Can't View TV Program When Recording With VCR

You're gonna have to tell us how this whole thing is wired. Cable directly into DVD/VCR? Cable into a cable STB? DVD/VCR -> TV....how? Etc....

Okay, and thanks for the response. The cable is outputting to an RF modulator (necessary because my TV has only a coax input), the modulator is outputting to the TV, and the DVD/VCR's audio/video (red, white, and yellow plugs) outputs are connected to the modulator's audio/video inputs.

Nothing going to DVD/VCR *inputs*?

You say "The cable is outputting to an RF modulator (necessary because my TV has only a coax input.)" The RF output of your cable box is connected to the RF input of the modulator?

I'm confused. I'm not familiar with RF modulators that have RF inputs. And since the DVD/VCR's composite A/V outputs (red, white, yellow) are connected to the modulator's composite inputs, there's no composite inputs available for input from the cable box.

Suggestion: cable box A/V (composite) outputs to modulator A/V inputs. Modulator RF output to DVD/VCR RF input. VCR RF output to TV RF input.

Methinks you're failing to tell us something here.

So in other words you can't watch the programme you're recording? Sounds like the device is muting its output during the recording process. Philips probably have a reason for this. ;-)

But the only reason most would want to do this would be if the recorder accessed different progs to the TV - like if it had a tuner for digital progs and the TV didn't?

This is a trivial matter. The antenna (or cable cable) connects to the RF intput, the RF output goes to the TV's RF jack. Simple. (I can't believe you're having trouble with something so simple.)

The VCR shoulid have a switch that lets you choose between the antenna signal and the VCR signal. That's it. If you can't view other channels while recording, you're doing something wrong. And it's something very simple "wrong".

Sounds like the OP has neglected to set his TV to the channel that the DVD/VCR is set to. That channel is usually 3 or 4. Look at the rear of the unit and see if there is a switch to select channel 3 or 4. Set your TV to that channel. The output channel might be set in the menu. Go to the DCD/VCR setup menu and look for a setting that allows you to select which channel the DVD/VCR outputs the signal on. Set the TV to that channel.

The setup that I have is described here:

So, the steps are:

"First: Just plug your cable/vcr output into its cable input connection of the RF modulator and the DVD player into the RF modulator's AV inputs.

"Second: Connect a standard cable from the RF modulator to your TV.

"Third: Select either the channel 3 or 4 output on the back of the RF modulator."

You seem to be suggesting that a connection is needed with the DVD/VCR A/V inputs. But, if that's true: (1) Why doesn't the above website mention it? and (2) How is the VCR managing to record if the connections are wrong?

But he said it replays ok?

As long as the antenna or cable cable is connected to the VCR's RF input, the VCR will record, regardless of whether the rest of the setup is "correct".

Please pardon me, I am nobody from no where. If this doesn't help I will go back in my hole and cover it up again.

If you noticed from a link on the Home Theater page you had a link to, you Must have Both the Modulator And the TV matched to either channel 3, or 4 ?

Wayne

No need to. I say dumb things once in a while, and I haven't left. Yet.

That applies to playback through the TV's RF input, not to recording.

The subject line reads: "Can't View TV Program When Recording With VCR". The modulator isn't needed for this. The tuner in the VCR and the tuner in the TV receive the same antenna or cable signal, and can receive any channel.

Okay, guys, problem solved -- at least for my purposes. It turns out that my TV does have A/V inputs -- they were hidden by the way the TV was positioned on the wall. I therefore removed the RF modulator from my set-up, connected the TV directly to the cable box, connected the A/ V cables that came with the DVD/VCR from the cable box outputs to the DVD/VCR inputs, and bought an additional set of A/V cables at Radio Shack to connect the DVD/VCR outputs to the TV inputs. Now, everything is working fine. Thanks so much for your assistance, although I'm still puzzled as to why my initial set-up worked the way it did. Is it because the VCR and RF modulator are analog and my TV set is digital?

Thanks

Wayne

Ah, the OP said he had digital cable (and I assume a digital STB.) So, the TV tuner (his TV was old) *can't* receive any channel. Neither can the VCR.

No.

You're kidding, aren't you?

in the

VCR.

Okay, but then how was he able to make recordings?

channel.

Don't ask me. I couldn't get him to tell me to what the *input* of his DVD/VCR was connected. I'll assume it was modulated, and the DVD/VCR was tuned to the same channel as the modulator output. But anything is possible, considering he didn't realize his TV even had A/V inputs. Sigh...

channel.

I told you in my second post what the set-up was: The inputs of the DVD/VCR weren't connected to anything. However, the VCR could still record -- it's just that I couldn't view what I was recording.