Hookup question

 

New member
Username: Bmitd67

Nashville, TN United States

Post Number: 4
Registered: Sep-05
I have a VCR (S-video) that I want to use with my system and I can't seem to program it properly.

I have HD cable, Plasma TV and a Marantz SR7300 receiver.

How do I include the VCR so that I can record one show while watching another and/or program a record time and not have to leave the cable box on that channel?

Can I split the signal? HD cable running through receiver into TV and regular cable running from VCR to reciever to TV or something like that...
Thanks
 

Bronze Member
Username: Basicaudio

Chula vista, Ca US

Post Number: 73
Registered: Mar-06
Your VCR has a tuner, the recording is made by that TUNER. Your cable box should have a COAX output or newer ones would have VIDEO PREOUTS AND PRE INS.

If the cable box only has one COAX OR RCA VIDEO OUTS OR S VIDEO OUT, you can always go to your local radio shack and get a SPLITTER for any of the items mentioned.

You can actually get VIDEO processor to split all these signals as one CONTROL CENTER...
companies to google for is RUSSOUND, NILES, PHOENIX GOLD.

I have to visually look at a system or it's blueprint in order for me to improvise or make any adjustments.

This is really a simple procedure if you have the proper input and outputs on your HD cable box, otherwise, you have to get an external control center or video processor

Have you ever been into a sportsbar? The same series or parallel connections they utilize for multiple connections and monitoring is done by the use of these devices. All it is like a preamp in video terms. They use these control centers or processors to transfer signals from various sources.

If you have a basic coax RG cable on your cable box, it's easy to get a tv/video splitter, one female IN and two female OUT. What you do here is CONNECT the splitter to the cable box coax TV out.
The splitter will be BETWEEN the CABLE BOX ( cable box feeding the TV OUT to the splitter INPUT, while the TWO OUTPUTS splits into one going to the TV, and the other to the VCR INPUT. That's if it is coax. If it's RCA, You use a RCA "Y" ADAPTER either all females in all ends or a male and two females. If it's an "S" video, I believe radio shack has them to, a Y ADAPTER using S VIDEO multiple pin connectors.

I have to be able to see what type of terminals you have on your HD CABLE box.
In this set up of yours, there's really multiple ways of splitting the signals.


MR. JAN VIGNE CAN HELP YOU EVEN MORE.

I was a former high end home theater installer but not as EXPERIENCED or technially educated as some of the experts here. I am up there somewhere but not at their level. It is only in TWEAKING sounds is where I am at another level than most. Lots of help you can get from professionals here.


 

New member
Username: Bmitd67

Nashville, TN United States

Post Number: 5
Registered: Sep-05
Current chain is:
I am using two outputs ON the cable box

1. coax to VCR then VCR to reciever via S-video
2. component to reciever

Receiver to TV via component



 

Silver Member
Username: Mccambley

BREEZY POINT, NY USA

Post Number: 150
Registered: Jun-05
Jai try this a RF coaxil splitter to the cable right out of the wall befor the cable box. One wire to the cable box in one wire to the VCR. Your cable box connection will work just as it does now. When you press the TV/VCR on the VCR (usually on the remote) you will be able to use the tuner in the VCR to search for basic cable channels. With this set up you can record one channel on the VCR and watch anther through the cable box. You can also connect a S-Video wire from the cable box to the VCR and from VCR to TV. WiTh this connection you can record all programs even HD ( but you won't be recording HD) and the picture should be very good. You will need to set your VCR for LINE INPUT for the S-Video.
 

New member
Username: Bmitd67

Nashville, TN United States

Post Number: 6
Registered: Sep-05
Thank you guys. I will fool with it later this week.
 

New member
Username: Bmitd67

Nashville, TN United States

Post Number: 7
Registered: Sep-05
Casey I reread what you wrote. And I have additional questions.

Are you saying I can run S-video from cable box->VCR in addition to the coax running from the wall to the VCR?

Will I get a better picture running VCR straight into TV?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Basicaudio

Chula vista, Ca US

Post Number: 75
Registered: Mar-06
It depends on what kind of VCR you have. Do you have a SUPER VHS or do you have a standard one. It also depends on the grade of your cables. The best picture is actually from composite/component use. It splits up the COLOR signals when being fed, S VIDEO is just under one cable, but it's really not that discernable if you have HIGH definition processing.

There are video processors that will enhance your VCR picture, but you'd have to add that to your budget. Simply rearranging your cable set up is not going to necessarily improve the image.

