Can't get VCR to record

[jacatone]

All my TVs are the older CRTs. I recently got a Panasonic PV-D4732 VCR/DVD combo deck with a digital to analog converter. I routed the out from the converter to the into antenna co-axial on the deck. The out from the deck to the TV. The picture displays fine when the deck is in TV mode but shows a blue screen when I switch it to VCR to record. Everythings on channel 3. Usually the picture shows fine in either mode. Don't quite understand the problem.


Please don't respond with "That setup is so old why are you using it?" or "I recently switched to all digital, so should you".

[DB83]

Being on the other side of the pond I do not know that you mean by 'Channel 3'

But have you simply tried doing a scan for all available channels on the vcr deck ?

[hech54]

Personally I'm getting conflicting reports as to whether that thing actually records to VHS.

[usually_quiet]

Personally I'm getting conflicting reports as to whether that thing actually records to VHS.

The manual says the deck can record to VHS (although not to DVD).

[usually_quiet]

All my TVs are the older CRTs. I recently got a Panasonic PV-D4732 VCR/DVD combo deck with a digital to analog converter. I routed the out from the converter to the into antenna co-axial on the deck. The out from the deck to the TV. The picture displays fine when the deck is in TV mode but shows a blue screen when I switch it to VCR to record. Everythings on channel 3. Usually the picture shows fine in either mode. Don't quite understand the problem.


Please don't respond with "That setup is so old why are you using it?" or "I recently switched to all digital, so should you".

If you set up the deck and scanned for channels, maybe a component has failed. Can it still play VHS tapes successfully?

Blank VHS tapes are no longer being manufactured. It might be wise to start thinking about what you will do when all your existing tapes and/or VCRs have worn out.

Maybe you won't like the idea, but there are relatively inexpensive ATSC converter boxes that would allow you to record to a USB stick or USB hard drive and output video to an old CRT TV. http://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HW-150PVR-HomeWorx-Converter-Recording/dp/B00I2ZBD1U/...+converter+box

[jacatone]

I have about 500 blank VHS tapes and I'm 65 years old. I see the FCC is thinking of allowing 3rd party DVR manufacturers to sell to consumers, so they won't be forced to rent one or buy a Tivo and rent a cable card. Probably won't come to pass given this govt. is a corrupt POS.

[usually_quiet]

I have about 500 blank VHS tapes and I'm 65 years old. I see the FCC is thinking of allowing 3rd party DVR manufacturers to sell to consumers, so they won't be forced to rent one or buy a Tivo and rent a cable card. Probably won't come to pass given this govt. is a corrupt POS.

Your political opinions are irrelevant to your problems and political discussions aren't allowed here anyway.

Did you set the clock on your deck and perform the rest of the set up procedure or what? Failing to do that might cause a blue screen if you are trying to record. At least it has for me.

[newpball]

I have about 500 blank VHS tapes .....

[gastrof]

All my TVs are the older CRTs. I recently got a Panasonic PV-D4732 VCR/DVD combo deck with a digital to analog converter. I routed the out from the converter to the into antenna co-axial on the deck. The out from the deck to the TV. The picture displays fine when the deck is in TV mode but shows a blue screen when I switch it to VCR to record. Everythings on channel 3. Usually the picture shows fine in either mode. Don't quite understand the problem.


Please don't respond with "That setup is so old why are you using it?" or "I recently switched to all digital, so should you".

I'm thinking the machine was meant to record to DVD and not to VHS. I'll check out the model number and see if I can find the manual online. If I can, it will be devoured, in particular the "recording" section.

[gastrof]

Being on the other side of the pond I do not know that you mean by 'Channel 3'

But have you simply tried doing a scan for all available channels on the vcr deck ?

For starters, I suspect the machine doesn't have a tuner, since the OP said it was being used with a separate TV tuner.

As for "channel 3", in the States (and Canada?) one of the ways of feeding a VCR's video and audio into a TV was by running the OTA antenna directly into the VCR, and then run an RF output from the VCR to the TV.

The VCR would normally let the antenna signal bypass the VCR and go directly to the TV, but if the VCR was active (and set accordingly), all the TV would receive on its antenna cable would be whatever the VCR was outputting.

VCRs had small RF modulators built-in, and you could set it to send on either OTA channel 3's frequency, or OTA channel 4's.

Set the TV accordingly (to channel 3 or 4) and you receive whatever picture and sound the VCR was sending, either using its tuner (if it had one), or playing a tape.

[gastrof]

This is for the OP, jacatone-

I found the manual. Seems the recorder has a TV tuner onboard. DO YOU HAVE THAT ONBOARD TUNER SET TO CHANNEL 3, AND IS THE DIGITAL CONVERTER BOX SET TO OUTPUT ON CHANNEL 3?

Double check both, please. By rights with or without trying to record, that should have given you access to whatever channel the digital box was receiving.

When you say you "switch it to VCR to record", what exactly do you mean?

The instructions don't say to make any such change when you want to record. (Page 21.)

Do you have the manual for this machine, or is it second-hand with no manual?

Manual download here-
http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/PV-D4732?t=manuals&support#tabs

[digitaljar]

Analog copy protection could be the problem!

[DB83]

@gastrof

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

I was well versed with the intricies of VCRs. What you describe is 'RF-pass through' which is a quite common feature for a VCR.

The OP's 'separate' tuner is a digital/analag converter box so I guess that has to be set to an output channel. Our VCRs only transmitted over a small part of the analogue range so I also guess that is happening with yours as well.

But as I type this I just wonder if the OP has also tuned his tv in to the VCRs output channel - he does mention 'channel 3' but what if the VCR is set on another ?

[usually_quiet]

I was well versed with the intricies of VCRs. What you describe is 'RF-pass through' which is a quite common feature for a VCR.

