I have a new VIzio 32" flat screen HDTV. Trying to hook up a cable box (Time Warner Cable's Motorola DCX3400) to my Phillips DVDR so that I can record television shows. I had this set up before on my old Sony TV, but with the new TV I can't get it hooked up. Techs haven't been able to help at either vizio or Phillips up to now. Any help would be much appreciated.

Does the TV come with any instruction manual how to hook up? Can't be that hard.

I would first hook cable up to cable box and then use the out cable to hook up to DVDR and then to TV.

I know the new NTSC TV's are confusing. You may just have to "rent" a DVDR box from TimeWarner to bypass this problem.

Did you contact TW to see what they suggest or have a tech come out to hook this up for you? You are, after all paying an arm and a leg for this cable service so they should help you hook this up.

Your Vizio has several feeds link Analogue 1 & 2 also well as some HD. You may be viewing TV on one source but your DVR is feeding/recieving from another source. You have to go back and check how you connected your cables. Did you buy this from COSTCO?

Ballengerb1, I agree with your answer, but don't know how to fix the problem. Yes, I bought it from Costco.

Twinkiedooter, TWC has been unhelpful so far. They pretty much say that I should not be recording cable TV shows.

COSTCO changed their policy about a year and a half ago, until then you could just take it back because you were not satisfied. Now they have concierge service which will help you on the phone. I know it is a cabling issue, most likely, but they will help far better than TWC.

Oh OK, I didn't know that Costco had a concierge service. I'll try that. TWC is usually pretty useless, and in this case so is Vizio and Phillips. Thank you ballengerb1.

Without knowing the model of your DVD recorder, my guess of the best method to connect it is as follows:

- Cable from wall to your cable box.
- HDMI from your cable box to your TV.
- Composite audio/video (yellow, white, red) from your cable box to your DVD recorder.
- Composite audio/video (yellow, white, red) from your DVD recorder to your TV.

This assumes that the best inputs and outputs your DVD recorder has is composite. Otherwise always go with the best possible connection. Depending on the DVD recorder, you may even be able to program an IR-emitter to control your cable box for you.

Starting with best then going down (for most common connections):
- HDMI
- Component (red, green, blue for video) [paired with composite audio]
- S-Video (round-ish multi-pin connection) [paired with composite audio]
- Composite video (yellow RCA-type connection) [paired with composite audio]
- RF (coaxial cable).

Thank you FadedMaster for your reply. The DVD recorder is Phillips DVDR 3505. Last night I managed to get it connected with composite cables, but the recorded picture is not great. OK, but not great.

Here is what I have:
Cable from wall to cable box
HDMI from cable box to TV
HDMI from DVD recorded to TV
Composite (red/white/yellow) from cable box to DVD recorder

Would changing ut the composite cables for something else give a better picture?

Here is what is available on the back of the cable box and DVD R:

Cable box has red/blue/green that are labelled "Video out"
+ it has S Video

DVD Recorder has red/blue/green that is labelled "Composite video out"
+ it has 2 x S Video labelled "In" and "Out"

Given what is available, is there a better way for me to hook this up to get a better recorded picture?

Thank you all for your help.

Replacing the yellow video for the S-Video connection between the DVD recorder and the cable box will improve the picture slightly.

Otherwise the way you have the cable box and DVD recorder connected to the TV is the best method for both.