What CASEY said is absolutely CORRECT in splitting your signal for recording. Because youre whole purpose is to record from the tuner, while being able to watch whatever program you're watching.
If you're TV had two tuners as in PIP it would have been easier as well.
The tuner in your case that is doing the recording is the one on the VCR like i stated, while the cable box or the tv tuner, you are using for whatever show you are watching...the main thing is to get the signal from either the wall or the cable box to the VCR input. If the HD cable box has a video processor to make it high definition, i would use the PREOUTS on the BOX and use the SPLITTER there so that the signal being processed by the box is more refine in the HD process into the VCR. if it's just a standard cable box, then the signal from the wall will be the same signal being fed. You're interested in the POST production, NOT pre...IF the cable box is an HD PROCESSOR also! it depends on what that box does?

 

New member
Username: Bmitd67

Nashville, TN United States

Post Number: 8
Registered: Sep-05
I do have an Super VHS.
I do have a HD cable box
I do have a PIP TV.

I'm not sure if I saw anything labeled Preout, I'm not at the box right now to check. If it's not labeled what am I looking for? I'm still talking about splitting the coax signal at this point, right?

How does the PIP factor fit in here?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Basicaudio

Chula vista, Ca US

Post Number: 77
Registered: Mar-06
Let me first explain the PIP, the Picture in picture is 90's technology with TWO or more tuners operating at the same time so you can MONITOR various programs at the same time and if you have a recorder, recording a program WHILE watching some other program or various programs such as sporting events.

From your description, it sounds like you have all the good features in a home audio/video setup!
HD, plasma, super vhs...those are all the good stuff. Preout is an audio term. VIDEO out IS the video term.
It sounds like you are new in the audio/video world but with good taste of selection regarding features in your equipment.

PIP is a must for sports and multiple programming hobbyist. That is why it was so popular in the 90's. Like my sister's HITACHI big screen, it has
6 PIP'S and some of the mitsubishi's had as much as 12 pip's. I don't the amount of PIP'S they implement these days but just checking around best buys and fry's electronics, I see that most tv's and big screens only has 1 PIP capability.

You may not even need to use a splitter since you told me you have PIP.
What does the back of your big screen indicate regarding the terminals....video in, audio in, s video in, s video out, video out, audio out, coax in/tv in, coax/tv out and how many pre in and pre outs(video in/out) does the back panel have?

Remember, the purpose of the HD CABLE BOX is to "process" HI definition signal to whatever SOURCE you are FEEDING be it the TV, projector, VCR, dvd player or whatever that is in the receiving end.

Here's what you need to do on this one example of the multiple combination of setups available.
There is more than one way to SKIN THE CAT!

First whatever instruction the cable box says, you go by, meaning if it says to fix it to a certain channel or tv channel, do that.

Is the VCR connected to your HT receiver? or is it connected directly into the plamsa/lcd tv?

Most setups are connected to the ht receiver via the tv set.
The cable box's video should be fed in the ht receiver, and the ht receiver's video out should be going in the video in of the tv.

You see, the high definition signal from the box is being fed into the ht receiver and whatever source is connected to the receiver, the receiver is transmitting those signals to whatever is connected to it's preamp connections/terminals such a cd player, dvd, vcr, game console etc.

Since your S VHS has a TUNER, as long as you set that tuner TO WHATEVER CHANNEL you want to record,
that CHANNEL is the one that your vcr will be recording as long as the MODE in your vcr is set for "VCR" "NOT" the mode that says TV!
If you select the mode for TV, it will record whatever channel or signal that is being transmitted by YOUR TV'S TUNER OR CABLE BOX!

for example if the cable box channel is in 9, and the VCR mode is in TV mode, it is the cable box that is being recorded. The cable box is basically a TV TUNER WITH A VIDEO PROCESSOR...it acts as an extension TV TUNER that you would find in any tv.

Since you are after the HD signal coming from the cable/cable box for better video imaging, you are recording that signal thru your VCR'S tuner! That is why you SET the recording for your VCR'S TUNER and not the tv/cable box regarding MODE selection on your vcr. Viewing is simply whatever you feed into the SCREEN, either from the cable box's tuner or the TV/BIG SCREEN'S OWN TUNER....
THE PIP allows you to MONITOR what's being recorded in your vcr, dvd player etc...while at the same time shows you whatever other program you are watching or monitoring with the use of a SEPARATE TUNER AND PICTURE SCREEN BEING DISPLAYED IN THE MAIN SCREEN OF YOUR TV OR FLAT PANEL.
You can always reverse the TWO OR MULTIPLE pictures being displayed from small(monitoring) to the MAIN large picture or vice versa...
that is the wonders of PICTURE and picture.
They came out with this technology to provide consumers the ability to do their own montoring, editting etc. that professional broadcasters do without spending mutliple equipment just to be able to do what the professionals do.

I hope this helps. Your instruction manuals on your tv and vcr should have some sort of instructions on accessory connections and programming.

It would be easy for me to connect your system the way you want it if I can see it!

