I wanted to be able to record tv shows with my VCR from ME-TV. Although I don’t have paid cable or Satellite service or an antenna, I did notice that the cable wire needs to be connected to the TV in order for me to see any shows . MY Toshiba VHS recorder was purchased in 2007 or 2008 I think. I have a Samsung flat screen tv bought in 2008 and I think it is a HDTV. It does have a cable hookup on the back and a red, yellow, white jacks as well. I tried in vain to record the shows found on ME-TV but it doesnt seem to record. Can someone tell me why I cant record shows with my VCR? I did notice that on my tv, the ME-TV channel come in as 29-1. When i tried to fix my VCR to that channel, I could not. Also I tried to be on that channel to record it the same time I was watching it and could not. Please note that i read the other thread that spoke abt using a vcr but sorry i didnt understand it . I would very much appreciate someone explaining in detail to me what i need to do to record tv shows without cable or satellite hookups. Thank you in advance 
So, as I understand it, you are not paying for cable, but when you hook up the cable to your TV, you receive certain channels.
Can you tell us specifically what the model number of your VCR is? I know it’s a pain to find it, but it will help a lot.
Have you been able to record other channels? Channels that have a dash in them like “2-1” or “5-1”? What is the highest numbered channel you have been able to record? Do most (or all) of the channels you receive have the dash in them?
The following won’t make sense to you, but maybe to others who are reading: I am trying to determine if you need a QAM tuner in your VCR. Or whether you even have an ATSC tuner in your VCR. I suspect you are viewing the channels on your TV using the tuner in your TV, not your VCR.
over the air broadcast tv in the USA is digital and uses channel numbers like 29.1.
vcr weren’t made with digital tuners as i recall.
what is the cable you connect to your tv, an antenna cable or cable tv service? you have to get your signal somehow?
VCRs with digital tuners are available.
Over the air analog broadcast LPTV (low power)stations exist.
Have you been able to play anything on the VCR, watch a movie with it? If you can, then you at least know you have it hooked up properly. Model numbers for both the VCR and TV would be helpful. I know it can be done, my parents record stuff over the air with their VCR and an LCD HDTV, but I don’t know the specifics, and there may be a separate tuner involved.
Do you have the cable hooked up to your VCR too?
The basic answer is, you won’t be able to record anything to your VCR, because your VCR records analog signals and all broadcast TV in the U.S. has been digital since June 2009.
The cable wire – what’s it hooked up to on the other end?
The only option I see is to get yourself a digital TV converter (they cost about $50, or lok for one on Craigslist), run your cable to that, tune the coverter to 29.1, then run the output of your converter to your VCR (using either the antenna or the red/white/yellow inputs.) the coverter will turn the digital signal back into analog and your VCR will recognize it.
Cable companies were not required to convert to digital and many still provide the basic tier of channels in analog. I suspect that is why the OP is receiving cable without paying for it: The cable company is not blocking the basic tier. Obviously 29.1 is not an analog station. The converters that were used to receive over-the-air digital broadcasts are not compatible with cable signals.
they are few and i didn’t want confuse with unlikely exceptions to the statement. station involved here is 29.1 which is a digital number.
The OP explicitly said she does not have an antenna and she says that she is using a cable connection. If we take her at her word, it makes no difference what the broadcast standard in the US is since she is receiving her signal over a cable and not over-the-air. Obviously 29.1 is a digital channel. But if it is coming from a cable, it is a QAM encoded digital channel, which is completely different than the OTA digital channels.
some basic cable tv services in the basic analog package might provide the digital subchannels of a broadcast tv station. the tv might tune these in.
the source of the signal in the cable is uncertain. the OP could be interpreted as having basic cable without options. though it might be connected to an unknown antenna or something acting as an antenna (an open coax on the other end can capture a strong signal).
more details are needed.
The OP explicitly said she doesn’t have paid cable. I agree with johnpost. The signal has to be coming from somewhere.
If the OP meant she only has basic cable, then **Alley Dweller **is correct and my workaround won’t work. However, if by “cable” she meant a coaxial cable that’s picking up a regular TV signal, then my method will work.
**dewrosejl **please post again and tell us more. The cable wire that needs to be connected to your TV - what is it connected to on the other hand. Can you watch any cable stations like USA, ESPN or TNT?