{RESOLVED}Problem Unrelated to Computers But Still Need Help!

[psychocandy]

Anyone who has read my previous posts knows that when it comes to electronic equipment, I'm a complete IDIOT, so I'm begging for your help with this one...
I would like to connect my DVD player to my TV and VCR so that I can use both of them, and be able to use the VCR for recording as well as playback. I was wondering, do I just connect the imput/output on the DVD to the VCR instead of the TV, or is it more compicated. I'd appreciate any help I can get.
Thanks!!
Cindy
PS- If it matters, I have no cable or satellite dish or anything, just a regular old antenna.

 

[stanggt2]

when I brought my dvd player it said do not hook it through the vcr there would be a lot of conflick

 

[psychocandy]

Thanks for your advice, but I know of several people who have home theater systems which have both a VCR and a DVD. Unfortunately, I don't know any of them well enough to ask them to help me set up mine.
Obviously it's possible to have both components hooked up at the same time. I just need a little advice on how to do so.

 

[stanggt2]

might try this then http://stores.yahoo.com/direct/dvdvidstab.html I am not sure how good it will work

 

[psychocandy]

Perhaps I didn't explain myself right in the first post. I have my TV hooked up to my VCR. I also have the audio out on the VCR hooked up to an auxiliary jack on my stereo.
I just got a DVD player. I need to hook up all three components, so that I have the ability to playback and record with the VCR, and also play DVD's and MP3's on the DVD player.
I am not interested in purchasing surround sound speakers or receivers or anything. I just want to hook up the three compnents so they all work.

 

[psychocandy]

Could I hook up both components to a component selector using the RCA cables, rather than unplugging every time I want to switch from one to the other?

 

[bentbike1]

assumeing you do not have a recent sound system ie surround or one that has a/v hook ups the simplest way would be to go to your local a/v shop buy a aduio video switch this would hav in put which are call rca or compositst now if your tv dos not have compost hook up rca you want a rf out it is the part that is threaded and carries a video signal to your tv now your tv has to have a jack that isnt compatable most NEW tv would have this it is a male threaded jack that normally your tv ant srcrews into if you have a older tv the input for the ant is going to be a set of flat screws then you will have to get a 75 to 300 ohm adapter dont worry about what all this menas the sales person should know all of this radio shack should have everything you need or a higher end stero store if you are go with dvd you should save your money and buy a new tv and surround system the surround sound recevier need to have a optical input that way all you do is plug in the optical cable from the dvd into the reciver make sure that the reciver has dobly digital surround sound built in other wise you would have to go out and buy and adaptor read some audio magazines they will help you familurize your self with all of the terms and how to hook up your stero system infact the might be something online try about .com

 

[psychocandy]

Well, I went to Radio Shack and got an A/V Selector. I havr the DVD player and the VCR both hooked up to it, and the selector to the TV. The back of the TV has only one video input, which the video out from the selector is currently plugged into. The antenna out is being used by the antenna, as I do not have cable TV.
Problem is, I get sound from the DVD player, but no picture. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be the problem and how I can go about correcting it? Please bear in mind that I do NOT have surround sound, so I have no receiver, just the VCR and DVD hooked directly to the A/V selector, and the selector to the TV. I did TRY to hook the DVD directly to the TV, and still I get sound but no picture, only "snow".
Thanks!

 

[bentbike1]

