My parents have been watching TV all these years without cable for many years. They have an older VCR with coax connections and single audio and video jacks ( no component or S-video jacks at all). They just bought a new Samsung LCD TV and I am trying to make it work. When I installed the new TV I connected the coax cable from their antenna to the input of the VCR. The coax output of the VCR was connected to their new LCD TV. When I turn on and setup up their new LCD TV I see the available HD channels. When the VCR is turned on and the TV set to channel 3 I lose significant picture quality. My father likes to record PBS programs and I can only see them when the VCR is on. With the new VCR's with out a tuner I wondered about that hookup and what that would benefit. My parents like to watch and schedule recordings on the VCR and I wondered if that could be done . They are reluctant to go with cable or satellite and I am trying to figure out their options

It's hard to be detailed without more details about the equipment features.

Probable best configuration is to use a splitter between the antenna and VCR so you can connect a RF coax between the splitter and the ATSC compatible antenna input on the LCD TV. If the broadcast antennas are very far away you might need a splitter/amplifier to strengthen the signal. Your parents will need to switch between signal sources when switching between live TV and watching video tapes. Look on the remote for keys marked "Input" or "ant". The TV's owner's manual should have descriptions of the remote's functions.

Late model TVs would receive the best signal on the digital channels which will probably require a two part channel entry on the remote ("10.1" or "10_1" - look for a "." or "_" key on the TV remote). Over the air channels might have multiple sub-channels (example "10-1" and "10-2") which might even have different simultaneous programs. Most programming on the classic analog channels should be already being duplicated on the digital channels (10-1 or 10-2). Figure on most analog channels disappearing in February. That VCR might need a digital to analog converter at that time. See http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/faq.html for details about the US digital TV transition and a coupon program for the converters.