Digital cable and DVD/VCR combo setup???

Question

I just had digital cable installed. When trying to use my DVD/VCR combo to tape TV channels, all I get is a blue screen. The setup currently is: cable in to digital box, cable out of box & in DVD/VCR, cable out of DVD/VCR & in TV (all using regular coaxial cable). I have read to try RCA cables from digital box to DVD/VCR, and setting the VCR to line 1. This still leaves me with a blue screen. Please tell me what to do to set everything up correctly. Thanks!

Answer 1

You seem to have the proper configuration, but RCA cables will give you a better image and sound. I recommend a call to the cable service help line and ask for technical support and let them give you assistance over the phone. Most companies don't charge for this service, but they do charge for a service call.

You need to make sure that your DVD/VCR is set to either channel 3 or 4 whatever, is unused in your area. The cable box acts as your tuner, while the DVD/VCR is just a recording and playing box and your TV is you monitor.

It is possible to set your TV and DVD/VCR up so that you can receive two stations at once allowing you to record on show, while watching a second show at the same time. This configuration would require a signal splitter on the Cable OUT which would then lead to the TV and to the DVD/VCR. To do this you should contact your cable company and ask their advice, maybe even ask for a service call, but that really is the last thing you want to do.

If your cable box is decoding the signal at the box then it's output should be useable by any source. In this configuration the DVD/VCR tuner would be used to change the channels. However some cable boxes only decode on the output line and so if you split the signal then you will get two images of the same station. These boxes are getting fewer and fewer.

What is a digital signal?
In the beginning there was radio which broadcast using an analog signal. So when TVs were created they used the same system. An analog signal requires a wide band to get the entire signal across. With the computer age and modems we discovered how to compact the signal and send it across a narrower band. Improvements in technology has let us put so much more information in to those signals thus HDTV.

You are receiving a digital signal that has to be converted into a analog signal to run down the coaxial cable. Then it has be to converted into a digital signal to be used by the DVD/VCR, then it has to be converted back into an analog signal to be used by the TV. If you use RCA jacks then you only need to do the conversion at the TV, and soon even the TV will be on a digital standard (Feb 2009). So I strongly recommend going to the RCA cables.

I think you major problem is that you are not receiving the signal from the cable box and need to tune to channel 3 or 4. When the cable box was set up your technician should have set this up, but most of them want to get away with doing as little as possible.

Answer 2

in case you wnat to run the cable field interior the direction of the dvd/vcr combination to checklist property you will might desire to get a RF Modulator apparently like. they are purely like 20 money. in case you purely want the two one in all them to artwork on your television you ought to easily ought to hook them as much as rca jacks and the cablebox as much as a distinctive enter at the back of the television. than purely swap the inputs with your television controller to get the image and sound between the two.