DVD recorder hookup/ Heres a puzzle.

[chargersrool]

I have a Toshiba DR430. The cable box has an Ant in/Ant out and an HDMI out. The DVD recorder doesnt have an Ant/cable in/out slot at all, it just has an HDMI out port, a coaxial port, and the rest -RBG/RYW ports.
Heres my setup, I have the cable box hdmi out going to my receiver. I have Audio and video cable going from the same input on the receiver to the DVDR in the audio/video in. The receiver has a HDMI video output which is going to the TV. The DVDR should work... but its not. Whats wrong?

[vhelp]

toshiba dr430:

1 Setup -> general setting
2 HDMI -> hdmi cem -> [x] On
3 setup
4 finished

[chargersrool]

It's still not working, should I use audio video cables for component out of the DVD recorder to the receiver?
Its not showing the DVDR menu. That might be the reason why?

[sanlyn]

I have Audio and video cable going from the same input on the receiver to the DVDR in the audio/video in.

Input to input? That doesn't make sense.

What make and model of receiver? Are you trying to play your DVDR thru your a/v receiver?

If you're thinking of recording from the your cable box HDMI, thru your receiver, and then to your DVDR, it won't work.

should I use audio video cables for component out of the DVD recorder to the receiver?

component cable = one set of three RCA cables (Red-Green-Blue) and one set of RCA stereo audio cables (red+white).

Why would you use HDMI and component out from your DVDR at the same time?

[chargersrool]

i have component cables going from reciever-out to DVDR-input. Now to get video from the DVDR ( because menus wont show on the tv) should i use a component cable from DVDR output to reciever input? In the pictures i wasn't using HMDI out from the DVDR
https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18348&stc=1&d=1371183508
https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18349&stc=1&d=1371183508
https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18350&stc=1&d=1371183598

[sanlyn]

i have component cables going from reciever-out to DVDR-input.

There are no component cables shown in your posted images. And even if you did have the connections you described, it would be really strange because your DVDR doesn't have component "inputs". The DVDR's component connections are output-only.

Now to get video from the DVDR ( because menus wont show on the tv) should i use a component cable from DVDR output to reciever input? In the pictures i wasn't using HMDI out from the DVDR

If previously you had your DVDR connected directly to your TV and couldn't see menus, then you won't see the DVDR thru the receiver because something appears to be amiss with the DVDR.

You can connect the DVDR's component output to the receiver's component input. The receiver should send that as an HDMI signal to your TV. As far as DVDR-to-receiver is concerned, you could save some wiring by connecting the DVDR HDMI output -to- the receiver HDMI input. But because no one here has time to guess what model a/v receiver you're using, that's likely one of the few suggestions you'll see.

[sanlyn]

Looking over some user guides to S amsung cable boxes and Onkyo receivers, it seems to me that this is what you're trying to do: do you want to record to your DVDR and play it thru your receiver? If so, you can't record HDMI cable output thru a receiver to your DVDR.

To record from the cable box to your DVDR, and play the DVDR thru your receiver:
1. Connect an s-video or composite (yellow) wire + stereo audio wires to your cable box composite or s-video output.
2. Connect those wires to the matching inputs on your DVDR.
3. Connect your DVDR's outputs (either HDMI or component video + audio) to the same inputs on your receiver.
Record and playback activity from your DVDR will be output from your receiver's HDMI output to your TV. To see your DVDR thru the receiver, use your receiver's input selector to look at your DVDR.

[chargersrool]

Ok thanks for the help Sanlyn. Ill try to do as instructed above, first I have to buy more cables.

[sanlyn]

I understand your frustration. Couple of years ago I bought Denon's highest-end receiver, and never saw anything so damn complicated. It took an entire weekend of going thru their huge manual and researching the internet, before I finally figured it out. The Denon performs beautifully, but what a setup hassle!

Fortunately I kept my old SD digital cable box when I picked up the new HD model. I now record from both boxes, but many of the HD channels are copy protected. I'm glad I kept the old box.

For recording to a standard definition DVDR, s-video will give the best results from the Samsung box. You won't be able to record HD from the Samsung unless you use component cables with something like a Hauppauge HD PVR device, which uses component-only from an HD box and records to a PC, not to a DVDR or DVR.

