VCR Recording

[tb582]

If I hook up my cable like so:

From the wall to my cable box, then from my cable box to my VCR with coax. Then from my VCR to my TV with RCA. Will my VCR record in stereo sound? I know that coax only produces a mono sound but carries the stereo sound it just doesn't know what to do with it. But the VCR does so it should be able to record in stereo right?

[SingSing]

Coax carried any type of signals. If the material has stereo sound, then your recording will have stereo.

Most mordern TV and VCR, can hook up to Cable directly from the coax. You only need the cable box for pay per view, else you can return it.

[Marvingj]

Using a splitter on the coax does not drop the audio signal to mono... you'll still have full stereo (if you had cable TV, the coax through your house is split many times and you always have stereo).

This solution doesn't work for everyone (if you have multiple wanting to watch different shows on each TV), but I actually use my DTivo output to a couple TVs in the house. I ran two direct coax runs from my satellite to my DTivo, not using the house's wiring. I then plugged the output of my DTivo into the coax jack where I would normally receive cable TV. Then outside my house I determined which cable that signal was coming in on... and plugged it into the splitter feeding my entire house. I can now receive my DTivo programming on any TV in the house, just by plugging it into the coax jack in the wall.

[edDV]

If I hook up my cable like so:

From the wall to my cable box, then from my cable box to my VCR with coax. Then from my VCR to my TV with RCA. Will my VCR record in stereo sound? I know that coax only produces a mono sound but carries the stereo sound it just doesn't know what to do with it. But the VCR does so it should be able to record in stereo right?

An alternate hookup that often gets superior video quality is

Cable Coax -> Cable Box -> S-Video or Composite + audio (red/white RCA) -> VCR

This will use the MTS stereo decoder in the cable box.

[edong]

If I hook up my cable like so:

From the wall to my cable box, then from my cable box to my VCR with coax. Then from my VCR to my TV with RCA. Will my VCR record in stereo sound? I know that coax only produces a mono sound but carries the stereo sound it just doesn't know what to do with it. But the VCR does so it should be able to record in stereo right?

Maybe it's my ears. In my experience, the sound is mono when it comes from VCR with coax or cablebox with coax unless I do a pass-through(with a VCR). edDV's set up is sure to get you a stereo sound.

[tb582]

Thanks guys, I'm aware of that with my RCA cables I will get stereo sound. But I recently was talking with someone who said that if you go coax from the box to the VCR in that it will only record in mono... I'm thinking that the VCR will record in stereo even know its using coax, the coax cable still carries the stereo sound it just doesn't know what to do with it. But the VCR does.

[edDV]

Thanks guys, I'm aware of that with my RCA cables I will get stereo sound. But I recently was talking with someone who said that if you go coax from the box to the VCR in that it will only record in mono... I'm thinking that the VCR will record in stereo even know its using coax, the coax cable still carries the stereo sound it just doesn't know what to do with it. But the VCR does.

It will receive stereo by coax if the tuner has a MTS decoder that is set for stereo in the menus. Mono works better for weak signals.

[jman98]

I'm glad you guys helped him but...
tb582 - Your post is very much offtopic in the DIGITAL TV forum. May I suggest perhaps that VCR questions in the future would be better asked in another forum? Perhaps the Newbie forum for example. Usually questions this far offtopic don't get as much help as you got.