The OP's 'separate' tuner is a digital/analag converter box so I guess that has to be set to an output channel. Our VCRs only transmitted over a small part of the analogue range so I also guess that is happening with yours as well.

But as I type this I just wonder if the OP has also tuned his tv in to the VCRs output channel - he does mention 'channel 3' but what if the VCR is set on another ?

I think you have the right idea. Apparently jacatone is using a digital cable box of some kind, possibly one of the simple standard definition digital to analog decoders often supplied to basic cable subscribers in the US, which only have RF connections. Cable boxes can be set up to supply a signal on analog channel 3 or 4 over RF out. VCRs in the US can also be set up to use analog channel 3 or 4 for their RF out.

There is a choice between channels 3 and 4 because back in the analog era, one or the other would not be used by any of the broadcasters in a given area. Normally one would set the VCR up to output its signal on the channel not being used by any broadcaster. If the decoder box uses channel 3 for its output, the VCR should probably be set up to use channel 4 for its output to avoid interference, and vice versa.

[hech54]

But as I type this I just wonder if the OP has also tuned his tv in to the VCRs output channel - he does mention 'channel 3' but what if the VCR is set on another ?

That's because everything gastrof said was dead wrong. I just didn't have the strength to go into great detail since there was SO much wrong crammed into one post.

Long story short - "channel 3" has ZERO to do with recording. It is for playback only. If the VCR is set to channel 3(ON THE BACK OF THE MACHINE usually), once you press play and a signal is coming out of the cable, that signal with show on channel 3 of the television.

The instructions don't say to make any such change when you want to record.

because it has nothing to do with recording.
And if you choose "channel 3" on the cable box.....you will get whatever program is showing on channel 3.....so "channel 3" has nothing to do recording, and nothing to do with the cable box.

[usually_quiet]

I got out my VCR. I hooked the VCR up to a CRT TV and an RF source that can output SD video on NTSC channel 3. I set the VCR to use channel 3 for output, tuned the VCR to channel 3, and saw a picture with the TV tuned to channel 3. If I tuned the VCR to something other than channel 3, I saw a blue screen on the TV rather than a picture. If I turned off the VCR and tuned the TV to channel 3, I saw a picture. It could be that jacatone's VCR's tuner is not working properly or it wasn't actually tuned to channel 3.

jacatone's VCR remote can be set up to control a TV as well as the VCR and DVD player in the deck. The remote has TV,VCR, and DVD buttons, that select the device to be controlled. The remote has to be switched to VCR mode to control the VCR. Maybe that is what jacatone means by "switch it to VCR to record", but who knows other than jacatone.

[digitaljar]

Newer VCR combos, when copy protection is present, the VCR will respond the same way as a DVD Recorder; it will not activate the record feature.

Just curious, is there a recording mode as seen in the photos attached?

[gastrof]

...everything gastrof said was dead wrong...

Nothing gastrof said was wrong. I also suggested to the OP that he make sure everything was set to the correct RF channel, which would be needed even during "record", if he was to SEE what the recorder was doing.

You do need to monitor. He said he was getting a blue screen. This suggested SOMETHING wasn't set to the correct input or channel.

Oh, and the "channel 3" would be needed since he said HE WASN'T USING A CABLE BOX, but was using a digital to analog converter, apparently feeding out on OTA channel 3. He'd need everything set correctly, starting with the recorder set on "3", to take what the box was sending out.

Why in the world you'd say the info provided was wrong is very strange. It was all correct, and applied even during recording.

Please give specifics as to what was wrong, point by point.

Are you deliberately trying to mislead the OP?

[usually_quiet]

Newer VCR combos, when copy protection is present, the VCR will respond the same way as a DVD Recorder; it will not activate the record feature.

Just curious, is there a recording mode as seen in the photos attached?

Jacatone's combo only records on the VHS side. The DVD side is just a player. I looked at the manual, which says: "It is not possible to record from DVD/ Video CD/ CD to VHS tape using DECK." So, no, the deck doesn't allow dubbing from DVD to VHS or from VHS to DVD.

[hech54]

...everything gastrof said was dead wrong...

Nothing gastrof said was wrong. I also suggested to the OP that he make sure everything was set to the correct RF channel, which would be needed even during "record", if he was to SEE what the recorder was doing.

You do need to monitor. He said he was getting a blue screen. This suggested SOMETHING wasn't set to the correct input or channel.

Oh, and the "channel 3" would be needed since he said HE WASN'T USING A CABLE BOX, but was using a digital to analog converter, apparently feeding out on OTA channel 3. He'd need everything set correctly, starting with the recorder set on "3", to take what the box was sending out.

Why in the world you'd say the info provided was wrong is very strange. It was all correct, and applied even during recording.

Please give specifics as to what was wrong, point by point.

Are you deliberately trying to mislead the OP?

Try reading and understanding. Here's a hint....If you select channel 3 on the VCR's internal tuner.....you are watching channel 3 (CBS, NBC. ABC, CNN etc etc etc).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_3/4_output

THIS is where you "select" channel 3 as the OUTPUT on the VCR.....not via the remote/internal tuner:

[usually_quiet]

Oh, and the "channel 3" would be needed since he said HE WASN'T USING A CABLE BOX, but was using a digital to analog converter, apparently feeding out on OTA channel 3. He'd need everything set correctly, starting with the recorder set on "3", to take what the box was sending out.

I was confused by the use of the word "converter" in the first post in this thread as well. However, the OP could have cable service and use a cable box or DTA converter for digital cable given the complaints about needing a CableCARD and a TiVo to record using something other than the service provider's DVR.

In any case, it doesn't matter. Cable boxes, DTAs, and OTA converter boxes can all supply video and audio to a VCR with an analog tuner via an RF connection using either analog channel 3 or analog channel 4.