first off the ant should go thru the vcr that provides your signal 2the tv has to be on channel 3 or four normally defualt is three unless you have a channel three that carries a signal now if your tv does not have rca jacks only 75 ohm which is a male threaded jack then the av switch box has to have the same type of jack so in stead of the vcr being hooked up to the tv the out put of the av swictch box is hooked up now all av equipment is coded the same yellow for video red for right and normaly white for left audio so the vcr would be hooked into the input jacks not kowing how the av switch box is labeld letters or no. substtue nos for letters acording to how the box is labeled now as two what is first or secound does not matter for the sake of instruction the vcr is going to be a the dvd is going to be b or 1 and 2 now thevcr and the av box has both out and in jacks out from the vcr goes to the in of the av box now the ant stays on the vcr you need it to rec or recive any brodcast the tv stays on ch 3 unless you want to rec and watch a diffrent channel at the same time the the vcr/tv button on the vcr has to be off and when you play a tape back the tv has to go back to ch 3 no for the dvd in back there is only one set of rca jacks out red yellow and white they go in to the section for the b or 2 side and the jacks marked input now the av box may not have a dedicated section for dvd that is okay as long as you follow my instruction it will work the same so when you want to watch the vcr turn the av box swtich to 1 or a or it may be label vcr how ever it is labeled the switch has to be turned for the vcr then when you want to watch the dvd then switch it to the dvd in your box for your dvd and your vcr you should have had instruction as to how to hook things up lo on to cruchfeild they have a web site and should have a diagram showing how to hook up your system also try looking it up on about.com then print it out

 

[psychocandy]

Bentbike1,
Thanks for your response. I am sure that all the cables are hooked up right- on the A/V selector, they are not only marked ("video in", "audio left", and "audio right"), but color coded to match the cables as well. I am just curious as to why the VCR (#1) plays perfectly, but when I switch to the DVD imput (#2), I get sound but no picture. According to the owner's manuals for each of the components, they are hooked up correctly. But still, no picture.

 

[bentbike1]

check and see if there is a switch on the back of the dvd that would indicate what channel you your tv should be set to on vcrs the have a switch for ch 3 or 4 also what channel is the tv set to 3 or 4 if it is set to 4 switch to 3 if none of this works try hooking it up directy into the vcr some more expensive vcr have a second set of jacks normally there for a camcorder but it will work if there is no extra jack the use input jack of the vcr and then to watch the dvd switch the vcr to aux normally this is done on screen double check the dvds documentation and the av box if it has any another way to hook up the dvd and the vcr assuming that the dvd has a 75ohm jack like the one on the vcr get a switch called an a/b at radio shack so instead of the vcr being hooked up or the av box a switch which just has the cable conectors so the out put the one normally going to the tv goes to the switch labeled a the out put the same jack as the vcr coxal cable goes to b then the mddel section goes to the tv ant in then to watch on or the other you switch between them but first make sure that the dvd and the tv are set to the same channel and the vcr all should go on three as far as i know dvds are always on 3 not that it matters but i not aware that there is a choice however if you do not have like a stereo tv or a monitor tv where there are jacks like the ones the vcr and dvd have you should not be receiving sound and no picture it is possible to receive a scrambled picture which would indicate that your off channel but snow and sound Xitr sounds as if there is a technical problem try everything i have suggested then if all else fails take it to the place you bought it and have them test it i am finding out that just because something is a good price online does not mean that it will work and that you can solve the problem right away i having to wait until tech support contacts me by email which has been going on the second day their phone is busy if you have any more problems email me directly bentbbike1@juno.com

 

[telecom69]

Hiya Im pretty sure your flogging a dead horse here because there is no way you can do what you want,you must have an A/V amplifier to hook them all up together,a DVD player is completely different to a VCR in the way it works,and A/V amplifiers are made specifically to do what you want,to play the vcr and the dvd player thro the tv independent of each other,when they are all hooked up the only thing you have to do is use the remote control that comes with the A/V,if you find a different way please let me know I would be very interested and also very surprised ...meanwhile the very best of luck ...Bob

 

[psychocandy]

Thanks again, but the point everyone seems to be missing is that even if I connect the DVD player DIRECTLY to the TV, I still get no picture at all.

 

[TechChick]

What kind of video connection do you have between the DVD player and the TV?

 

[telecom69]

Just a bit more info from you Cindy tell me,how many output cables are there from your dvd player?as on the back of my A/V amplifier there are 6 input jacks for a dvd player I dont think that necesarily all players have 6 outputs but I am reading up on this to see if there is a way round your problem ...Bob