How to Connect a VCR to a TV to Record 1 Program While Watching Another

Hooking up your VCR and TV to watch one channel while recording another requires some tricky cable connections.

In order to watch one TV program while recording another TV program with your VCR, you either need two digital converter boxes or one digital converter box and a digital-ready TV. You have to have two digital tuners to make this process work. So if you're hooking up your VCR to an analog TV set, you need to apply the connection configuration that uses two digital converter boxes. If you have a digital-ready TV set (which means the TV is equipped with an internal digital---ATSC---tuner), you only need one digital converter box.

Things You'll Need

• RF splitter
• TV antenna
• Digital converter box (1 to 2 boxes)
• Digital-ready TV (optional)
• 75 Ohm coaxial cable
• RCA audio/video cables (1 set)

Instructions

1. Screw the TV antenna's coaxial cable into the RF In port on your RF splitter.

2. Use one of your coaxial cables to link one of the RF Out ports on your RF splitter to the RF In port on the back of your converter box (converter box 1 if you're using two converter boxes).

3. Run your other coaxial cable from the remaining RF Out port on your RF splitter to the RF In port on the back of your digital-ready TV or on the back of converter box 2 (if you're using two converter boxes).

4. Connect one end of another coaxial cable into the RF Out port on the back of converter box 1. Connect the other end of this cable into the RF In port on the back of your TV. (This step is only necessary if you're using two converter boxes. If you're only using one converter box, skip this step).

5. Take one end of your last coaxial cable and screw it into the RF Out port on the back of your converter box (converter box 2 if you're using two converter boxes). Screw the other end of this cable into the RF In port on the back of your VCR.

6. Insert one end of your set of audio/video cables into the audio/video output jacks on the back of your VCR. Plug each individual audio/video cable into the audio/video jack that matches its color. Insert the other end of these cables into the audio/video input panels on your TV set.

7. Set your VCR to channel 3.

8. Make sure your converter box(es) and digital-ready TV (if applicable) have been set up to receive your local TV channels. If they haven't, go into your converter box's menu options and execute the "Channel Scan" option. Go into your digital-ready TV's menu options (if applicable) and locate the Channel Setup option. Then execute an automatic "TV" channel scan.

Tips & Warnings

• If you used the two-converter box setup configuration, set converter box 2 to the channel you want to record and converter box 1 to the channel you want to watch. Use the "Input" button on your television's remote control to switch your TV's video input channel back and forth from the input channel assigned to converter box 1 and the input channel assigned to 2.

• If you used the one-converter box and one-digital-ready TV setup configuration, set your converter box to the channel you want to record, and set your TV to the channel you want to watch. Use the "Input" button on your television's remote control to switch your TV's video input channel back and forth from the input channel assigned to your converter box and the input channel assigned to your TV's RF input.

References

• FCC: Setting up Your Digital-to-Analog Converter Box With a VCR