Orrymain

Okay, Guys -- HELP! This is strictly a TV/VCR hook up question and nothing to do with DTV.

Equipment -- Samsung LN32N460 LCD TV GO Video DVR 5000
System is basic everything -- no HD, no DVI, no HDMI (except what is noted below)... just a regular cable box and VCR etc.

Now the VCR is old.. It's not a DVR as we think of DVRS -- it's a combination DVD/VCR player and the model is DVR 5000.

Here's the deal. We can't get it to play on the new TV. Does old equipment not work with new? This is the question. We've done everything we can think of to try and get this to work, but we can't get anything, not even simple playback.

We've done what the manual says -- which is CABLE in from wall to CABLE BOX and then to TV ANT IN. Then we hooked the RCA jacks from VCR OUT to TV IN. Nothing.

Then we tried the set up that we have with other units and had on this one -- CABLE IN FROM WALL to VCR ANT IN and then a separate cable from VCR ANT OUT to TV ANT IN. And adding the RCA jacks again. Still nothing.

We even tried something I've never done which is attaching two sets of RCA jacks, one going from CABLE BOX OUT to VCR IN and then another from VCR OUT to TV IN. Still nothing.

Sometimes we get it so that the VCR registers as a 'source' on the TV, like AV1 or COMPONENT 1, but nothing.

We called Samsung and they were useless. They said the VCR doesn't work and we'd have to call them. Well, it worked on my other TVs. I asked them if the technology was such that old stuff wouldn't work. They said no, that everything should work.

So -- we're stuck. Now one more interesting note, though. My sister also brought over a DVD that's a couple of years old that she's had. When she first plugged it in, nothing happened. After playing around with it a bit, she could get picture but no sound at all. Also, when the picture played there were these lines or something at the beginning. It was very odd. But then she got me an HDMI cable and she hooked the DVD up to the HDMI cable, and now it works just fine with picture and sound.

We cannot figure this out. We've done every combination of CABLE connection and RCA connection that we can think of.

Any ideas?

Piggie

So you got it working with the HDMI cable?

It sounds like the problem before was the setting on the TV. You didn't have the right input selected.

If you use coax between the DVR and TV then put the TV on TV input either ch 3 or try ch4

If you use rca cables between them try putting the TV on one of the Video inputs.

If you got pictures but no sound, then the picture rca was plugged into one input and the sound cables in another.

and yes, using RCA cables your TV should take the output of your DVD/DVR/VCR boxes.

1inxs

Orry,
Yes, the DVR 5000 will work with your Samsung HDTV. More information is needed to get the system working for you. Are you attempting to play a DVD or OTA DTV? If you are testing it from the coaxial cable from the wall, is the signal from an antenna or from a cable company?
If I remember correctly, the outputs on the back of the DVR 5000 are specific to either of the VCR or DVD. Make sure if using the DVD you connect from the S-Video output, component output or composite output from the DVD specific section. If you are trying OTA DTV you need a CECB connected in line with the antenna cable.
Please post back and let us know if any of this helps and we'll do what ever else is needed.

Orrymain

We tried all that, including making the TV one of the components. The VCR just shows as 'no signal' or 'check signal'. We really have tried all the combinations. I just don't get it. The connection between the VCR and the TV is with the RCA cables. We've also tried connecting the cable box to the vcr and then vcr to the tv like all of my other setups, but nothing registers.

Orrymain

Actually, the DVD half of the VCR doesn't work and hasn't for years. It just kept opening and closing all the time and sometimes read a dvd and sometimes didn't, so we don't even use it and had it made so that it won't open/shut. It's just the VCR part that we want to work and that I've been using for years. So the answer to your question is no on the DVD. Just the VCR is desired.

This is a cable hookup. No antenna at all. I've plugged the antenna into another TV in the house so it's not a factor with this TV or its hookup.

Help!

1inxs

OK, good. The connections need to be from the VCR (not the DVD) composite output to a composite input on the TV. You need to select VCR on the DVR 5000 and select the composite input on the Samsung TV. Also in your post you stated you connected the antenna from the wall to the VCR. The VCR is NOT DTV compatible. You can watch VHF tapes, but you cannot record DTV signals. I hope this helps.

Orrymain

The RCA jacks are in the correct spot, per the VCR manual. I doublechecked that this afternoon once again.

Now, are you saying the VCR can't record and won't show TV when it's on, therefore I can't record with it? That's because it's an old VCR then, right? So I have to get a new VCR? Is that what you're saying, because yes, I want to record as well as playback.

No, I didn't connect the antenna to this TV. I connected the cable from the wall to this TV. My antenna connection is a separate cable and is plugged into a separate television. The antenna is not part of my problem here. I'm strictly dealing with cable TV. The manual for the TV says the cable should go from the cable box to the TV. In the past, the cable coax has gone from the cable box to the VCR IN and then a separate cable from the VCR OUT to the TV IN. I think I'm confusing people, and I've tried not to, but my cable connection here has nothing to do with the antenna connection.

1inxs

No, you don't need to upgrade your VCR. We should be able to get you recording from the cable TV box. First it helps to understand the way input output sources work. This is all about the internal switching of home theater components. If you connect a coaxial cable from the cable TV box output to the VCR antenna in (coaxial) input, only coaxial cable is in the system. Any cable other than coaxial cable ( component or other) would not do any good connecting to the TV as they won't include any kind of signal. If you connect a component cable from the cable TV box output to the VCR component input, only component cable carries a signal in the system. Any cable other than component cable (coax or other) would not do any good connecting to the TV as they won't include any kind of signal. In other words. The input and output sources in VCR's and TV's can not be crossed. You can't input a coax and output a component, because they are not connected internally. If that makes sense we can make a connection to the system that carries a signal for recording on the VCR. What connections are on the back of the Cable TV box? When we have that information we can explain the proper connections for recording and playing back on the TV. Sorry this is taking so long, but we will get you set up.

Orrymain

Confusion reigns. I only have coax in from the wall to the cable box. The question is where to put it -- in the back of the TV like Samsung says, or to the VCR IN like the old hookups are. Then a separate coax would go form VCR OUT to TV IN. In the past, that's all that has ever been necessary. There's never been anything else from the cable box.

Attached is the rear panel of the VCR.

I cannot find an image of the cable box which is a general instrument dct2224/1361/ABCDE. The only thing in the past that I've ever hooked up to it is the cable coax coming in from the house.

Attached Images

dvr5000 rear panel.jpg (41.3 KB, 3 views)

1inxs

This should help eliminate any confusion. The following steps are the correct connections to use.
(1) Coax from wall to cable box
(2) Coax from cable box to VCR IN (FROM ANT.)
(3) Coax from VCR OUT (TO TV)
(4) Coax to TV ANT IN
If you currently set the TV to channel 3 to watch cable, set the VCR to channel 3.
If you currently set the TV to channel 4 to watch cable, set the VCR to channel 4.
This will work if everything is exactly as described.
If you try to connect any other cable type (component or anything) the system will not work. I hope I explained this, so you can understand it. If not I'll try to reword it.