax out, AND RCA outs, from my satellite. I NEVER use the ILO tuner, as it is useless, both to myself AND to others. Since I have a Satellite, I am forced to use the sat reciever's tuner, and that's fine, since all that I've read about the ILO's tuner has been less than praiseful. My sat reciever is of the dual tuner flavor, so it is quite flexible on outs. However, due to my setup, and the fact that my TV is about 15 years old, I almost HAVE to run the ILO between the satellite and the TV, so each time I watch TV, the ILO is on, and that's fine. RIght now, my beef is with the VCR signal, and that damned screensaver. Right now, I am dubbing to disk, a VCR tape I recorded off my old satellite, and have not had one single problem with that screensaver, so it MUST be a signal issue, cause this tape being dubbed isn't more than 3 years old (The Knack, in concert. Yeehaa!!!).

[Racer2x]

Afterthought: Here's a suggestion for Guitarman. Maybe see if there is a hack to turn this stinkin' screensaver on and off, via menu! LOL.