Rogers Digital Cable and Sony RDRHX780 DVD Recorder

I found your model information on a site which provided something I was going to ask you if I could not find it.DVD recorders need either a digital input from a cable box or a self-contained digital scanner(yours does not have this).So,you need to hook up as follows,External cable into cable box input,cable box output into DVD recorder input,DVD recorder output to TV coaxial cable input(usually labeled ant.)the screw on connector anyhow,you should know what I mean it seems.In this configuration,you should not need to turn on the DVD recorder to watch TV without recording because they usually have a bypass mode when there is no power on the DVD.If you have picture in picture(PIP),you should be able to use the main source to record and switch over to the PIP channel if you do not want to watch what you are recording.Do about a 10-30 second test of that just to make sure though so you don't end up all messed up.Oops.My bad...you do not have PIP.As long as the cable box is tuned to the channel you want to record,you should be able to use the TV's tuner to watch something else with no problem.When doing this on VHS recorders,sometimes the screen would get fuzzy and you would have to press the TV/VCR vutton on the VCR remote.I do not know if a DVD recorder will do it or not as I have yet to buy one,but when you do your test recording,you can mess around with whatever you want to see what happens so you will be fully prepared when you do it.If you need more help or have a problem/question,just comment here and I will get an autolink to your post and will reply ASAP.Good luck! Greg

If it is a combination VCR/DVD player,they usually can't do it.If you get a separate VCR player from a friend or neighbor,you can connect the VCR output to a cable box input,cable box output into DVD input,or if the DVD recorder has a digital tuner you can plug the VCR output player straight into the input of the DVD recorder.DVD recorders REQUIRE some form of digital input.That is why you need to route a VCR player through a cable box or the DVD recorder needs a digital tuner.If you are not sure if your recorder has a digital tuner,call sansui,they will know.I tried to find Sansui home and I found everything BUT DVD/VCR.If you have a manual it will be in there,or it may have a phone number on a label(back or bottom probably)of the unit.Good luck!Greg If you want to send me your model number,I will research it further too.It is up to you.

A DTV converter box will take digital broadcast signals from the antenna and convert them to a format compatible with the VCR. You will be able to record programs received through the DTV box on your VCR if you could record analog over-the-air programs before the digital changeover. You can use either the RF output or the component output from the DTV box to input to the VCR.

New HD tv. Have digital cable box connected to tv., cable box connected to DVD recorder, but can't get setup menu to come up on tv screen. I had a similar problem. I have a HD tv connected to a digital cable box. I hooked up the DVD recorder with the wires it came with, but it would not play or give me the menu. However it was correctly hooked up. So the next day I connected a HDMI wire from the DVD recorder to the tv and everything works now.

Are you trying to record cable programming with your DVD recorder? If so, you might want to try using component cable as HDMI does have a copy protection circuit that might be preventing your recorder from receiving the image. Just try to connect the cable box component (RED/GREEN/BLUE) cable to your DVD recorder. If that doesn't work, then try to change everything over to component cables. HDMI is a great cable to use but it the only required to display 1080p images and the only current source that uses 1080p is a bluray player. Everything else, such as your cable box and DVD recorder is 1080i and component cables are perfect for it. 

Here's How:

1. The first step to connecting a DVD Recorder to your TV is to determine what type of connection you want to make between the TV source (Cable, Satellite, Antenna), the DVD Recorder and the TV. This is usually determined by the outputs and inputs available on the DVD Recorder and the TV.
2. If you have an older TV that only accepts RF (Coaxial) input, then you would connect the RF output (a coaxial cable) from your TV source (in my case a Cable Box) to the RF input on the DVD Recorder. Then connect the RF output from the DVD Recorder to the RF input on the TV. This is the most basic (and lowest quality) option for connecting a DVD Recorder to any TV.
3. If you want to use higher quality cables, then you may want to connect the TV Source (Cable and Satellite only, not Antenna) to the DVD Recorder using Composite, S-Video or Component video and audio cables.
4. To use composite cables (also known as RCA, the yellow plug is video, the red and white plugs, audio): Plug in the composite cables to the RCA outputs on the back of your TV source and then plug in the composite cables to the RCA inputs of the DVD Recorder. Then connect the RCA outputs from the DVD Recorder to RCA inputs on the TV.
5. To use S-Video and RCA audio cables: Plug in the S-Video cable to the S-Video output of the TV source. Plug in the S-Video cable to the S-Video input on the DVD Recorder. Next, connect the RCA audio cable to the output on the TV source and the input on the DVD Recorder. Finally, connect the S-Video cable and the RCA audio cable to the output on the DVD Recorder and the input on the TV.
6. To use Component Video cables and RCA audio cables: Connect the Component Video cable and the red and white RCA audio cables to the outputs on the TV source and the inputs on the DVD Recorder. Next, connect the Component Video cable and RCA audio cable to the outputs on the DVD Recorder and the inputs on the TV.
7. Now that the TV source (either Cable, Satellite or Antenna), the DVD Recorder and the TV are all connected, you need to configure everything to make sure that TV is coming through the DVD Recorder, for recording and viewing.
8. Turn on the Cable Box or Satellite Receiver, TV and DVD Recorder.
9. If you connected everything using the RF connections then the TV should be passing through the DVD Recorder and displaying Television on the TV screen. To record in this mode, you would need to tune to either channel 3 or 4 on the TV and then use the DVD Recorder TV Tuner to change channels and record.
10. If you made connections using either Composite, S-Video or Component cables, then to view or record TV, two adjustments need to be made. First, the DVD Recorder needs to be tuned to the appropriate input, typically L1 or L3 for rear inputs and L2 for front inputs. Second, the TV also must be tuned to the proper input, on a TV usually Video 1 or Video 2.
11. If you have a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound A/V Receiver you can connect either a Digital Optical Audio cable or Coaxial Digital Audio cable from the DVD Recorder to the receiver to listen to audio through the receiver.

Take a red, white, and yellow AV cable and plug it from the AV out of the cable box to the red, white, and yellow In of the dvd recorder (change cable box to the channel you want to record). Then change your TV to the channel you want to view.

Have fun!

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

You can always make use of the LINE IN inputs.

I had same problem. With mine i could record wo the digital cable box but not with it hooked up. Would love to get some info about it.

Line 4 is usual on Sony machine [it is on mine]