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mbutler500 · Jun 29, 2009, 03:25 PM

Now that all TV is digital I don't know what to do. I have a new TV, Samsung LCD HDTV. I have a Pansonic DVD recorder (DMR ES15). How to I connect? I have an arial antena. I know the ant must connect to the TV first and then go to the DVD recorder.

I can play DVD's and see them (using a 3 color cord in the input spots), but I can't seem to get the right configuration to record. I think I need to go from the Output section on the TV to the input on the DVD recorder, but I can't seem to find the right connection. It appears to be different from the 3 color cord that I have. The DVD recorder does not have an optical connection like the TV does. Do I need some kind of adapter?

Can anyone help?

Thanks
Mary Butler
[email protected]

TheClimateGuy · Jun 29, 2009, 04:44 PM

Mary,

You will need to use a coaxial cable, which will be coming out of your digital cable box. You connect it to the coaxial input on the back of your Panasonic DVR. You then use another coaxial cable which runs from the output of your DVR, and plug it into the coaxial input on your TV. You now have the ability to record Digital TV. In order to watch movies from the DVR, use your three color cables (called Component) which will be your video. Connect two red and white cables (which are left and right audio), and you've got sound. Just make sure your TV is on the correct video input to display your movie. Bob's your uncle.

mbutler500 · Jun 29, 2009, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by TheClimateGuy

Mary,

You will need to use a coaxial cable, which will be coming out of your digital cable box. You connect it to the coaxial input on the back of your Panasonic DVR. You then use another coaxial cable which runs from the output of your DVR, and plug it into the coaxial input on your TV. You now have the ability to record Digital TV. In order to watch movies from the DVR, use your three color cables (called Component) which will be your video. Connect two red and white cables (which are left and right audio), and you've got sound. Just make sure your TV is on the correct video input to display your movie. Bob's your uncle.

OK, Bob, that was how it used to work. But now with the digital switch it doesn't work at all. I don't have cable TV. I am receiving the digital signal through the TV. The DVD recorder is not picking up stations on its own since the switch. So don't I need to send the HD signal to the Recorder somehow. And if not, how do I make the recorder find the channels. It says no signal.

I am perplexed. Please email, [email protected]

Mary B

Perito · Jun 29, 2009, 08:50 PM

Can you describe (accurately) what connections are on the back of your television and what connections are on the back of the recorder? A picture would help. The first thing to do is to connect your antenna to the television and get that working. Have you done that? (I believe you have, but I just want to make sure).

The television may not have the capability of sending the signal back to a recorder. Usually televisions have only inputs -- not outputs. The DVR may have an input and an output. That seems to be the place to look. TheClimateGuy is probably on the money -- except you don't have a digital cable box. If the DVR doesn't have a tuner in it, you may have a tough problem.

TheClimateGuy · Jun 29, 2009, 08:58 PM

Are you trying to record high definition cable? Because that won't work. They are not designed to do that. If you're just trying to record digital cable... then coaxial is the only way I know of... unless you go into the TV with coaxial.. then out using something like component or s-video to the DVR... but I really don't think that's going to work... but u can try.

mbutler500 · Jun 30, 2009, 05:54 AM

I don't have cable service where I live. I rec my signal from an antena on my roof. The new TV picks up the digital signal fine.

The recorder does search for signals, but I think it is looking for analog signals--not the new digital ones.

There is an S connector on the DVD recorder, but not on the TV

I've attached some pictures. I was hoping to record from the new TV since the picture is so much better. But maybe I will have to rehook everything up to the old TV and the converter box. My problem there is that I have to leave the TV on when recording and sometimes it turns itself off or the converter box fails. Then no recording. I HATE the new digital requirement. I refuse to pay $60+ per month for satellite service. This all should be free. Think of all of the electricity I now need to waste to run all of this--converter boxes, etc. There should have been a better way!

Mary B

Perito · Jun 30, 2009, 01:48 PM

I assume the top picture is your DVD recorder. Is that correct? It has RF in and RF out (on the left) in the picture. The other connectors are strictly outputs (three component video jacks labeled Y, Pb, Pr; a pair of composite video connectors (yellow) and associated audio -- red, white, and s-video connections). So, it's possible to receive the signal by that device and output it to the other devices. However, if its tuner is an NTSC tuner (analog), you would have to put a converter box inline between the antenna and the input (on the far left, top labeled "RF in".). You could then connect one of the outputs to your television set (but I wouldn't recommend it, see below). This would enable the recorder to record anything that came into it.

I suspect your TV has an ATSC (digital) tuner and that's why your picture on the TV is so good. Basically, the digital signal is not subject to the same noise that you see on analog sets.

If my assumptions about your tuners are correct, there is no way you can record a signal on your recorder with the equipment you have, since the television has no outputs. Unfortunately, I can't read the labels in your second or third pictures, but it does look like a more modern set similar to mine, so I assume it has no significant output capabilities.

Here's what I recommend. Purchase a converter box and a splitter for the coax cable coming from the antenna. Use the splitter to split the incoming antenna wire into two cables/signals/sources. One cable goes to the converter box and the converter box is connected to the recorder. The second cable would go directly to the television. The converter box will convert the signal from digital to analog and the recorder can record that signal* and play it back on the TV. The TV can use its own tuner for live, unrecorded television. Don't expect the recorded picture to be as good as what you see directly off the air. The function of converting the signal from analog to digital degrades the picture, and it also crops the picture to give a 4 x 3 aspect ratio.