Switch to DTV -- how can I watch one program and record another

Magnavox ZV420MWB VCR/DVD Combo
The answer is YES YOU CAN! Take advantage of one-touch recording from videotapes to DVD+/-R and RW discs or from DVDs to VHS tapes. A variety of different inputs also let you record from compatible camcorders, external TV tuners or cable boxes.

CONSUMER ALERT: This model does not have a built-in tuner for recording TV programs and will not record copy-protected tapes or discs. For more information, call the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-225-5322 (TTY: 1-888-835-5322) or visit the Commission's digital television website at: www.dtv.gov.

The answer to this question can get a little complicated. Lets tackle it in two parts. First the last part; the part about picking up channels as decimals. With analog TV transmission, it took the full television broadcast channel to transmit one standard definition TV program. The newer digital transmission system uses some advanced video compression and audio compression technology to reduce the data needed to transmit the pictures and sound which allows the same bandwidth to deliver either High Definition Television programming or MULTIPLE channels of Standard Definition programs. So in your example above, you use to watch one channel of programming on TV channel 4, but now the TV station can broadcast multiple channels of programming on channel 4, sot they delineate the programs with a decimal point. So 4.1 it the first program on TV channel 4, 4.2 it the second program on TV channel 4..... Well, I hope you get the idea.

Now for the hard part of your question. I believe that before the transition, even with your new digital TV, you were still enjoying the analog broadcasts from your stations. Your VCR picked them up and recorded them and your digital TV could tune them in and you watched as you had always done in the past. After the transition you noticed that your VCR could not record anymore and your digital TV had discovered the digital channels that replace the analog channels. To remedy this situation, your VCR will need the aid of a DTV converter box to tune channels, and you may have to reconfigure the way your TV and VCR are connected. The best resource that I can give your for the reconnecting is the website http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/converterbox_vcr.html. Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Scroll down to the Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 section about “Set-up #2: Watch One Channel while Recording a Different Channel”.


Hope this helps

You'll need to connect the VCR to the converter box and then connect your VCR to the TV. ou can get a diagram showing how to connect everthing at www.dtv.gov; there is a section with publications that has a document on how to hook up your VCR to tape the show your watching or watch one show while taping another.

You have to use the RCA plugs on the back of the converter box and the tv (red,yellow and white). Or you can attach the antenna wire to box and then attach the wire that comes with the converter that is listed as to the tv and instead attach it to the antenna in on the vcr. The converter box will determine which channel your vcr will get a singal to record from. Your VCR for every program will be set to channel 3 or 4 (depending on what your converter box is set to broadcast on). Make sure the power saver on the converter box is turned off as if you want to record a program in say 4 hours, if the converter box turns off in 2, your vcr will have nothing to record.

I ran seperate coaxible cable to the tv from vcr and unplug the tv converter box everytime I want to watch the vcr. You can also use the RCA cord to send the signal from the vcr to the tv and use the input signal to watch your recorded programs. I had static showing up everytime I played it through the second converter box thus I solved it by running a seperate coax line. I don't know if you will have this problem, just wanted you to be aware.

Is it possible to record TV programming on a VCR when using a DTV converter? h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); Hi,

I had the same problem and found this answer that worked for me. Hope this does the trick for you.

Simple stated, your VCR must be set to channel 3 also. Check it out.

woody

1. You must have the VCR tuned to record on channel 3.
2. You must have the VCR connected to output signal of the DTV converter box. In other words, the converter box must be connected between the antenna and the VCR. So, the likely configuration you would use with a coaxial cable is antenna to DTV converter to VCR to TV.
3. You must tune the DTV converter to the channel you want to record prior to recording. The VCR won't be able to change channels on the DTV converter.
4. You will be able to use the timed record function on the VCR but you must adhere to steps 1-3.

If this sounds freakishly familiar to recording on a digital cable or satellite set-top box, you are right. It is exactly like recording a signal from a digital cable box or satellite receiver. While it may be inconvenient to perform the steps above, at least the option still exists to record on a VCR while using a DTV converter box.
Disadvantage of DTV Converter: You will lose the ability to watch one program and record another with the DTV converter. Sorry for the bad news.
The reason is the tuner. The VCR tuner is useless with digital except for recognizing channel 3. The digital converter is a single tuner item so it only receives one station at a time.

I assume you're trying to record from the DTV box. You will have to set the DTV box to play through channel 3 then tell the VCR to record channel 3. So basically the VCR always THINKS it's recording channel 3, but in reality it's recording whatever channel the DTV box is on. You will be unable to used timed recording unless you leave the box on whatever channel it is you're wanting to tape.

set the recorder to the same channel out put as the converter box

Hey Whormd,

If neither your DVD recorder nor your TV has a digital (ATSC) tuner, they will not be able to directly receive over-the-air broadcasts after the DTV conversion is completed without the assistance of a set-top converter box. Please keep in mind that the official analog broadcasting cut-off date does vary by country. In the U.S. this date is February 17th, 2009, and that Canadian TV stations have until August 31st 2011 to make the transition.

Please also note that you will need one converter box for each device with an analog tuner, in order to watch one program while recording another. One converter box would need to be connected to the DVR, while the second converter box would need to be connected to the TV itself.

For more information, I would strongly suggest checking out the FAQ sections of the official DTV websites established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Radio/Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC):

http://www.dtv.gov/index.html (FCC)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ (CRTC)

Hope this helps you out.

Sincerely,
Aaron
Go Ahead. Use Us.

Can't go through the VCR in the normal way. The DTV box must be tuned to the channel you want to record and left there. Cannot tell VCR to tape one channel and watch another nor tape multiple timed and multiple channel shows unless the DTV is tuned to that specific channel. This makes most VSR functions useless.

http://www.urc.philips.com/