DTV converter box won't work with VCR, why?

Question

I tried installing my antenna into my DTV converter box to my VCR & then to my TV just like I used to do with the normal antenna, and it won't do a thing? why?

is there something unusual about these things that people don't knwo yet.

I have no problems hooking up wires to connect multiple electronics. This should have worked.

The signal would be analog after it passed from the antenna thru the converter to the VCR (& then to TV). Just like it was before when the antenna was hooked up directly to the VCR (& the to the TV).

so, any ideas what the deal is?

Answer 1

Most DTV converter boxes don't have an analog RF pass-thru; they only output an RF signal (created from the DTV broadcast) when they are on.

There are some DTV boxes that have that feature, but you have to look carefully at the cardboard box to make sure it's on the one you want.

You can buy a splitter and run the VCR output to a video input (better picture that way, too) and the DTV box to the TV RF input.  Or vice versa (VCR to TV RF input, DTV to video input.

If you don't have a video input on the TV, you'll need an RF switch to choose between the DTV and analog, or another splitter/combiner and combine the DTV and VCR outputs into a single RF signal that goes into your TV.

Answer 2

The converter box becomes the tuner for the VCR (or TV) that it's connected to.  The basic idea here is to insert a converter between the antenna and a device (TV, VCR. etc.), tune the device to the output channel of the converter box and then do all your channel changing on the converter box.

So, if you are using the antenna input to the VCR, you must make sure the VCR is tuned to whatever channel the box is putting out (usually channel 3 or 4).  All the tuning will be done with the converter box.  You could also use the video out of the box and connect it to the video in of the VCR and select the line inputs on the VCR.  

Obviously, to pass the signal through to the TV, you must have the TV/VCR switch set to TV and the TV tuned to whatever channel the box is outputting.

This is also the reason you need two converter boxes to record something and watch something else.  The boxes become the tuner for the VCR and TV.  You won't be using the analog tuner in the VCR and TV for anything but to receive the set top box.

I hope this helps.  Please return and select a Best Answer from all of those submitted.

Answer 3

Do one thing at a time

a) Antenna to converter box, box connected to TV directly. Do you get signal?

b) If a) works, then try to pass the signal to the VCR. As you sain, it should work. Make sure the VCR is set to the correct input (RF, or Line 1)