How To Hook up a VCR to a Cable/Antenna

[Xegoog]

Hardware has never been my strong suit. I cannot figure this out. It's too complicated to me. I don't know the difference between inputs and outputs and what to hook up to where. All I want to do is record from my tv to my vcr, but every time I try, no matter what configuration, the tape is always blank. Can someone please help me out?

[Tsukumo Yuma]

I might be able to, first of all, antennas can look different then usual in later years, with different connections, so, do you have a picture or something of what the cords and openings that you antenna have?

 

Also, can you not plug it into the TV?

Edited September 6, 2014 by Tsukumo Yuma

[Koby]

Hook the cable cord into the "input" on the VCR. Then run the cord from the VCR 'output' to your TV.

You then have to change the channel on your VCR to be on the same channel of whatever it is that you're planning to record.

 

Though in this day and age you should drop the VCR recording and go digital. Get a capture card for your PC and connect the cable cord to it and record that way. You'll get much better results and can even record in HD from HD channels.

[Xegoog]

This is the VCR I am using: http://tv.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/emerson/ewv601b.html

 

I have the coaxal cable going from the TV Output to the VCR's Input (Black Cable), and I have the cable box's antenna cable going from it (the input) to the VCR (output).

 

TV still won't play through my VCR. I'm sure I have it hooked up right. What am I doing wrong?

 

My computer got stolen, so I can't use my capture card. This is all I have right now.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Xegoog

[Koby]

This is the VCR I am using: http://tv.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/emerson/ewv601b.html

 

I have the coaxal cable going from the TV Output to the VCR's Input (Black Cable), and I have the cable box's antenna cable going from it (the input) to the VCR (output).

 

TV still won't play through my VCR. I'm sure I have it hooked up right. What am I doing wrong?

 

My computer got stolen, so I can't use my capture card. This is all I have right now.

Cable Box antenna cable goes into the VCR input. The VCR output cord goes to TV input.

I said this in my last post.

 

Here is a picture:

 

The cable from your Cable Box goes into #25. The cable plugged into #29 runs to your TV's 'input'.

 

Essentially you want: Cable Box --> VCR --> TV.

 

Then you simply change the channel on your VCR to the channel you want recorded.

[Xegoog]

Sorry. I meant it the other way around. Dyslexia messes me up some times. Cable box is going to vcr input and vcr output is going to tv input. I'm using an HD TV.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Xegoog

[Koby]

Sorry. I meant it the other way around. Dyslexia messes me up some times. Cable box is going to vcr input and vcr output is going to tv input. I'm using an HD TV.

Then you still have to set the VCR to the correct channel.

[ezikialrage]

Sorry. I meant it the other way around. Dyslexia messes me up some times. Cable box is going to vcr input and vcr output is going to tv input. I'm using an HD TV.

Your VCR needs to be set to channel 3 or 4. There is a switch on the back of the vcr so that you can set it to 3 .  I would pick 3.  Anytime you wish to record a show from the cable box the cable box must be set to what ever channel you are recording and the VCR needs to be programed to record channel 3.   So if you are recording cartoon network at 4PM to 4:30PM then your cable box needs to be programed to be on the cartoon network at that time or you need to manually change the channel to cartoon network at that time and your VCR needs to be set to record channel 3  at 4PM to 4:30PM.

 

In my house I have a cable splitter on the main cable line. One line from the splitter is hooked up to the cable/antenna  input on the back of the tv.THe other line from the splitter is hooked up to the coaxil cable input on the cable box and I have component video cables hooked up from the cable box to the TV. This so when my cable box is recording two shows I can still watch a different channel through my reglar cable tv channels. My setup is similar to this.

 

 

 

If you can get the channels you want to record through your TV and VCR without the use of the cable box then I suggest this way of hooking it up. You would need your VCR to be on anytime you watched anything on your cable box.

Edited September 11, 2014 by ezikialrage

[Xegoog]

The VCR's on-screen display gives me 3 options:

L1
L2
Channel 02

That's it.

The channel up and down buttons won't go higher.

This crap is seriously frustrating me to the point of knocking my head against the wall. It shouldn't be so complicated. I got it working once with a different VCR.

I'm not tech-savy at all. I'm illiterate when it comes to hardwiring anything.

