Hooking UP -- TV or VCR

Orrymain · 06-12-2009, 09:32 AM

I know this is a redundant question but I need to make sure I can find the answer in a timely manner and I have no clue where to find the post I'm looking for. I'm having my converter boxes hooked up this evening, and I have it in my head that I want them to hook into the VCR and then the VCR into the TV, but I don't remember why that's in my brain. Why wouldn't I want the box hooked into the TV and then into the VCR? It might have something to do with recording? What are the advantages to having the box connected to the TV first? And what are the advantages to having the box connected to the VCR first?

Also, I have a clearer view now of both TV hookups.

TV #1 has the twin lead and UHF connector hooked straight into the VCR, so when I watch television on antenna, I have to have the VCR on. To watch it, I just go to the right input and then turn on the VCR. I know the Geek Squad will change this to coax cable for me from the twin lead.

TV #2 already has a coax cable, so Comcast must have done that or maybe whoever connected that TV originally (but it's really old -- no input changes on that TV -- probably 30+ years old -- a console television). To watch antenna, I flip the A/B switch. The coax goes straight to the A/B switch, so when I turn it on, I don't need to turn on that VCR.

I still have cable but it's probably going to be gone by the end of the month.

Help in a hurry, I hope! I just want to be really clear in my mind what the best set up is before the Geek Squad comes. I do want to record on the VCR, and it would be heavenly to be able to watch something else while I'm recording.

Thanks in advance.

staticMHZ · 06-12-2009, 12:00 PM

You can hook your box up to the VCR and record stuff, but if you want to record while watching a different channel you need 2 boxes.

Here's a video:

[YOUTUBE]www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5yLDd_hYiM[/YOUTUBE]

Orrymain · 06-12-2009, 12:16 PM

That's right; I forgot. If I want to record while watching something else, I plug one box into the VCR and another into the TV, right?

Now here's a question. In that youtube video, the person connected the box to the VCR and then the VCR to the TV. Does this mean that the VCR has to be on all the time? That's how my TV #1 is hooked up to the antenna now. I would think that's a lot of electricity.

Is there a setup where you can hook it up and still record but not have the VCR on all the time?

bicker · 06-12-2009, 12:36 PM

Many VCRs have RF pass-through, so that while they're off, whatever is coming into the VCR goes right back out.

Orrymain · 06-12-2009, 12:53 PM

I don't think any of mine do, though. These are all older VCRs, and I've never had that happen before. I'm just thinking about all that electricity being wasted by having the VCR on all the time.

bicker · 06-12-2009, 01:01 PM

You could also try a splitter with an A/B switch.

Orrymain · 06-12-2009, 01:26 PM

Okay, now how would I do that? Would the VCR be A, for example, and then the box B? Are those the two that I would plug in, so that if I wanted to use the VCR, I would flip it to A?

You know what --- I'm confusing myself. Can I just act real dumb and ask for a simple direction here? ;} I have a VCR I want to record with, but I don't want to have it on all the time, so how would I hook that up with an A/B switch? Secondary to that, I also have my cable hooked up and on TV #2, it works on an A/B switch. TV #1 has an A/B switch but I just use the input on the TV to get over to the antenna. However, I'm thinking that also needs a different set up. My problem in part is that I don't know for sure when cable is going bye bye, so I certainly don't want to disconnect it yet.

Help please for the California confused.

bicker · 06-12-2009, 01:41 PM

You would split the incoming signal first, connecting one output to the VCR's input, and connecting the other output to either the A or B terminal of the A/B switch. Then take the output of the VCR and connect it to the other terminal of the A/B switch. Then connect the other terminal to the television. Voila!

You can avoid the A/B switch if your television has extra inputs. I had my VCR connected to my television using composite cables. So the television would be able to see what the VCR is playing by switching to the AUX input.


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