Hi there,

I have been given a VCR & want to connect it with my current system but cannot figure out how to make it work :( This is what I have... I have directv and with the satellite box I have the coaxial coming into the box and I have S-video going out to my TV along with appropriate audio connections. I have a DVD system going directly into my TV via my second S-video input. I want to be able to hook-up the VCR so that I can record from direct-tv - I realize that I will have to leave the TV on the station that I want to record - that's not a problem. I tried running the coaxial into the VCR machine, run a connector from VCR to satellite box but that did not work. Any and all help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. :o

Hi there,

I have been given a VCR & want to connect it with my current system but cannot figure out how to make it work :( This is what I have...I have directv and with the satellite box I have the coaxial coming into the box and I have S-video going out to my TV along with appropriate audio connections. I have a DVD system going directly into my TV via my second S-video input. I want to be able to hook-up the VCR so that I can record from direct-tv - I realize that I will have to leave the TV on the station that I want to record - that's not a problem. I tried running the coaxial into the VCR machine, run a connector from VCR to satellite box but that did not work. Any and all help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. :o
Ok here is the deal. The good news is that it can be done, the bad news is that you have to sacrifice some quality. The two options for you are:
1) Connect a coax out from your Sat box to the coax in on your VCR, then coax out of the VCR to the TV coax in. Preferably one of the inputs not being used by your S-Video cable.

2) Run Composite Video (Yellow) with Red and white RCA cables (for audio) from your Sat box output to the to the same inputs in on your VCR, then the same type of connection outputs of the VCR to one of the video inputs on your TV. Preferably one of the inputs not being used by your S-Video cable.

Either will work, coax is obviously less fuss. Depending on what Video inputs the S-video is connected to on the TV you may be able to retain the S-video for standard TV watching. This would depend if the s-video input is shared with the above connection you made. Just switch the video source on the TV (video 1, video 2, etc.) Let me know if you have any questions.