 

EDIT: I don't have cable, so I don't have a cable box. I have a box that my antenna plugs into but all it does is rotate the antenna when I use the remote that came with it on it.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Xegoog

[DarkDream787]

Hook the antenna coaxial into the VCR's input and not the TV's input if thats what your doing.

 

 

This page 3 tells you how to set up channels on the VCR. Since your not using a cable box or satellite box and you depend on the TV's channel changer to change channels, or it doesn't have the channel you want to change to preset into it, your going to have to manually search for them yourself and program them in to the VCR. Then change it to the same channel afterwards. Try the automatic channel setter and see if it gets more channels on the VCR.

 

http://tv.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/emerson/ewv601b.html?p=3

 

The other half about adding channels is on page 4

 

http://tv.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/emerson/ewv601b.html?p=4

 

 

 

 

Also if the above doesnt fix your problem, Id be sure the VCR works properly. Perhaps its recording feature is broken? Try it on another TV like a friends TV perhaps to find out? Are you using a tape that can be recorded to and still has the recording tab not broken off at the bottom of it?

Edited September 13, 2014 by DarkDream787

[ezikialrage]

The VCR's on-screen display gives me 3 options:

L1

L2

Channel 02

That's it.

The channel up and down buttons won't go higher.

This crap is seriously frustrating me to the point of knocking my head against the wall. It shouldn't be so complicated. I got it working once with a different VCR.

I'm not tech-savy at all. I'm illiterate when it comes to hardwiring anything.

 

EDIT: I don't have cable, so I don't have a cable box. I have a box that my antenna plugs into but all it does is rotate the antenna when I use the remote that came with it on it.

Some TVs and VCRs will not allow you to change additional channels until your TV or VCR has scanned or programed them in.The L1 and L2 channels are for devices like DVD players, game consoles and etc.

Edited September 13, 2014 by ezikialrage

[professa X]

I wonder how long do I have to age before some asks a similar question about bluray players!

[Xegoog]

Sorry for not responding. I've been having traumatic flashbacks which have impaired me.

 

I tried programming the channels, following the manual, twice, and it can't find them. Like the channels on the VCR and the TV are two different things. The TV is an HDTV. 

The tapes I've been trying to use are store bought blank tapes, so they should work. The VCR's other functions work, and the recording light comes on when I push the REC button. I can press the button, let it fill a tape, play it back, and it'll be nothing but static. Antenna is going to VCR Input, TV is going to VCR Output. Pressing the "TV-VCR" button makes the TV's signal go away.

[ezikialrage]

Sorry for not responding. I've been having traumatic flashbacks which have impaired me.

 

I tried programming the channels, following the manual, twice, and it can't find them. Like the channels on the VCR and the TV are two different things. The TV is an HDTV. 

The tapes I've been trying to use are store bought blank tapes, so they should work. The VCR's other functions work, and the recording light comes on when I push the REC button. I can press the button, let it fill a tape, play it back, and it'll be nothing but static. Antenna is going to VCR Input, TV is going to VCR Output. Pressing the "TV-VCR" button makes the TV's signal go away.

 

 

I hate to ask but what is the date on the back of your VCR or how long have you had this VCR? I ask because the VCR may not have a digital tuner.

 

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/electionissues/tp/digital_TV_transition.htm

[Xegoog]

I've made some progress!

Turns out the switch on the back of the VCR was set to 4 instead of 3!

Switching it to 3 and pushing VCR-TV made it power on, BUT it still makes the TV

signal go away AND the auto channel setup feature still doesn't find any channels.

 

As far as its age, I have no friggin' clue. It's old, but in like new conition.

I wonder how long do I have to age before some asks a similar question about bluray players!

I'd say...about 20-30 years.

[DarkDream787]

I've made some progress!

Turns out the switch on the back of the VCR was set to 4 instead of 3!

Switching it to 3 and pushing VCR-TV made it power on, BUT it still makes the TV

signal go away AND the auto channel setup feature still doesn't find any channels.

 

As far as its age, I have no friggin' clue. It's old, but in like new conition.

I wonder how long do I have to age before some asks a similar question about bluray players!

I'd say...about 20-30 years.

 

That switch on the back is just the channel your TV has to be on to see the VCR hooked up to it. If its on 3, then your TV has to be on channel 3 to see the VCR, if its on 4 then your TV has to be on channel 4 to see the VCR.