How to Connect a DVD Player or VCR to a DVD Recorder

DVD players and recorders can easily connect from one to another

DVD recorders are becoming less expensive and more accessible to people. They can be a viable alternative to recording from a VCR or another DVD player by eliminating the middleman of a computer and video capture card. It is quite easy to connect either a VCR or a DVD player to a DVD recorder so you can transfer your old VHS tapes to more durable DVDs or make backup copies of your discs.

Things You'll Need

• DVD player or VCR
• DVD recorder
• TV set
• Audio/video cables

Instructions

1. Use an RCA audio/video cable, which uses yellow, white and red plugs on both ends to connect a VCR to a DVD recorder. Match the color-coded plugs on the cable to the color-coded output jacks on the VCR and to the color-coded input jacks on the DVD recorder. The red and white lines will carry the left and right audio signals, and the yellow carries the video signal. On some VCRs you may be able to use an S-video cable with red/white RCA audio cables, but the RCA cable is the most common.

2. Connect a DVD player's output to the DVD recorder's input using the best cable option. Your choices are wider in this case, including RCA audio/video cables,, S-video, component (which uses red, green and blue video cables with red/white audio ones) and the high-quality HDMI.

3. Link the DVD recorder's output to the input of a TV set. This way you can use the same cable connection you used for the player and recorder for a consistent picture, and both the player and recorder will appear on the TV.

4. Turn on the TV set and make sure you tune its input channel for the cable connection you used to connect it to the recorder. From top to bottom, the channels are usually listed as: RF coaxial (which you won't use), composite, S-video, component and HDMI.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a cable/satellite receiver and want to record TV onto the DVD recorder, connect the receiver's output directly to the DVD recorder's input using one of the available cable connections.

• If you are connecting to an older tube-based TV set, composite may be your only option in connecting the DVD recorder to the TV.

References

• Sam Matthews; Home Theater Specialist; Best Buy, Arlington, TX