I have hooked up and troubleshooted systems in mansions that the owners/managers of the small cheap skate company who didn't pay me garbage wasn't able to figure out.
I love audio that's why i try to help people out.
I am ok on video, but they go together these days that's why I try to keep updated on the video side.
I have been experimenting/hooking systems unprofessionally but as a hobbyist for over 25 yrs. Professionally, only a few years and trying to get back at it again.

I saved a multi millionaire at ebay who was trying to make his system sound 3 dimensional and livlier without being fooled into buying more high end equipment that cost him 100k for what he didn't need by selfish high end sales crackpots.
I saved him on spending more on 100k extra equipment he didn't need but two simple devices
that improved his system by light years that are made for the common folk. under $200. He thanked me endlessly last year.

Let us know who are members at ecoustics your progress on your project here.

You only use the splitters if you have to if you didn't have PIP, but since you have one, i don't see a reason to if you have enough video inputs and video outputs on all of your equipment.

Exactly what format of cables are you using, an RCA, A COAX OR S VIDEO or a combination of both?

It sounds to me the only thing you really need to be able to learn here is the operation of the mode controls on your vcr, cable box and television.

Since all three have TUNERS, and since the VCR is doing the recording, and if you follow my instructions to SET the tuner of your VCR to whatever channel you're going to record or program,
as long as the cable box is connected to your VCR's video in....you are all set!
Whatever channel that is being used on the cable box will be transmitted and shown in your TV!
You can always change the mode of your CABLE BOX'S TUNER TO TV IN/or whatever it indicates like monitor in and other markings which will allow the TV's tuner to be the TUNER that is transmitting to the SCREEN....in other words, allowing the TV TUNER TO BE THE ONE SHOWING THE CHANNEL YOU ARE WATCHING, while the VCR is recording whatever channel is SET for that vcr...
this is simple basic stuff!

Now if you had two tv's you wanted to transmit the signals, definitely a splitter would be mandatory then. But from what you are telling me, you may not need a splitter!
You just need to adjust the mode of your equipment!

1) from wall, cable goes to cable IN OR VIDEO IN of the cable box(whatever the wording is),
2)from the HD CABLE BOX, cable or video OUT goes to the video in( s video, rca, coax whatever) into the HT RECEIVER'S video input. vcr, dvd player etc...are all connected to their designated spot in the back of the receiver's VIDEO INPUTS....
NOW THE RECEIVER SHOULD HAVE A VIDEO OUT FOR WHATEVER TV/BIG SCREEN and the cable connected there goes to the VIDEO input of the TV/SCREEN/PROJECTOR.
This is a typical cable box, ht system, tv set up!
YOUR CONTROLLING OR PREAMP EQUIPMENT is your HT RECEIVER BE IT AUDIO OR VIDEO...you just have to read the instructions on how each mode operates.

Remember if the cable box's monitor mode is set for the CABLE BOX than the tuner of that cable box is the one that will be transmitting to the tv,
if the mode of the cable box is set for LINE...which stands for whatever connections you connect into it on it's VIDEO/AUDIO INPUT, that is the SIGNAL that is being USED to project to the TV OR SCREEN.
This whole question of yours is really a matter of mode selection on your pieces of equipment.
You have all the important features in your equipment to be able to do what you want to do, which is record from your vcr a separate channel or program, while watching something else at another channel.
Since you have 3 different tuners and a PICTURE IN PICTURE...i REALLY DON'T SEE A NEED FOR A SPLITTER BUT BASIC HOOK UP as I described.
You can use the splitter if you want to bypass the HT receiver all together. Like I said there are many ways to make your system work the way you described.
I can tell you various methods, but if you want simplicity and better audio/video quality. Stick to the basic set up. Just learn the MODE selection
buttons from your manuals.
This is not a difficult set up once you get the idea. What is so advantageous with your system is that you have all the necessary tools and features needed in your purchase.

I'll try to answer whatever question you may have.
remember to always test your hookups and expect to change things around if something doesn't work.
Even advanced systems with all the CEDIA certifed installers put together, they have to test and rewire in order to get their plans initiated.
You learn from trial and error and repitition.




 

New member
Username: Bmitd67

Nashville, TN United States

Post Number: 9
Registered: Sep-05
Yeah, the manuals confused me more than anything. I'm good when it comes to audio but video throws me for a loop.

Alright Jim heres what it looks like:

wall->hd box
hd box->receiver (component out)
**AND**
hd box->VCR (RF cable)
VCR->receiver (Svideo)
receiver->VCR (Svideo) - completing the video loop
receiver->TV out (component)

The TV has
2 component inputs
2 Svideo inputs
1 "cable"
1 "uhf/vhf"

Am I missing anything? Should the RF go from hd box to the TV instead of to the VCR? Or should the VCR go to the TV instead of the receiver?

I know there is one lynchpin connection that I think I've got wrong but I can't seem to see it.

As usual thanks!
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