I'm a techo-dunderhead, help!

[Dean3]

Just bought one of those Home theatre systems, plus a new VCR, DVD and TV.

I've got the whole thing working OK, but I can't seem to record anything on the VCR. Just got 2 hours of 'snow' the other night.

Can anyone take me thru step by step where I should be plugging in the red, white and yellow cables from my VCR? Should they go into the DVD, or straight into the TV and into what plug holes? Should the coax antenna cable go into the VCR or into the TV, given that they are connected by AV (red, white and yellow) cables?

Can someone help, or point me to a website for dummies?

Thanx in advance.

 

[Desredandwhite]

a lot of this will depend on exactly what connections you have on the equipment.

Here's how I have it set up at home - This is assuming you have the following:

Surround Receiver/Amp with multiple inputs
TV
VCR
DVD Player

Basically, you'll want to connect the coax aerial cable to the VCR, and then possibly another one from the VCR's aerial out to the TV's Aerial in - so that both of them can access FTA TV. You can tune a channel on the TV into the VCR, but you will get better results by plugging the video/audio out of the VCR into the video/audio in on the TV.

You generally don't want to plug your DVD player into the VCR unless you can turn off the macrovision copy protection circuit. Video out from the DVD should go into the Video in of the TV (whether it is composite (yellow), S-Video, or Component (Red, Green, Blue). Audio out from the DVD player will either go straight to your TV (stereo - red/white) or to the surround amp (stereo, digital coax, digital optical or 6 channel analog).

If you are going to use the amp to to audio or video switching, obviously the inputs will go to the amp, with one master output coming out..

Hope that made sense. It's hard to suggest something unless you can tell us exactly what inputs and outputs you have....

 

[Dean3]

Thanks a heap DR&W.

Just to clear something up — I should have the antenna coax into the VCR, but EITHER the coax then into the TV, OR the red, white and yellow AV cables into the TV - not both - is that right?

Thanks again for taking the time.

 

[Desredandwhite]

both is ok, unless you don't mind watching FTA TV exclusively through the VCR, if that makes sense.