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  1. Member
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    I think that I may know the answer to this question already but just want to make sure.......

    I have a DVR box from my cable company. I have content saved there and I would like to feed that content into my DVD recorder. I hooked up all the cables appropriately but the receiving DVD recorder cannot see any image coming in nor does it detect any sound. I tried the S-video cable and I also tried RCA cables. Neither worked.

    The DVD recorder unit has an old analog tuner but it does not have a digital tuner. Is that the source of my problem?

    Thanks,

    TC
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  2. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by True Colors
    I think that I may know the answer to this question already but just want to make sure.......

    I have a DVR box from my cable company. I have content saved there and I would like to feed that content into my DVD recorder. I hooked up all the cables appropriately but the receiving DVD recorder cannot see any image coming in nor does it detect any sound. I tried the S-video cable and I also tried RCA cables. Neither worked.

    The DVD recorder unit has an old analog tuner but it does not have a digital tuner. Is that the source of my problem?

    Thanks,

    TC
    I assume we are talking all standard def here.

    No. Nothing to do with the tuner in the DVD recorder. Can you see live video at the DVD recorder from the same input?

    If you can see and hear the A/V from the same cable on a TV, then it is a DVD settings issue or the cable DVR is 5c blocking everything.
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    The cable DVR i have is part of my cable set top box. When I connect that directly to the TV it works fine. My television is a new Panasonic plasma with pretty much everything, just in case you need to know.

    Let me get something out of the way up front...... my connection path is set up this way

    coaxial wire from the wall-----> cable set top box(built in DVR)-----> DVD recorder------>TV set

    I had the cable box tuned to a standard definition channel. I fed that to the DVD recorder with an S-video cable. That did not work so I connected the cable box to the then to the TV set.

    At that point the TV set can recognize the signals originating from the DVD recorder(such as the menu). However, the signal from the cable box is not going through. It never makes it to the TV set.

    I do not mean to argue with you but I think that my problem is based on the lack of a digital ATSC tuner in this old DVD recorder. Here is my reasoning.......... I have a USB capture device which does contains a digital ATSC tuner. When I connect the USB device to my computer and hook it up to the cable box it instantly works fine.

    If there is some way to make my old product work then of course I would love to be able to use that without purchasing anything new. However, if I do need to buy a new product then I want to make sure I get something that is going to actually work.

    My ideal solution would be to take the cable DVR box and use the component outputs to a DVD recorder with component inputs. If I cannot have that(which seems to be hard to find) then I will use an S-video cable to connect the cable DVR box to the DVD recorder.

    Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

    TC
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    Your problem is not caused by the lack of a digital tuner. For a couple of years now some makers have even sold tunerless DVD recorders just for people who use an STB.

    If you are recording the output from a cable box/DVR it doesn't need to tune, unless you have the DVR set up to output on analog channel 3/4 via coax.

    I don't have a DVR, just an STB (installed yesterday) and a DVD recorder from 2005 with an analog tuner. I was able to record the STB's output using S-Video. All I had to do is hook up the audio and s-Video cables and choose the correct line input on the DVD recorder using the input select button on the DVD recorder's remote.

    I can think of three things that might cause the problem.

    1. By mistake you didn't select the correct line input on the DVD recorder after you connected the DVR to it.

    2. You inadvertantly connected both S-Video and composite video at the same time.

    3. There's a problem with the connection from the DVD recorder to the TV, or you selected the wrong line input on the TV.

