Why bad reception with new VCR?

[pseudotriton ruber ruber]

I use the old-fashioned rabbit-ears non-cable system of receiving TV signals, and I've never had reception problems until I installed a new VCR (I've used maybe a dozen VCRs successfully with the same TV, in the same spot inside my apartment, for many years). Now, I'm getting an interrupted signal, or none at all. Is the receiver inside the VCR faulty? Or could it somehow just be designed not to pick up signals so well as the other VCRs I've used?

I assumed that the standard of TV reception would be improving as the technology advances, rather than geting worse, but maybe that's a faulty teleological assumption.

[don't ask]

Some time ago my brother, who knew what he was talking about, advised me not to buy European receivers of any description. He said that broadcast distances are so short in Europe that TVs that are superb in Europe are crap in Australia.

[mbacko1]

Originally Posted by pseudotriton ruber ruber

I use the old-fashioned rabbit-ears non-cable system of receiving TV signals, and I've never had reception problems until I installed a new VCR (I've used maybe a dozen VCRs successfully with the same TV, in the same spot inside my apartment, for many years). Now, I'm getting an interrupted signal, or none at all. Is the receiver inside the VCR faulty? Or could it somehow just be designed not to pick up signals so well as the other VCRs I've used?

I assumed that the standard of TV reception would be improving as the technology advances, rather than geting worse, but maybe that's a faulty teleological assumption.

My guess is that the VCR is cheap and the circuitry in the ANT coax pass through is not shielded well or the wiring is of poor quality. I would return the VCR and try another of the same model to see if it is better. If not, go with a different model of VCR.

[N9IWP]

Have you tried both "pass through" (VCR set to "TV") and translate (VCR set to "VCR" TV set to channel 3/4) modes? Is it the same badness in both modes?

Is the VCR set to "on air" channel mode as opposed to "cable" mode?


forgive me if these are too elementary questions, but its usuall best to start with the simple solutions.


Brian