I thought I knew how to connect all three. I did it once for myself, but now I can’t get it to work for a friend…
Do I need an RF converer or not? What cable connections are necessary? Am I just losing my mind?
I thought I knew how to connect all three. I did it once for myself, but now I can’t get it to work for a friend…
Do I need an RF converer or not? What cable connections are necessary? Am I just losing my mind?
You don’t really offer enough details for a full answer. There’s more than one way to connect those devices, depending on what type of connections they offer. However, I can offer a sort of minimalist approach that should work for most current models. This should enable you to watch/record regular TV, watch videotapes, and watch DVDs, but not necessarily at the best quality the system is capable of providing.
I assume that you have a coaxial RF feed coming in from outside–either cable or an antenna of some kind. If there is a set-top box associated with this (a cable box or satellite antenna receiver), the RF feed should go into the RF input on the box, and the RF output on the box should be connected to the RF input on the VCR. If there is no set-top box, the RF feed should go straight into the RF input on the VCR.
The TV should have an RF input. If it doesn’t, then you’ll need an RF converter. (Actually, you need a new TV, but I’m being nice.) The RF output from the VCR should feed into the RF input on the TV.
The DVD player should have audio/video connections (the red/white/yellow RCA jacks). If the TV has matching inputs, just run your cable straight between them. Switching the TV to Video mode will display the DVD output.
If the TV doesn’t have A/V inputs, run the DVD output to the inputs on the VCR. In this case, you’ll have to switch the VCR into Line Input mode and set the TV on the VCR output channel to watch DVDs.
This may not work. Depending on how the VCR uses the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit, the Macrovision embedded in the video out from DVDs which have this protection may cause problems when playing a DVD through the VCR severe enoug to make the images unwatchable. In this case you’ll need a separate box, called an RF modulator, to connect the baseband A/V outputs from the DVD player to the F-connector on the TV. The modulator takes the separate audio and video inputs and modulates them onto an RF signal on channel 3 or 4, which is switchable.