    It doesn't sound like copy protection is the problem. You might run into it if you are trying to record premium programming, such as HBO, that had copy protection applied to it, but you would probably see something on the TV just passing the signal through the DVD recorder.
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    Lots of questions about your setup...... which cable box do you have ? is it analog or digital, or both ?
    Do you have High Definition service ? Your description of the cable signal path from the wall doesn't make much sense to me.....
    How exactly is the cable box hooked up to the DVD recorder ? if it's with the 75ohm "cable out" going into the DVD recorder
    analog tuner, then that DVD recorder tuner would have to be set on Channel 3, or 4, whichever is applicable to your area.
    Most cable boxes have several outputs, i.e., 75ohm cable marked as "Out to TV", S-Video, Component Video or
    Composite Video outs, and with Hi Def boxes, HDMI or DVI outputs.
    Are you trying to record the Live TV picture from the cable box to your DVD recorder ? Or the recorded video from the
    cable box DVR portion ?
    Most DVD recorders do not have Component inputs, and the few that do, only accept 480i standard definition signals.
    Having a Digital Tuner on a DVD recorder is only advantageous if you're running a split signal straight from the cable wall
    outlet to the DVD recorder, in order to pick up free QAM digital stations.
    Most DVD recorder manuals show exactly how to hookup the connections with cable boxes and TV's, check your manual or
    download a copy from the Internet.
    Also, some cable boxes have a "VCR record" mode in the Menu, enabling the Composite RCA Video/Audio outs sending
    a signal to the input of a VCR or DVD recorder.
    Your new Panasonic Plasma TV most likely has several types of Inputs, HDMI, Component In, Composite In, and Antenna/Cable In. The cable box and the DVD recorder should be hooked up to the TV separately, not in one single chain.
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  6. Did you try RF out? Cause that's how mine works.
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  7. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Separate from your problem, you should split the incoming RF Coax to the DVR and HDTV. That way the TV can tune the HD clear QAM channels directly.

    If you connect the TV only to the DVD recorder, you won't get HD.

    Now that you have a nice HDTV, consider getting the HD DVR.
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    Originally Posted by edDV
    Separate from your problem, you should split the incoming RF Coax to the DVR and HDTV. That way the TV can tune the HD clear QAM channels directly.

    If you connect the TV only to the DVD recorder, you won't get HD.
    That depends on how it's connected. Most DVD recorders can split a coax input from the wall.

    In most cases. the RF-out on a DVD recorder is strictly a pass-through for the connection from the wall to the TV. Their other audio and video out connections must be used for playback or to view the channel/line in they have tuned. People who want to use a DVD recorder with a TV that only has an RF connection available generally need to add an RF modulator between the DVD recorder's composite-out and the TV.

    A TV with a digital tuner will be able to tune the QAM channels including those in HD, using a cable from the RF pass-through on a DVD recorder the input. Another out connection on the DVD recorder would be used for playback.

    I split my signal at the wall so that one leg goes to the STB, and the other goes to my DVD recorder so I can record my remaining analog channels. The RF pass-through from the DVD recorder and its composite-out are connected to the TV. The STB is connected to the TV via the second composite connection on the TV. If I want to record from the STB using my DVD recorder, I disconnect the STB from the TV, and connect the STB to the S-Video-in or composite-in on the DVD recorder.
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  9. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet
    Originally Posted by edDV
    Separate from your problem, you should split the incoming RF Coax to the DVR and HDTV. That way the TV can tune the HD clear QAM channels directly.

    If you connect the TV only to the DVD recorder, you won't get HD.
    That depends on how it's connected. Most DVD recorders can split a coax input from the wall.
    If true that would be the same as an upstream splitter. One needs to worry about the DVD recorder splitter passing the full 1GHz bandwidth. Some of my clearQAM channels are above 800MHz on the cable.

    His DVD recorder is an older SD model.
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    Originally Posted by edDV
    Originally Posted by usually_quiet
    Originally Posted by edDV
    Separate from your problem, you should split the incoming RF Coax to the DVR and HDTV. That way the TV can tune the HD clear QAM channels directly.

    If you connect the TV only to the DVD recorder, you won't get HD.
    That depends on how it's connected. Most DVD recorders can split a coax input from the wall.
    If true that would be the same as an upstream splitter. One needs to worry about the DVD recorder splitter passing the full 1GHz bandwidth. Some of my clearQAM channels are above 800MHz on the cable.

    His DVD recorder is an older SD model.
    Fair enough. My DVD recorder dates from May 2005, so it's also an older model at this point. It tunes up to analog channel 125, which is just under 800 MHz. I can't determine the maximum frequency it passes, and the manual doesn't say.

    I did do some testing at a relatives house before I ordered digital cable. I used their digital TVs, STBs, VCRs and digital cable to see how well everything would work. All I can say their 2003 vintage VCR passed every QAM channel they could tune connecting directly from the wall, up to QAM 109-something. I looked at the manuals for their two digital TVs. One doesn't list the maximum channel number, and the other only says up to channel 125.

