Can get dvd/vcr to work but vcr won't record

First thing to check is does the video actually get a TV signal to record? When you set the recording going is the channel viewable?
Next thing to do is clean all the video heads, this will include the erase head! If you still can't get it to record and the VCR does pick up a signal to record, then there will be an electronic fault that is causing the no record signal.

Hi,

You need to hook the VCR and the DVD recorder to the scart connections on your TV.

VCR to one scart on the TV
DVD recorder to the other scart on your TV

They don't "communicate". Communication implies bidirectional transfer of info. Your TV is just a monitor. You need to feed the VCR/DVD Recorder with what ever you want to record. The TV is just used to verify what you're recording and to watch it playback. Think about the direction of signal... ANT/CABLE ---> VCR ---> TV

Hi,first of all I assume that your Magnavox DVD/VCR Dual Player has the recording features as well..othervise you cant do anything"NEGATIVE" ..If yes than follow the procedure below..
If you want to record your TV program while watching to your DVD/VCR system you need to connect "Video - Audio Output " RCA jacks or "Optic cable output" of your TV or CABLE box to "Audio-Video input or "Optic Cable input" of the DVD
There you go..Your TV's video and sound is on the DVD/VCR Dual Player Receiver..of course your DVD source input should correspond with the jacks you used on the back...push "RECORD" button it should start for recording the coming signal into DVD
when you recording the output RCA jacks of DVD will generate the signal of whatever records that can be monitored with another TV set after properly connected..
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Hope this helps!

Do the first time setup and when it asks how you receive the rf signal select no as the answer, this will allow you to record directly from your cable box but you won`t be able to record and watch another channel.

try setting your cable box to a channel where there is no broadcast signal

You have tuned the dvd recorders channels? dont forget a recorder dvd/hd/vcr is actually a tv set without its own screen and to record from channels you need to have its on board channels tuned in... what you have been probably doing is using a function on many recorders that records direct tv... what this means is it records the feed back signal through the scart lead of what ever channel your tv is tuned to at the time that is why no tv on = no signal

The proper hookup is antenna or cable into the VCR RF/antenna input, then VCR RF/antenna output to the TV RF input. The hookup you describe means no signal is getting to the VCR.

With some TVs, there can be Video and audio output jacks which can be hooked to the video and audio jacks of the VCR. However this would likely mean you could only record the channel being watched, and, the TV would have to be on.

Here is my setup.
1) Separate DVD player 2) Separate VCR 3) Digital to Analog Converter box 4) Analog TV 5) Rabbit ears (UHF/VHF) antenna
The antenna goes into the converter box.   The RF-output of the converter goes into the RF-Input of the VCR The DVD output goes into the front input jacks of the VCR The VCR RF-output goes into the TV RF-Input The VCR Line output goes into the front of the TV
To watch DVDs, we turn on the DVD player, turn on the VCR, and set the VCR channel to L2, and tune the TV to channel 3.  The converter is off.
To auto record on the VCR, the converter must be tuned to the station being recorded.  The converted must be turned on, the TV can be off. 
To watch VCR tapes, turn the TV and VCR on.  The TV is set to channel 3.  Just press play on the VCR.
To Watch TV.   Turn the TV and converter on.  The TV is set to channel 3.   Change the stations using the converter.  

You CAN record one channel and watch another with satellite service, but it would require two separate DBS receivers. The issue is that all satellite broadcasting is encrypted until it hits the receiver, which decodes it and transmits it outward toward your other AV devices. If it weren't for the receiver, connecting the coax cable to your other devices and trying to tune channels with them would yield no signal and possibly much frustration. You would need to split the signal into each receiver and have one connected to the television via one input and the other to the recorder then to the TV via another input.

With cable, you can split the signal without having to have two boxes - this way the QAM tuner in the cable box is still capable of tuning channels while the recorder can tuner basic cable channels for recording separately. You can also have the cable box connected to the recorder via composite so that you can record premium stations on a DVD recorder input mode anytime you like - but you would have to be watching that channel at the same time unless the DVD recorder had a pass-through RF signal (rather than a composite clone) - meaning you could also use coaxial to your television from the recorder and tune channels separately on your television while the recorder is recording one channel.

A lot of what-ifs there, but it is all quite possible.