Connecting DVD-Recorder - DMR-ES15S

[winterwolfes]

I just got a panasonic DMR-ES15S with my American Express Reward Points. I was very disappointed with the lack of digital audio recording capability but overall since this is my first DVD-recorderd I am happy with it.

I have comcast digital cable and am having a hard time figuring out how to optimally connect the dvd-recorder. If I run the cable through the box and then into the dvd-recorder then out to the TV, I can't watch one program while recording another. I also cannot use the scheduling option on the DVD player because the player doesn't control the channels. So I tried connecting the cable to the dvd recorder first and then out to the tv, but by doing this I don't get any channel over 100 and all the channels are now in analog because comcast digital cable doesn't work without the cable box.

I also have a yamaha a/v receiver so right now I have the cable connect to the cable box then I have the coax coming out of there and straight into the dvd recorder and the dvd audio and video outs to the a/v reciver. I then have the component audio out and s-video out going from the cable box to the a/v reciever. So when I watch tv that I am not recording I do it through the A/V reciever. And when I want to watch a movie and record it, I switch the received over to the DVD player and I do it though the DVD-recorder. The audio isn't as good which sucks since its only in analog so on movies with 5.1 its not as exciting.

Anyway, is there a better way to do this? I would like to be able to use the schedule feature of the dvd-recorder. Or better yet, be able to watch one movie while recording another.

[FulciLives]

The best way is to get two cable boxes. Split the "raw" cable line into two with a 2-way splitter and one goes to cable box 1 and the other goes to cable box 2.

The outputs of cable box 1 goes to the TV/Stereo Receiver for watching cable ... the outputs of cable box 2 goes to the DVD recorder. Then the outputs of the DVD recorder goes to another input of the TV/Stereo Receiver.

With this set-up you then use cable box 1 only to watch stuff and with cable box 2 you use it only to record stuff. As for doing the programming ... you program the DVD recorder and the cable box separately. The cable box will be connected to say "LINE 1" of the DVD recorder so all of your programming on the DVD recorder will be set up to record from "LINE 1". You then program the cable box to turn on and off and there you select the channel to turn on and off.

Some DVD recorders come with a "cable eye" which is a cable that plugs into the DVD recorder and is a long wire with a sensor at the end that you tape on the front of the cable box where the IR transmitter for the remote is. The "cable eye" then turns on the cable box and tunes in the channel based on the programming of the DVD recorder ... thus you don't have to program both ... just the DVD recorder. If your DVD recorder did not come with this then check the manual as one may be available to order. Otherwise you have to program both the DVD recorder and cable box.

- John "FucliLives" Coleman