Does this model DVD/VCR recorder have an analog tuner or a digital tuner?

I suspect that your Insignia TV has an ATSC (digital tuner). The VCRs only have NTSC (analog) tuners. If you have a digital to analog converter box, you can connect that to any of the VCRs and tune in the channels. You will have to tune in the channel at the converter box. Ensure that you disable the sleep mode, if the desired program you want to record will air later.

There is one DVD/VCR that I know had an ATSC tuner, the Panasonic DMR-EZ37VK. It's still listed for sale at Amazon and E-bay, among others. A few other manufacturers may have come out with models with digital tuners. However, I didn't spend much time looking into them. They all had MSRP >$300. I connected my VCR/DVD recorder to the composite out of a converter box for <$50.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(In the US, only a few low power stations were allowed to remain broadcasting analog signals at the initial switch-over date. Some of them have stopped broadcasting entirely.)

You can read what JVC is telling about the recorder. It is not an digital tuner, but still you can record a DVD and watch another channel or vice versa.


Want to read the whole manual? click the link:
DVD Recorder Hi Fi VHS Combination DR MV5S Introduction

It depends on the model and the source. The DRC212N is not a recorder, so it won't.

Depending on the model, it may or may not have a tuner. (Most modern ones are sold without any tuner. Older models may only have an analog (NTSC) tuner.) I know of one Magnovox DVR/DVD recorder that has an ATSC (digital) tuner.

If you are going to record OTA signals, you will probably need a digital to analog converter. If you are recording from a cable or satellite system set-top box, you need to set the channel on the box and then record on Line In. (Analog cable should record directly.)

Please add a comment with more information about your DVD recorder. I'll be glad to provide more assistance. I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Most TVs only have audio out and several audio/video in connections. Unless you have an unusual tv, there is no option for a coax connection from the TV to a recorder.

Since this DVD recorder only has an analog tuner, you need to connect it to a set top box to record signals unless you are looking only at analog channel sources. If you are getting OTA, then a OTA digital-to-analog tuner is needed for most channels. (Only low power stations are still broadcasting in analog.) The cheaper ones that were available with the government coupon were SD tuners. HD content will need a separate tuner. If you have cable or satellite, check the signal (QAM is digital cable).

Next connect the coax from your analog source to the DVD recorder coax in and another coax cable to the coax out and the TVs coax in (if you want to - the pass through doesn't work with a set-top box for non-analog signals). Set the channel to the appropriate one (3 or 4 for the OTA d-t-a boxes; desired channel to watch for analog OTA or cable). Set the TV to channel 2, 3 or 4. Alternatively, use composite A/V cables from the set top box to the A/V Input of the DVD recorder and set the recording channel to Input 1.

Next connect A/V cables (composite or S-video) to the recorder's matching out to the TV A/V or S-video In. Set the TV to A/V 1 or Video 1 depending on the Emerson TV. You can watch tapes or DVDs. For better video quality on DVD playback, also connect component video cables from the DVD recorder Out to the TV's component in (if it is available). Then set the TV to the appropriate component video input when watching DVDs.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

The DR-MV150B has both a digital tuner and analog tuner. Since the digital conversion you more likely have not run a channel scan for the new digital channels. Plugging in a digital tuner would work, but is unnecessary. What you probably have to do is run the 'auto scan' feature through the recorders menu. Hit "Home" button go to the "TV" icon and select "Auto Scan". It will take a few minutes, but recorder will scan for digital channels and memorize them.

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.

You have to set the vcr to channel 3 or 4 (whatever the converter box is set to broadcast on). The signal to record has to come through the converter box. Since the VCR only has a analog tuner, it cannot pick up any digital channels on it's own.

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

your model is "tuner free" that means it does not have the RF screw in connector. Buy one that has a tuner, preferably both ATSC(USA digital) and NTSC(USA analog)

You can use a digital tuner converter box and plug it into the back of the unit.