    However, when I shopped for new CATV splitters, some were only rated 5-900 MHZ, so if there's an existing splitter for the whole house it may not pass the full 1 GHz bandwidth either.
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  11. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet
    Originally Posted by edDV
    Originally Posted by usually_quiet
    Originally Posted by edDV
    Separate from your problem, you should split the incoming RF Coax to the DVR and HDTV. That way the TV can tune the HD clear QAM channels directly.

    If you connect the TV only to the DVD recorder, you won't get HD.
    That depends on how it's connected. Most DVD recorders can split a coax input from the wall.
    If true that would be the same as an upstream splitter. One needs to worry about the DVD recorder splitter passing the full 1GHz bandwidth. Some of my clearQAM channels are above 800MHz on the cable.

    His DVD recorder is an older SD model.
    Fair enough. My DVD recorder dates from May 2005, so it's also an older model at this point. It tunes up to analog channel 125, which is just under 800 MHz. I can't determine the maximum frequency it passes, and the manual doesn't say.

    I did do some testing at a relatives house before I ordered digital cable. I used their digital TVs, STBs, VCRs and digital cable to see how well everything would work. All I can say their 2003 vintage VCR passed every QAM channel they could tune connecting directly from the wall, up to 109-something. I looked at the manuals for their two digital TVs. One doesn't list the maximum channel number, and the other only says up to channel 125.

    However, when I shopped for new CATV splitters, some were only rated 5-900 MHZ, so if there's an existing splitter for the whole house it may not pass the full 1 GHz bandwidth either.
    Most older cable systems top out around 750 MHz but post upgrade many go up to full 1GHz. This is a local issue. Unencrypted QAM channels usually are placed above RF channel 73 but sometimes up to 135. Channels 136-158 are only available to cable boxes.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies
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    Originally Posted by edDV
    Most older cable systems top out around 750 MHz but post upgrade many go up to full 1GHz. This is a local issue. Unencrypted QAM channels usually are placed above RF channel 73 but sometimes up to 158.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies
    The Wikipedia article says this "Most cable providers currently don't distribute any video content above channel 135, or about 860Mhz. As of 2009, most TVs in North America with built in tuners do not search analog or digital channels above channel 135."

    Now that I've read that, I remember my relatives' newer TV purchased in 2008 did only scan up to channel 135. A good manufacturer would build in a little wiggle room, and not use a cheap component that limits the DVD player's pass-through to no more than 800 MHz, even on an older model like mine.
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    Okay guys, here is an update on this. It is one of those things that is ridiculously simple once you know what to do.

    I was using my remote to click on "video/TV" thinking that it would change from my RF in to my A/V inputs. Seems sensible, right?

    Uhh...... I guess not. For this machine you just use the DVD remote control and change the channel. When you get below channel 1 then it changes to the A/V inputs. It is kind of like some of the old TV sets I guess.

    My DVD recorder is an 2005 Emerson EWR20V5 by the way

    One thing that irritates me about that is I actually placed a call to the manufacturer and spoke with a customer service rep. He gave me all kinds of bad information and told me everything EXCEPT how to fix this. Such a simple, simple thing -- how could he not know?

    Anyway....... after I got everything configured correctly I used the S-video cable to connect the cable set top box to the DVD recorder and then connected that to my TV....... I got an absolutely BEAUTIFUL picture. Even better than expected. I was all thrilled..... until I got a "cannot write to this disc" error occurred. I did a google search and found some random comments by other owners of this product who say that they are having this exact same problem.

    I guess I may go down and purchase one of those DVD cleaner disks. If that doesn't work I guess I won't know what to do. May end up having to buy an entirely new product altogether.

    TC
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  14. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by True Colors
    Anyway....... after I got everything configured correctly I used the S-video cable to connect the cable set top box to the DVD recorder and then connected that to my TV....... I got an absolutely BEAUTIFUL picture. Even better than expected. I was all thrilled.....
    You will be more thrilled if you connect the incoming cable directly to the new HDTV and do a channel scan. You will have true HDTV at least for the clear QAM local channels. If you like that, you can do the above or rent an HD cable box to get more HD channels.
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    Originally Posted by True Colors
    Okay guys, here is an update on this. It is one of those things that is ridiculously simple once you know what to do.

    I was using my remote to click on "video/TV" thinking that it would change from my RF in to my A/V inputs. Seems sensible, right?

    Uhh...... I guess not. For this machine you just use the DVD remote control and change the channel. When you get below channel 1 then it changes to the A/V inputs. It is kind of like some of the old TV sets I guess.

    My DVD recorder is an 2005 Emerson EWR20V5 by the way

    One thing that irritates me about that is I actually placed a call to the manufacturer and spoke with a customer service rep. He gave me all kinds of bad information and told me everything EXCEPT how to fix this. Such a simple, simple thing -- how could he not know?

    Anyway....... after I got everything configured correctly I used the S-video cable to connect the cable set top box to the DVD recorder and then connected that to my TV....... I got an absolutely BEAUTIFUL picture. Even better than expected. I was all thrilled..... until I got a "cannot write to this disc" error occurred. I did a google search and found some random comments by other owners of this product who say that they are having this exact same problem.

    I guess I may go down and purchase one of those DVD cleaner disks. If that doesn't work I guess I won't know what to do. May end up having to buy an entirely new product altogether.

    TC
    Just in case you haven't used them yet, DVD recorder remotes often include buttons to control some functions on a TV, but the recorder remote has to be programmed according to the make of the TV. The Video/TV button is probably for switching between the TV's line inputs and its tuner. At any rate, that's what it does on my DVD recorder's remote.

    If a lens cleaner doesn't help, and it may not, I saw there's another possible cause for the message you are getting when I Googled it: the media. Apparently, that model does best with 4X or 8X DVD-R media, not anything capable of being burned at 16X. You might find it at specialty online retailer. Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim are good brands. If you are using DVD-RW discs I don't know what speed it might prefer. Check the user manual, if you can, to make sure you are not using the wrong type.
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  16. Im a radio interference tech for a large utility.If you send the signal from your cable or sat box directly to a recorder without a tuner it wont work.If your tv has hdmi output then you can wire the recorder to receive the signal after the tv tuner and can record.Any signal received directly from the cable box has to pass through a digital tuner.Previous info not correct
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    whtdevl et al,

    I cannot get cable channels from my Panasonic TZ-DCH1000 set top box on my Toshiba Regza DBR-Z420 blu-ray recorder. I have a single cable from the wall to the Panasonic TZ-DCH1000 set top box, which can connect to the Toshiba Regza TV using composite and D-sub cables. When I do this I can see cable TV channels on the TV without any problem.

    The Toshiba Regza DBR-Z420 blu-ray recorder only has RF inputs, one for regular TV and one for cable TV (the composites and HDMI are output). However, the set top box only has a single RF output. When I connect the set top box to the blu-ray player the regular TV channels show up fine, but the cable TV channels are gone. Can I use a signal splitter between the set top box and the blu-ray recorder to fix this problem?

    Here are links to pictures of the rear panel of the set top box:
    http://www.jcom.co.jp/library/support/tv/tz-dch1000/con02-img-01.jpg

    and the blu-ray recorder:
    https://www.japanet.co.jp/shopping/simg/2Q000-10-5795-subl1.jpg?20140328220554
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    Originally Posted by aioaio View Post
    whtdevl et al,

    I cannot get cable channels from my Panasonic TZ-DCH1000 set top box on my Toshiba Regza DBR-Z420 blu-ray recorder. I have a single cable from the wall to the Panasonic TZ-DCH1000 set top box, which can connect to the Toshiba Regza TV using composite and D-sub cables. When I do this I can see cable TV channels on the TV without any problem.

    The Toshiba Regza DBR-Z420 blu-ray recorder only has RF inputs, one for regular TV and one for cable TV (the composites and HDMI are output). However, the set top box only has a single RF output. When I connect the set top box to the blu-ray player the regular TV channels show up fine, but the cable TV channels are gone. Can I use a signal splitter between the set top box and the blu-ray recorder to fix this problem?

    Here are links to pictures of the rear panel of the set top box:
    http://www.jcom.co.jp/library/support/tv/tz-dch1000/con02-img-01.jpg

    and the blu-ray recorder:
    https://www.japanet.co.jp/shopping/simg/2Q000-10-5795-subl1.jpg?20140328220554
    From what you describe, it appears that the cable box does not supply decrypted video via RF out. Instead, the RF out on the cable box simply acts as a pass-though for the cable signal from the wall. Your cable channels are probably digital and encrypted (which explains why you need a set-top box to watch them) and only your regular TV channels are supplied without being encrypted. Since your Blu-Ray recorder can't tune encrypted channels received from one of its RF inputs, and has no other A/V inputs, all you will ever be able to record with it via RF are your regular TV channels.

    [Edit] Decrypted audio and video are available from the cable box's A/V outputs, although a DVD or Blu-Ray recorder must have matching A/V inputs to record the signals. Unfortunately, your Blu-Ray recorder only records via its tuners. If the Blu-Ray recorder has an analog tuner (NTSC J), an RF modulator might allow you to record form the cable box's composite out and analog stereo out. However, you will only be able to record a standard definition picture, and it will not be a high-quality standard definition picture.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 7th Apr 2014 at 14:43.
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    Thanks for the reply usually_quiet. It's not good news, but it is helpful!

    Just to be sure there's zero confusion, connecting the STB to the blu-ray recorder currently involves taking the STB RF output and connecting it to the blu-ray recorder's regular TV RF input. Nothing is connecting to the blu-ray recorder cable TV RF input because the STB only has one RF output.

    You are saying even if I use a signal separator between the STB's single RF output and the blu-ray recorder's two RF inputs, I won't be able to see the cable channels? Does it help that the blu-ray recorder has a cable TV tuner in it as well?
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    Originally Posted by aioaio View Post
    Thanks for the reply usually_quiet. It's not good news, but it is helpful!

    Just to be sure there's zero confusion, connecting the STB to the blu-ray recorder currently involves taking the STB RF output and connecting it to the blu-ray recorder's regular TV RF input. Nothing is connecting to the blu-ray recorder cable TV RF input because the STB only has one RF output.

    You are saying even if I use a signal separator between the STB's single RF output and the blu-ray recorder's two RF inputs, I won't be able to see the cable channels? Does it help that the blu-ray recorder has a cable TV tuner in it as well?
    Have you tried connecting the STB's RF-out directly to the Blu-Ray recorder's Cable RF-in? What happened?
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    I connected the STB's RF-out directly to the Blu-ray recorder's cable RF-in, and I also tried a signal separator and a signal splitter between them. Unfortunately none of it made any difference. Still only the regular TV channels and a trial period of some digital TV channels, none of the cable TV channels.
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    Is there any chance the problem is that the cable channels are sending a "Do not copy" signal to the recorder? I have no personal experience here having never been to Japan (you say you're from Osaka), but I've read that Japanese TV in general is pretty strict about copying. Maybe I'm not even close to the real problem with this guess, but I throw it out for whatever it's worth.
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    It is quite possible that is the problem. We can see all the programs in the channel schedule, we just can't play them, so maybe that is the problem. The Blu-ray recorder has an access card in it, but maybe it doesn't accept the content from the STB as being unlocked.
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    Originally Posted by aioaio View Post
    It is quite possible that is the problem. We can see all the programs in the channel schedule, we just can't play them, so maybe that is the problem. The Blu-ray recorder has an access card in it, but maybe it doesn't accept the content from the STB as being unlocked.
    Assuming the access card in the recorder came from your cable provider, it may have to be activated by the cable provider before it can receive all of the channels in your package. Did you or a technician from your cable provider arrange to have the card activated after it was installed?

    ...and there is another possibility, which may or may not apply in Japan. Cable companies in the US sometimes use a technology which is called "switched digital video". In order to watch a channel that is available via switched digital video, the cable box has to send a request back up the line to make that channel available. The provider's own equipment has the ability to transmit the request for a channel, but to use third-party recorders (a TiVo for example), the cable company has to supply both an access card (CableCARD) and another piece of equipment called a tuning adapter.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 18th Apr 2014 at 10:34.
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