OTA with DVR

Underdog · 6-Mar-2012, 2:37 PM

Pardon me if this is a dumb question. I'm in the process of getting an antenna and droping Direct TV. The GF now records her soap opera while she is at work on our DVR. One of our TVs is a Sony Trinitron that has both an S video cable out and RCA audio video out. The manual shows these connected to a VCR...it's an older TV.

So, I'm assuming I can use the tuner in this TV to get her ABC program and record with the DVR hooked to these outputs? The Sony Grand Wega we have appears to have a OTA tuner but no outputs only in. That is why I figured to use the older set for recording. I've seen mention of special tuner DVR combinations which confused me somewhat.
Thanks

MisterMe · 6-Mar-2012, 5:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

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So, I'm assuming I can use the tuner in this TV to get her ABC program and record with the DVR hooked to these outputs? The Sony Grand Wega we have appears to have a OTA tuner but no outputs only in. That is why I figured to use the older set for recording. I've seen mention of special tuner DVR combinations which confused me somewhat.
Thanks

You know what they say when you "assume"? The USA dropped full-power analog broadcasts back in 2009. Without an external ATSC tuner/converter, your Sony Grand WEGA is just a large and very heavy paperweight.

Your GF likes her stories? ChannelMaster's new CM7400, rebranded as the ChannelMaster TV, is what you need. It is a dual-tuner ATSC-compatible DVR and much more. It will allow you to record one HD station while watching another--or record both simultaneously.

Underdog · 6-Mar-2012, 5:13 PM

So you are saying if I hook an OTA antenna to the uhf/vhf input on either TV, I won't recieve anything at all? I thought that was the whole idea of putting the antenna up. Now I'm really confused.

This is what Sony says about the Grand Wega??

Good news! Your Sony KDF-50E2000 television has both ATSC and QAM tuners so you will be able to receive both over-the-air digital and cable digital programming without a digital tuner or a converter box.

OK the Trinitron XBR manual is dated 1989 so I'm going to "assume" it's analog. Can I just put a converter on it and use the output to record? For General Hospital I don't care if it's in HD or not.

MisterMe · 6-Mar-2012, 7:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

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Good news! Your Sony KDF-50E2000 television has both ATSC and QAM tuners so you will be able to receive both over-the-air digital and cable digital programming without a digital tuner or a converter box.

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When discussing any device, you should include its specific model number. Most Sony WEGA TV sets were flat-face CRT-based sets. Your rear-projection KDF-50E2000 can receive digital programming via ATSC (over-the-air) or QAM (cable) without an external tuner or converter box. However, your TV cannot record. It has audio-out but no video-out ports. Therefore, it cannot send a video signal to another device. To record digital programming in HD, you need a DVR or a D-VHS VCR. Yes, there were digital VHS VCRs. However, D-VHS is long out of production. Your best bet is the ChannelMaster TV (CM7400 DVR).

Underdog · 6-Mar-2012, 8:21 PM

Thanks, I didn't originaly include details on the big screen since I knew I couldn't record off it.

As it turns out I just dug out the book for my current DVR. It's a Toshiba D-R560KU. According to the book, it has a built in ATSC Tuner capable of Terrestrial VHF 2-13 and UHF 14-69. It also has outputs that can hook to the old Sony. So now I'm thinking useing this DVR as the tuner for the old set and to record the soap?

Sorry for the sketchy info. I'm learning as I go here. I also appreaciate the recomendation but I'm trying to do this with what I have if at all possible. If I spend too much I may as well keep paying the satelite fees.

Thanks again for the help, Jim

MisterMe · 7-Mar-2012, 1:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Thanks, I didn't originaly include details on the big screen since I knew I couldn't record off it.

As it turns out I just dug out the book for my current DVR. It's a Toshiba D-R560KU. According to the book, it has a built in ATSC Tuner capable of Terrestrial VHF 2-13 and UHF 14-69. It also has outputs that can hook to the old Sony. So now I'm thinking useing this DVR as the tuner for the old set and to record the soap?

...

The Toshiba D-R560KU is not a DVR. It is a DVD recorder. It may also be used as an ATSC tuner. It may play back HD content. However, I see no way to use the Toshiba to record HD. It may, of course, record DVD quality. That may be good enough. However, Toshiba D-R560KU cannot do what the ChannelMaster TV can do.

Underdog · 7-Mar-2012, 1:49 PM

I see. Pardon my ignorance of the correct terms. DVD quality will be just fine since that is what she is watching it in now. I'll get the antenna installed and have a go at it. Thanks again for the help.

Edit, yes you are correct. I studied the book a bit.

All high definition pictures will be down converted to the standard definition pictures when they are recorded on this unit. But that's OK.