Record cable TV show on VCR

[indiannawaf]

Hi Forum,
I want to record a 30 minute long TV show on a blank tape using my VCR. I have a cable wire directly coming into my house (no cable box or anything). The cable wire is connected to my TV and the VCR is also connected to my TV. How do i do it? Is the current connection enough or do i have to do anything else? Also, i want to watch the show at the same time and i want the recording to stop automatically after 30 minutes.

Thanks for any replies.

[jagabo]

Plug the cable coax from the wall into the input of your VCR. Run a short length of coax between the output of the VCR and the input of the TV. Tune the VCR to the channel you want to record. Set the TV on channel 3 (or maybe 2 or 4 depending on your VCR and how it's set up). Watch and record.

http://www.rcn.com/customer/cabletv/diagrams/diagrams4.htm

[indiannawaf]

Tune the VCR to the channel you want to record.

Thanks for the reply and sorry for me bothering you people with such questions but....how do i tune the channels using VCR? I have a JVC VCR.

[jagabo]

Use the channel up an down buttons on the VCR or its remote.

[mikel]

also, you may want to check the vcr set-up menu.
There may be an option to automatically fine-tune the available channels.

[neomaine]

indiannawaf,

Actaully, I'd recommend you pick up cable splitter at a nearby ratailer. You try any Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, K-mart.....anyone that sells electronics should have them.

Plug you cable into one end (probably says 'IN') and run cables from the 'OUT' on the splitter to each your VCR and your TV. This will allow you to watch TV and record something at the same time. You'll be able to watch Green Acres while recording Gilligan's Island at the same time! Or, whatever it is that you watch.

It would help if we have the make and model of both your TV and VCR.

[j1d10t]

indiannawaf,

Actaully, I'd recommend you pick up cable splitter at a nearby ratailer. You try any Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, K-mart.....anyone that sells electronics should have them.

Plug you cable into one end (probably says 'IN') and run cables from the 'OUT' on the splitter to each your VCR and your TV. This will allow you to watch TV and record something at the same time. You'll be able to watch Green Acres while recording Gilligan's Island at the same time! Or, whatever it is that you watch.

To watch one program and record another you don't need a splitter - in fact this may degrade the quality of the cable signal (something to think about in case you are trying to get the best picture you can). To watch one program and record another you can either use the timer record function on the VCR, or if you are recording manually you can start the recording then push the "VCR/TV" button and it will record the channel you have the VCR set to, and send the regular cable signal though so you can change the channel on your TV to watch something else.

[buttzilla]

Plug the cable coax from the wall into the input of your VCR. Run a short length of coax between the output of the VCR and the input of the TV. Tune the VCR to the channel you want to record. Set the TV on channel 3 (or maybe 2 or 4 depending on your VCR and how it's set up). Watch and record.

http://www.rcn.com/customer/cabletv/diagrams/diagrams4.htm

This only works if your VCR has a built in tv tunner. If its a old one it will. If it's a new VCR combo DVD player it probably doe's not. The reason they do not is most people have Cable or satelite boxes. So there is no need for the built in tv tuner. You would normaly would come from the cabel box to the vcr then the tv. If you don't have the built in tuner and you don't have a cable box It wont work.

[j1d10t]

This only works if your VCR has a built in tv tunner. If its a old one it will. If it's a new VCR combo DVD player it probably doe's not.

You're kidding, right? It's been a long time since I got a VCR (probably 10 years)..... I can't belive that they would not include a tuner in the newer ones. That seems really crappy I know a lot of people that don't have a cable box because they have the "extended basic" cable, and only get something like 60 channels.

[buttzilla]

This only works if your VCR has a built in tv tunner. If its a old one it will. If it's a new VCR combo DVD player it probably doe's not.

You're kidding, right? It's been a long time since I got a VCR (probably 10 years)..... I can't belive that they would not include a tuner in the newer ones. That seems really crappy I know a lot of people that don't have a cable box because they have the "extended basic" cable, and only get something like 60 channels.

No I'm not kidding. My old vcr died so I went looking for a new one. . I got a Toshiba model but i read the info on the boxes for that and the other brands and found none of these newer ones had a built in tuner. I checked the sony, panasonic samsung and a phillips model. None had it. I asked the worker in that department and he told me it's getting rare to find them with it. I'm sure someone still makes them but I couldnt find one at Bestbuy and target. Its also getting harder to find just a VCR and not a VCR-DVD combo. And to add to the cable thing around here Comcast kinda forced everyone to upgrade to Digital boxes from the analog. They moved all the premium channels up to the 300 range to prevent people who had analog hot boxes to lose all the premium channels. So if you didnt just have basic cable you where forced to upgrade to digital.

[j1d10t]

No I'm not kidding. My old vcr died so I went looking for a new one. . I got a Toshiba model but i read the info on the boxes for that and the other brands and found none of these newer ones had a built in tuner. I checked the sony, panasonic samsung and a phillips model. None had it. I asked the worker in that department and he told me it's getting rare to find them with it. I'm sure someone still makes them but I couldnt find one at Bestbuy and target. Its also getting harder to find just a VCR and not a VCR-DVD combo.

I can't believe it. I mean, I believe you, it just seems like a stupid thing for manufacturers to do. I've noticed that finding a VCR and not a VCR/DVD combo is not easy - pretty much everywhere you go all you see are DVD players, and maybe one VCR/DVD combo. But I had no idea they didn't have built-in tuners... I've never really looked at them, as I'd rather have a seperate VCR and DVD player, and (thankfully) my VCR is still in really good shape.

[jagabo]

The situation might be different in India.