How to set up DVD Recoder connected to my cable box?

[jlienard]

I just bought a dvd HD recorder to replace my vcr. Do I set it up just like the vcr and have the dvd recorder channel set to 3 or 4? The manual shows to run a channel setup on the recorder to obtain all the channels from the cable but I would think that is only necessary if you are connect cable directly to unit and not using a digit cable box. Please straighten me out. Also will using a cable box eliminate me from recording one program and watching another as it did with my vcr?

[FulciLives]

Here is how I would do it ...

Split the cable so that one goes straight to the cable box and one goes straight to the DVD recorder.

This way you can use the tuner built-in to the DVD recorder to record any of the analog cable channels. Thus you don't have to go through the cable box.

Of course certain channels like the digital channels and the ON DEMAND stuff etc. will have to go through the cable box.

So connect the cable box to the DVD recorder using the A/V outputs of the cable box (use S-Video instead of composite for better quality) and this connects to one of the inputs on the DVD recorder. Generally speaking a DVD recorder has 1 tuner input (the RF cable input) and at least 2 A/V inputs.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jlienard]

FulciLives,
If I do not use splitter but go directly from the cable box to the dvd recorder, do I still go through the recorder's channel scan and/or when I record or view do I just put the channel on channel 4 as I did with my VCR unit?

The splitter sounds like a good way but we at times like to save a in demand movie for later viewing.

Tks, for your reply

[FulciLives]

FulciLives,
If I do not use splitter but go directly from the cable box to the dvd recorder, do I still go through the recorder's channel scan and/or when I record or view do I just put the channel on channel 4 as I did with my VCR unit?

The splitter sounds like a good way but we at times like to save a in demand movie for later viewing.

Tks, for your reply

All cable boxes have a RF input. That is your cable input. The big black thick wire that comes from the wall with the screw end that has a "pin" in it.

So that goes into the RF input on the cable box.

Now your cable box should also have a RF output BUT these days most if not all cable boxes have an RF output as well as 1 or more A/V outputs. There should be a composite video output (the yellow plug) as well as a possible S-Video output (the one with a bunch of pins). For the audio there should be the white/red stereo audio plugs.

So for "best" quality you should connect the cable box to the DVD Recorder using the A/V outputs of the cable box and use S-Video instead of composite if your cable box has S-Video output (otherwise just use composite video i.e., the yellow plug).

This will give you better image quality than using the RF output of the cable box.

So the DVD Recorder has to be set to the input that you use (usually called a "line" input) and the cable box must be one and tuned to the station you want to watch/record.

If the cable box is turned off then the DVD Recorder gets no signal at all when connected in this mannor whereas if you use the RF output of the cable box to the DVD Recorder you should still get a signal even when the cable box is turned off but then you have to use the tuner built-in to the DVD Recorder and even then you would only get access to the "analog" channels ... not the "digital" channels nor the ON DEMAND stuff.

So you might as well just use the A/V outputs of the cable box to the DVD Recorder as this will give best quality.

When you program the DVD Recorder to record you would just pick the line input (line 1 or line 2 etc.) that the cable box is connected to. It is then the cable box that determines the channel to be recorded (whatever channel the cable box is set to). So you have to either use the cable box timer (set timer on the cable box and the DVD Recorder) or if you are lucky your DVD Recorder came with an "IR Blaster" which is a device that can be used to turn on the cable box to the desired channel when setting up only the DVD Recorder for recording. Thus with the "IR Blaster" you don't have to also set up the cable box as well.

I hope that makes sense LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Frobozz]

An option to using a splitter is to run the RF cable first to the DVD recorder and then from the DVD recorder to the DVR. The RF output from a DVD recorder merely passes through the input so it works the same as splitting the RF cable.

[FulciLives]

An option to using a splitter is to run the RF cable first to the DVD recorder and then from the DVD recorder to the DVR. The RF output from a DVD recorder merely passes through the input so it works the same as splitting the RF cable.

This type of set up limits the DVD Recorder to only being able to record from the "analog" cable channels. It will not be able to record the "digital" cable channels nor any of the ON DEMAND type content.

Also you cannot loop back from the cable box to the DVD Recorder under this type of set up as it will cause "feedback". Very bad.

So nice idea but this will not work out for the thread creator as he (she?) said that ON DEMAND recording was a must.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Frobozz]

An option to using a splitter is to run the RF cable first to the DVD recorder and then from the DVD recorder to the DVR. The RF output from a DVD recorder merely passes through the input so it works the same as splitting the RF cable.

This type of set up limits the DVD Recorder to only being able to record from the "analog" cable channels. It will not be able to record the "digital" cable channels nor any of the ON DEMAND type content.

Also you cannot loop back from the cable box to the DVD Recorder under this type of set up as it will cause "feedback". Very bad.

So nice idea but this will not work out for the thread creator as he (she?) said that ON DEMAND recording was a must.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I was presuming he'd also make the line connection from the DVR to the line inputs of the DVD recorder in order to get the digital channels and ON DEMAND. This doesn't cause any loop feedback because there is no loop between the DVD recorder's line inputs and the RF input. This works fine as an alternative to splitting the RF cable ahead of the DVR.

[cersei69]

Hi folks. Will this method work for Samsung DVD HR-735 hard disk recorder I plan to buy with my NTL cable box? Thanks

[FulciLives]

Hi folks. Will this method work for Samsung DVD HR-735 hard disk recorder I plan to buy with my NTL cable box? Thanks

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman