Can't interface Panasonic DMR-15 DVD Recorder with Sharp LC-42D65U HDTV

[fideauxdon]

What am I doing wrong?
Brighthouse is HDTV service provider.
TV is brand new.
Panasonic DVD recorder is a few years old.
Can't find a way to connect DVD recorder, which worked with previous non-HD TV.
I can do the setup, set the clock, play previously recorded DVDs, but can't record new shows, because when I try to load channels into the DVD, I can't do it.
Is the DVD too old to interface properly with the HDTV? No HDMI terminals on DVD recorder. Do I just have to "Bite the bullet" and buy a new DVD recorder?

[neomaine]

The display device, whether HD or SD, has nothing to do with how the DVD recorder and the Brighthouse STB (set top box) are connected and how the STB can see the channels or record.

More than likely your DVD recorder can't handle unecrypted HD channels. Let's answer a few more questions:

- What cable/connection from Brighthouse STB to DVD recorder?
- STB make/model or available connections?
- Panny model or available connections?
- What cable/connection from DVD recorder to TV.
- Are you actually subscibing to the HD service from Brighthouse?

[edDV]

If no, HDMI connector, the next best is analog component YPbPr (Green, Blue, Red). You should have these connectors on the DVD recorder and the HDTV.

Input recording can be done several ways. Some may not work if your cable service is all digital (i.e. no analog channels).

1. Split coax RF input (analog channels only)
2. S-Video or composite input from cable box (follows cable box channel selection).
3. Separate cable box for DVD recorder if you want to record one channel and view another.

Most people rent a dual tuner disk based DVR from the cable company then only record selected programs to DVD.

[usually_quiet]

Just to add a little more detail to edDV's post...

If you want your DMR-ES15 to tune any remaining analog channels available from your provider, then the 2-way cable splitter should be installed so one leg of the split feeds the cable box, and the other feeds your DVD recorder. Component out on your DVD recorder is from the red-green-blue ports. You would also use the red and white audio connection for sound.

If there is a coax out from your HD cable box, it sends an SD version of the channel the cable box is tuned to on either channel 3 or channel 4, like a VCR. If you need to use the cable box for the channel you want to record, using the S-Video or composite (yellow) plus the red-white audio connections with your DVD recorder as edDV suggested provides a better quality SD version of the channel the cable box is tuned to. Widescreen pictures will most likely be letter boxed for any connection your DVD recorder can use.

If Brighthouse is "all-digital" in your area, there may be analog channels left roughly equivalent to what is available in a basic cable plan (locals and a few others), or there may be none left.

Buying a new DVD recorder may or may not help. It will only record (in SD) what your new TV can get without using a cable box.