[usually_quiet]

@chargersrool You appear to want to connect the cable box to your receiver with HDMI and then connect everything else via your receiver. There is a good chance that won't work. It all depends on what your receiver is able to do with HDMI video input, but since you did not answer sanlyn's question regarding the make and model of your receiver, nobody can attempt to look at the manual for you to find out what your receiver does with HDMI input.

Since I have to make an educated guess, my understanding is that most receivers cannot convert HDMI digital video input to analog video output and down-scale high-definition video to standard definition video to provide compatible SD analog input for a device that needs it, such as a DVD recorder. Instead, most receivers only act as a pass-through for HDMI video to allow connecting a TV or other display to the receiver using the receiver's outgoing HDMI connection.

[Edit]I saw your other thread, where you identified the make and model of your "cable box". Your box is a DTA, not a standard HD cable box. That is why its only connections are coax for SD video via analog channel 3 or 4, and HDMI for HD video.

Since your DVD recorder has no tuner, the only way to connect it to the DTA is to add more equipment. A VCR with an analog tuner and composite video plus stereo audio out would work to tune channel 3 or 4 and output a signal over connections the DVD recorder can use. (You don't have to record with the VCR, just use it for the tuner.) Otherwise you need a standard HD cable box that has composite or S-Video connections as well as HDMI, not a DTA. ...or you need a different DVD recorder, with an analog tuner.

[chargersrool]

Im sorry, its an Onkyo HT-R590. Id like to connect through the Reciever if its possible, but if I can connect it directly to the TV that would be fine. Just as long as I get the thing working. Its confusing because the cable box doesnt have any composite and/or audio video ports. Its frustrating when you're so good with other electronics but cant hook up a simple DVDR.

Youd think a receiver would allow a DVDR to run through it hence it has the DVDR input... makes no sense.

[chargersrool]

Oh an I should include I do have a Samsung DVD-HD850 which is in between the receiver and the DVDR. Thanks for your help.

[usually_quiet]

It is as I thought. Your receiver acts as a switch for video sources and just passes through all types of video. Connecting the Cisco DTA to the receiver via HDMI won't produce composte video output for the DVD recorder to record. See the "Video" section on pages 51 and 52 of the PDF manual www.intl.onkyo.com/downloads/manuals/pdf/ht-r590_manual_e.pdf

The manual indicates that:
1. If the incoming video signal is from an HDMI connection, then the receiver outputs video only from its HDMI out.
2. If the incoming video signal is from a component video connection, then the receiver outputs video only from its component video out.
3. If the incoming video signal is from a composite video connection, then the receiver outputs video only from its composite video out.

You cannot successfully connect the DVD recorder to the DTA for recording using just the equipment shown in your photos. To use the DVD recorder you have, you need a standard HD cable box with composite video out instead of a Cisco DTA, or a device with an analog tuner and composite video and analog stereo out (like a VCR) to connect between the Cisco DTA and your DVD recorder. ...or you need a DVD recorder with an analog tuner.

[chargersrool]

Damn, guess its time to look on craigslist or goodwill...Any brand thats better with vcr's?

[usually_quiet]

Damn, guess its time to look on craigslist or goodwill...Any brand thats better with vcr's?

Any well-known consumer electronics brand (Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba etc.) will do for this. The features to look for are an analog tuner (some newer VHS decks are tunerless), and "Hi-Fi" so you have stereo out. To work for providing a signal for the DVD recorder to record, the VCR will have to be powered on when, and tuned to whichever channel (3 or 4) the Cisco DTA has been configured to use for output. The Cisco DTA will also need to be turned on and manually tuned to the channel you want to record. Complicated, but unfortunately necessary for using a tunerless DVD recorder to record digital cable from a box that has no analog outputs other than coax.

[chargersrool]

OK thanks, I will try to find a different VCR or call Time warner and ask for a new cable box... because when I lived in florida, the Cable box I got from comcast, you were able to do a lot more with it.

[chargersrool]

So basically I'm looking for a vcr somewhat like this?

[usually_quiet]

The VCR needs to have the following connections, Antenna In, composite video out, and stereo audio out.

You don't connect the VCR as shown in the diagram. To connect the Cisco DTA to the DVD recorder and to the TV via your receiver:
1. Connect the Cisco DTA's RF out to the VCR Antenna In.
2. Connect the VCR's composite video out, and stereo audio to a matching set of inputs on the DVD recorder.
3. Connect the DVD recorder's HDMI out to one of the receiver's HDMI inputs.
4. Connect the receiver's HDMI output to the TV.

