Connecting DVD Recorder to TV and Digibox - Help!

[Rosbif]

Hi all

We bought a DVD Recorder this weekend and have spent numerous hours trying to figure out how to connect it up

We have an analogue TV and a Digibox. Have connected all cables as we think they should be and we get the digital TV on AV2 and the DVD Recorder on AV1 or it may be the other way round can't remember and not at home at moment.

So we can get all the digital channels as normal, however, on the DVD Recorder we only have channels 1-5 that it found itself and we can't seem to tune in the digital channels so can't record them.

Any tecchies out there know what we've done wrong!

Carole

[tree-peony]

the digibox scart needs to go into the dvd recorder first, then out of that into the TV

[Rosbif]

Thanks TP, from what I can remember both the digibox and DVD recorder are connected to the TV by scart and I think the DVD recorder and Digibox are connected together by scart too, then I can't remember whether the aerial from outside is connected to the DVD or Digibox now and then there is one other thin cable involved somewhere!

Prob best if I have a look when I get home and post exactly how the cables are connected up which then might prove more useful in identifying the problem

[tree-peony]

ok...will be around later

[guest 4]

Don't you just hate cables?

When are they going to make everything wireless?

The back of my comp looks like a load of spaggetti. I'ts impossible to clean too!

Ruth

[tree-peony]

well actually, i LOVE wires

[Rosbif]

I just bought a wireless printer at the weekend it is fantastic!!! Put it in the bedroom (nowhere else to put it ) and can print from both laptops to the bedroom with no wires

Anyway back on topic, right I've been trying again and given up! So I hope someone can help me as I am starting to go a bit crazy!!

This is how it is set up at the moment:

Aerial cable from outside connected into Digibox
Coax cable from Digibox (TV out socket) to DVD Rec (In from Ant socket)
Coax cable from DVD Rec (out to TV socket) to TV

Scart cable from Digibox (Scart TV socket) to TV (AV1 socket)
Scart cable from Digibox (Scart VCR/Aux socket) to AV2/Decoder socket on DVD Rec
Scart cable from DVD Rec (AV1 socket) to TV (AV2 socket)

Using TV remote I can get channels 1-5 on ordinary TV
If I put it onto AV1 I get all the digibox channels
If I put it onto AV2 I get channels 1-5 via the DVD Rec and if I then press AV/Input on the DVD Rec remote and change that to AV2 I get the digital channels.

So how do I get the DVD Rec to find all the digital channels as it only lists channels 1-5 in the set up window, so I can't set up to record any digital channels. If I try and manually record a digital channel by changing to AV2 on the TV remote then pressing AV/Input on the DVD remote I can record the digital channel that I manually put it onto, but I can't set it up as I don't have a list of channels only 1-5. If I then change channel back to AV1 on TV remote whilst recording and then change the digital channel it then starts recording the channel I change to not the one I started recording.

I hope this all makes some sort of sense as my head is rather confused with it all now. ::)

Confused Carole from Brighton!!

[tree-peony]

yes it makes sense (sort of anyway!!)

it sounds like you have got it connected correctly, but you're expecting it to do something it can't! The digibox decodes the digital TV signal, not the DVD recorder, so it will only record the digital channel that you're watching. Analogue is slightly different in that the DVD recorder probably has a tuner in built, so you can record one channel whilst watching another.

Bit confuddled about the "list of channels" only being 1-5? do you mean in timed record mode?

[Rosbif]

Thanks TP you are a bit of a tecchie guru aren't you! It sounds like maybe I am expecting it to do more than it can like you said. Maybe I should have bought a DVD Rec with built in digi box but didn't think I would need that as I already had one. Or maybe that still wouldn't make any difference!

The list of 1-5 I mean when I go into the menu or the auto programming feature on the DVD recorder it only finds 5 channels and they are the ones listed when I go to set up a programme to record, but I can then also record from the AV1 or AV2 channels.

So if I wanted to set something up when I go out that for example is on BBC3 and I chose that channel via the DVD Rec AV/Input button and then I turned off the TV and went out, would that record the right thing? Would it just be if I am home and wanted to watch one thing and record another that it wouldn't work?

I am confusing myself now in what I am writing so I hope you can understand what the hell I am talking about

[tree-peony]

yes it should be fine as long as you leave the digibox tuned to that channel

Is it satellite or cable btw?

and in my other life I play with these, so I suppose i am quite techy

[Rosbif]

Wow!! What do you do then, is that a sound deck?

Erm I don't think its satellite or cable! Showing my complete ignorance now We haven't got a satellite dish, but I don't pay for any cable either, so I think its just old fashioned aerial from the roof or whatever! Then the freeview digibox.

OK am going to experiment and set up a record then turn it all off and see what happens ......

[tree-peony]

yep it is

and I think the same principle applie to Freeview as the others

[Rosbif]

OK did two experiments first one set up to record a digital channel then turned everything off, resulted in black screen recording.

Second one set up again and left digibox switched on and it worked.

So I guess I won't be able to set up more than one thing if I go out and they are on different channels, unless one thing is on channel 1 to 5. And I won't be able to record something and watch another channel

So would I have been better to get a DVD recorder with built in digibox, would that be the solution?

Do you work in music or TV then TP?

Carole
getting fed up with digital stuff!

[tree-peony]

yes, that sounds about right, and I'm not sure about recorders with built in decoders!

(music, not T )

[Rosbif]

OK well thanks for all your help, at least I kind of know what I'm doing now and will stop faffing around with it!

Ah shame I don't have any wine I could do with a glass!