Old DVR recorder no signal?

[colt4523]

I decided to try my old dvrs to record some shows. First I tried my jvc and couldn't get a signal when I scanned for channels. The tray wouldn't open on that so I moved onto my pioneer. When I tried to set it up, I got the same results. When scanning for channels I get nothing. My cable provider is comcast and I have one of those digital converter boxes in my room. Main box is in the living room. Am I out of luck? Old dvr don't work with digital cable? I am pretty sure I hooked everything up correctly. Am I missing something? Any help would be appreciated.

[usually_quiet]

I decided to try my old dvrs to record some shows. First I tried my jvc and couldn't get a signal when I scanned for channels. The tray wouldn't open on that so I moved onto my pioneer. When I tried to set it up, I got the same results. When scanning for channels I get nothing. My cable provider is comcast and I have one of those digital converter boxes in my room. Main box is in the living room. Am I out of luck? Old dvr don't work with digital cable? I am pretty sure I hooked everything up correctly. Am I missing something? Any help would be appreciated.

If you are a Comcast customer with a DTA box (not a regular cable box), the DTA outputs video and audio via a coax connection on analog channel 3. This means the only way for you to use a DVR/DVD recorder for recording cable channels is to record everything from analog channel 3. Since the DTA boxes have to tune the digital cable channels instead of the DVR, you will need to manually change the channel on the DTA to the channel you want to record ahead of time.

[colt4523]

Thanks. I first realized that I hooked everything up wrong. Got that solved now. So I wont be able to watch one show and record another?

[usually_quiet]

So I wont be able to watch one show and record another?

That is correct. If you want to watch one channel and record another, you would need to rent a DVR from Comcast, or get a second DTA box for the TV, or build an HTPC with a CableCARD tuner, and rent a CableCARD from Comcast.