How to Record Digital Channels From HDTV to Analog VCR

Coaxial cable with threaded ring for hooking up a converter box to a VCR.

Digital TV (DTV) converters let you transform a high-definition broadcasting signal into an analog signal that can be recorded to videotape on a VCR. The DTV box connects on one end to an HDTV source signal, such as an antenna, and to the VCR on the other end. Both connections require coaxial cables with ring couplers on the ends to secure the cables to the jacks.

Things You'll Need

• HDTV antenna
• 2 coaxial cables
• Digital TV converter box
• Blank videotapes

Instructions

1. Attach one coaxial cable to the output jack on the base of the HDTV antenna, turning the metal ring on the cable end clockwise to hold the cable in place.

2. Connect the other end to the antenna input on the back of the converter box.

3. Attach the remaining coaxial cable to the "Out to TV" jack on the converter box and the other end to the antenna input on the back of the VCR.

4. Turn on the converter box and press the programming button on the front to scan the HDTV channels into the box.

5. Tune the converter box using the up and down channel buttons to the desired channel for recording and set the VCR to channel 3 or 4, depending on the model.

6. Insert a blank videotape into the front gate of the VCR, which will pull in and seat the cassette in preparation for recording.

7. Press the "Record" button on the front of the VCR, typically a button with a red circle in the center, to begin taping the channel off the DTV converter box.

Tips & Warnings

• The recording on videotape will be in standard definition since VCRs are incapable of recording at the greater resolution of high-definition video.

References

• FCC: Setting Up Your Digital-to-Analog Converter Box