Don't forget that for this to work, the VCR will have to be powered on when you want to record something with the DVD recorder, and tuned to whichever channel (3 or 4) the Cisco DTA has been configured to use for output. The Cisco DTA will also need to be turned on and manually tuned to the channel you want to record.

[chargersrool]

Alright, thanks a bunch.

[chargersrool]

I found a couple vcr's on craigslist but none with what you say it should have?. Any way I can connect the DVDR through VCR to TV? If Im correct, the vcr would need antenna input and video/audio out?

[sanlyn]

Did you try the hookup suggested in hello_hello's post (#18) ? Almost every old VCR ever made had all the inputs and outputs described in that post. If you can't tell from the photos in craigslist, try googling the VCR's model number. If the model number doesn't appear anywhere in a photo or listing, look for another.

[usually_quiet]

Did you try the hookup suggested in hello_hello's post (#18) ? Almost every old VCR ever made had all the inputs and outputs described in that post. If you can't tell from the photos in craigslist, try googling the VCR's model number. If the model number doesn't appear anywhere in a photo or listing, look for another.

When did hello_hello join this thread? I think you mean me.

[sanlyn]

Ooops, by golly you're right. Guess I failed my speed-reading test. I'll correct that post. Sorry.

[usually_quiet]

Any way I can connect the DVDR through VCR to TV?

No. The VCR has to act as an external tuner to feed a signal from the Cisco DTA's RF-out to one of the DVD recorder's sets of A/V inputs using a set of the VCR's A/V outs. The red and white connections on the VCR and DVD recorder are stereo audio and the yellow connection is composite video.

If Im correct, the vcr would need antenna input and video/audio out?

Yes that is what I meant. Hi-Fi just means the VCR has stereo audio capability. Some old VCRs have mono audio, not stereo audio. For VCRs, saying that one has an analog tuner just means it has a tuner.

[chargersrool]

Any way I can connect the DVDR through VCR to TV?
No. The VCR has to act as an external tuner to feed a signal from the Cisco DTA's RF-out to one of the DVD recorder's sets of A/V inputs using a set of the VCR's A/V outs. The red and white connections on the VCR and DVD recorder are stereo audio and the yellow connection is composite video.

Yes sorry I forgot to include the DTA in there. But most VCR's I look at have just an antenna in/out and Hifi w/ video in and out. Still trying to find one with component out. And thanks for your help guys... and also hello_hello

[usually_quiet]

Any way I can connect the DVDR through VCR to TV?
No. The VCR has to act as an external tuner to feed a signal from the Cisco DTA's RF-out to one of the DVD recorder's sets of A/V inputs using a set of the VCR's A/V outs. The red and white connections on the VCR and DVD recorder are stereo audio and the yellow connection is composite video.

Yes sorry I forgot to include the DTA in there. But most VCR's I look at have just an antenna in/out and Hifi w/ video in and out. Still trying to find one with component out. And thanks for your help guys... and also hello_hello

I think I said you need composite video out on the VCR, not component video out. You won't find a VCR with component video out, and if you did, it wouldn't help anyway because the DVD recorder doesn't have component video inputs.

[chargersrool]

Sorry I'm getting my wires wrong, i meant composite haha. Anyways back to looking

[sanlyn]

And you should thank usually_quiet, not hello_hello. Sorry, that mis-naming was my fault.

[chargersrool]

Yea... TWC is crap, they give you the DTA box and a little crap remote that can barely reach the signal of the dta. and has no guide... I love TWC...

[usually_quiet]

Yea... TWC is crap, they give you the DTA box and a little crap remote that can barely reach the signal of the dta. and has no guide... I love TWC...

Comcast has similar HD DTA boxes from Pace, mostly for customers with the Limited Basic (locals plus a few others) or Digital Economy service plan (locals plus a few more others). They can't tune channels outside these two basic plans. The HD DTAs are either free or cost $2.50/month to rent, depending on the customer's service plan and the number of boxes they need. Otherwise, basic and economy plan customers get standard SD DTAs, which are free for up to 2 or $1.50/month for each one after that. The HD DTAs are being deployed in areas where Comcast wants to encrypt all the channels they offer, including local broadcasters. Otherwise the FCC won't allow them to do it.