More Technoloty, Less Ability!

[GoneDVR]

We now have a DVR and it is wonderful. Note that the local company machine only allows 50 hours to be recorded on the device.

We are having terrible problems now with our VCR. It seems that we can hook up and play things on the VCR, but cannot record on it. Hours have been spent following the configurations in the manual that came with the DVR and we've tried various changes to those configurations. It appears to be recording, but we when go back to play the tape...nothing but static and dark screen. Anybody else out there have this problem?

Additionally, I have a older all-in-one Panasonic 25 CD (plus radio and 2 tape decks) changer that is set up only to output directly to speakers. Since we have an Onkyo Surround sound, we'd rather play music through it. Problem is, there is no output other than speaker wire outputs on the CD Player. Is there a way to hook this up without putting the CD player on it's own speakers???

Baffled,
- D

 

[jimisham]

How do you have it hooked up?
If you're using the RF jacks between the DVR and the VCR, the tuner on the VCR must be set to either channel 3 or channel 4, depending on which of those two channels, the switch on the back of the DVR is set for.
If you're using the A/V jacks, the VCR should have a button on the remote which lets you switch to the proper input. On my Sony VCRs, it's called Input Selector. On my Sony TV, it's called TV/Video. It should be called something similiar on your VCR remote.

 

[ClemSole]

Also you can only record on the VCR what you are watching on the TV. You can select on a recorded program to send to VCR and the same signal will go to the TV. So if you are trying to watch one program on the TV and record a different one on the VCR sorry but it will not work that way.

 

[GoneDVR]

Thanks for the response. Yes, we tried changing the channel to 3 and 4. Remember - we can play VCR tapes and see them just fine on the tv, thru the DVR. TV/Video is set correctly as well or we couldn't view the tapes. It's only the VCR Record feature that isn't working (and used to work fine when there was no DVR). When we are watching a program and hit "Record" on the VCR, it appears to be recording (counting timer is moving forward normally), but neither the picture nor the sound is actually recorded...it's just black squiggly.

 

[Ramy]

Thanks for the response. Yes, we tried changing the channel to 3 and 4. Remember - we can play VCR tapes and see them just fine on the tv, thru the DVR. TV/Video is set correctly as well or we couldn't view the tapes. It's only the VCR Record feature that isn't working (and used to work fine when there was no DVR). When we are watching a program and hit "Record" on the VCR, it appears to be recording (counting timer is moving forward normally), but neither the picture nor the sound is actually recorded...it's just black squiggly.

What kind of DVR do you have? Is it an HD DVR? If so look at what is being output. If you are outputing 1080i then your VCR won't see that signal at all. Change it to 480i and the VCR can see it.

 

[raymo721]

My JVC s-VHS VCR will only record off of my HD tivo when set at Aux input. Tivo is set at 480i as ramy said. The VCR used to record ok when set at Channel 3 but it was hooked up to a SD tivo then. The weird thing is its wired the same way now as before.