Can;t record on VCR since Comcast went Digital

If the tuners are really able to receive a digital signal you will have no problems. A digital vcr is a fairly rare item, around here at least because before the signal went digital no one needed a digital vcr and the HDD recorders were available much cheaper than a digital vcr after the changeover.
A digital vcr was and still is around four times the price of the analogue type. After the switchover there were a few dual standard machines around and quite a few people who mistakenly believed they owned digital machines.

If your using digital cable it will only record channel 3 or 4 depending on what your cable box is set to...In order for it to record different channels it needs a cable source plugged directly into it. You will only be able to record standard cable channels 1-125. If it's digital cable forget about... you can only record it with channel 3/4 a solution to this would be using a 2nd digital box.. "auto-programming" may be limited even with a 2nd cable box. If your only using standard cable 1-125... you can use the TV/VCR button it will switch between the tuner of the TV & VCR allowing you to record while you watch a different show... keep in mind this won't work for digital channels which if I'm not mistaken comcast has already converted all channels to digital even basic.

Hi and welcome to FixYa

Initially, postback the model number of the Comcast digital adapter and the TV.

Offhand, if the Comcast digital adapter is connected to the Sony through a coaxial patchcord, then the Sony would really have to be set to Ch 4 (or 3). Channel selection is done on the Comcast digital adapter. It is not possible to record one channel while viewing another.

Good luck and thank you for asking FixYa

Your dvd recorder only has rca, red white yellow inputs it wont allow you to record in HD, although you can play your comcast box any hd, regular digital through and record. Hook up the comcast box if HD through preferably HDMI if not get one from comcast. The HD box is the only box that allow HDMI, component and regular RCA and some RF out. This way you can play HD to your set but also record through RCA or RF again will not allow for HD record unless its TiVo. Hope this helps

Comcast is full of it.

If you have a cable box, plug the box directly into the cable feed, then place the VCR inline between the cable and the TV. Leave the VCR on Channel 3 or 4 and use the box to select the channel. You could also use the video and audio out lines from the box and run them to the VCR.

first make sure the cable is running through you vcr then make sure you vcr is set to either channel 3 or one of the inputs

Try this..Run cable line into VCR in, cable from VCR out to box, then cable from box to TV..this might work...I have done this for YEARS and it is never failed. You can then watch and record 2 things at once.

Take a splitter from the wall and plug it in using a seperate line. You wont get all the digital channels but you can get channels up to 150 to record. Depending on how many av outputs you have on the back of your digital tuner you might be able to take one of those those and plug it into the av input of your DVD recorder. You can get a better picture that way when you record from the cable box vs using coax.

Make sure the splitter is approved for digital cable use. The Radio Shack ones work the best and they are usually the same version of the ones Comcast sells to customers. If you get a brand like they carry at drug stores you will lose picture quality and probably end up with a service call bill as well.

If you set it up right per Comcast instructions:

Your VCR will record a show off of its built in tuner while you are watching another show from the cable box.

Make sure that the AB switch is set into the correct position and that you are only recording a show that that isn't digital. I believe you can only record shows up to channel 150 off the VCR tuner. Anything higher than that won't work.

If your Comcast Cable Tuner has two AV outputs in the back of it, you can skip the AB switch altogether and plug the one of the cable tuner output lines into the back of the VCR input lines. That way it can record that show you are watching on the cable tuner at that same time.

You will need a splitter and an rf modulator to do timed recording of programs. The instructions are on the dtv answers website, option # 2, record and watch a different channel. The recording is for the analog stations 1-24. You cannot record the higher stations. The items I purchased were a 3 way splitter $7 at local hardware store, an rf modulator $25 at Radio Shack. The other option was to get a cable box for the tv and record off of that at $6.95 a month or a DVR for $8.99 per month, all from comcast. The price that I paid for the items I needed would be repaid in 3 months if I were to go the comcast route. The conversion is nothing more than a money making scheme for them.