Cannot see channel I want to record

Post by Novel8
All of a sudden I noticed that when i try to set up my vcr for on the
spot occasion, I only get the blue screen....no cable channel that i
want to record.

How are you feeding the cable signal into the VCR? If the cable
feed is going directly into the VCR (not through a cable box)
and your cable company recently dropped its analog channels,
you'll need a cable box. (Unless by some chance there are VCRs
that have digital tuners??)

If the VCR is being fed by a cable box, then I'm not sure what's
going on. You checked that it's on the correct input?

Patty

Novel8

2012-07-28 14:38:38 UTC

Post by Novel8
All of a sudden I noticed that when i try to set up my vcr for on the
spot occasion, I only get the blue screen....no cable channel that i
want to record.

How are you feeding the cable signal into the VCR? If the cable
feed is going directly into the VCR (not through a cable box)
and your cable company recently dropped its analog channels,
you'll need a cable box. (Unless by some chance there are VCRs
that have digital tuners??)
If the VCR is being fed by a cable box, then I'm not sure what's
going on. You checked that it's on the correct input?
Patty

I did mention how i have the system set upped..in my OP::

My hookup is component inputs from my cable box to the TV, and the rca cables from the vcr outputs to my TV. had no problems with this setup in the past. Would a vcr just stop recording?

Peter

2012-07-28 16:28:08 UTC

Post by Novel8
All of a sudden I noticed that when i try to set up my vcr for on the spot occasion, I only get the blue screen....no cable channel that i want to record. I am able to playback what is on the tape, and the info logo's. I checked my composite wires and the vcr output wires and they all seem to be in order...is there something I am overlooking? My hookup is component inputs from my cable box, and the rca cables from the vcr outputs to my TV. had no problems with this setup in the past. Would a vcr just stop recording?

Temporarily unplug the component cables from your VCR that are coming
from your cable tv box and instead, plug them into your TV's component
input jacks. Change the input selection on your TV to those component
jacks and check if you receive a picture. (Obviously, make sure that
both the cable box and the TV are on after you set up the new
connection.) If not, there's a problem either with the circuitry in the
cable box that supplies the component output, or there's a problem with
your component cable. If you don't have a spare component cable, you
can use short audio RCA cables in a pinch to try to rule out a problem
with the component cable. If you get a picture on your TV, you've ruled
out both the cable box output and the component cables as the culprit.
Reconnect the component cable back to the VCR.

Check your VCR's onscreen setup to make sure that it is still set to
record from the component input jacks into which you've plugged the
component output cable from your cable tv box.

Most VCR remotes have a button to select TV/VCR. When you get the blue
screen, if you press that button, what happens?

Do things still function properly when you attempt to set a timer
recording? Does the setup menu appear as expected and does the pre-set
event get recorded? If so, you know the VCR's recording circuitry is
working.

When you say "spot occasion", I read that to mean instant recording of
whatever your VCR is receiving as input at the moment - as opposed to a
timer (set start time, channel, stop time) recording. Even though your
screen turns blue when you press the button for an instant recording,
does the tape drive start and do you record a blue screen or does it
record the program you thought you were recording? If the tape drive
does not respond, most VCRs allow you to make a spot recording using the
buttons directly on the VCR. Try that and see what happens. (Some of
my VCRs only allowed spot recording at the unit, not from the remote.)
If it works, the problem is at the remote. If it doesn't work, the
problem is in the VCR.

If your remote uses a specific button to start an instant recording, how
fresh are the remote's batteries? I've had several occasions when the
first sign of dying batteries was malfunction of one specific button on
the remote with all other buttons working normally. Fresh batteries
resolved it.

These are just my thoughts on troubleshooting. I'm not a repair tech,
just an end user with 33 years of experience using VCRs. Good luck!

Novel8

2012-07-28 22:14:40 UTC

Thank you for a thorough scenarios LOL...NO, my vcr is an old JVC without the inputs of even a S-Video, let alone the component outputs. I rarely used it except for an occasional playback and instant recording...that is why its lasted this long. Your right about the batteries and the remote...I found that out with my cable box on another problem. When I get the blue screen and push the REC button on the remote, the vcr ejects. I cannot see the screen where i could set up my VCR with the menu. Prior to this, I was able to view the channels that I would record, but now its just the blue screen. I had another VCR in my bedroom that worked, so I exchanged them and this one is even worse..I cannot get to the menu of the VCR on chnl 3. The one I had a problem with is now working just fine in the bedroom...go figure. Samsung the maker of my LCD TV says its not the TV, its the VCR, even though I have it hooked up correctly. Just can't put my finger on it. They both work in my bedroom. I did change the rca cables, with no change. I tried 2 different inputs on the TV, and get no signal on the screen.

Peter

2012-07-29 19:25:41 UTC

did change the rca cables, with no change. I tried 2 different inputs on the TV, and get no signal on the screen.
Since both VCRs work with your bedroom TV and neither works with the
Samsung LCD TV (although I assume your Samsung TV is properly displaying
your cable channel feed from your cable box), the problem isn't with the
VCRs. That's for sure. Somehow you might have changed the way you
connect your VCRs to the Samsung or changed which input to the TV you
are trying to watch. It's highly unlikely that the TV's composite video
input went bad unless you shot a voltage surge through it from the VCR.
If you have any other video device with a composite output, possibly
your cable box or a DVD player, try to view that signal via your
Samsung's composite video input. If you get a blue screen regardless of
your input source, even after trying other rca cables, it begins to look
like the TV's composite input circuit might be the problem.

You also might be confused about the type of output signal from the VCR
you are trying to display on your Samsung TV. You describe using cables
with RCA plugs to connect the VCR output to the TV. That means you are
sending a composite video signal to the TV, not an RF signal. The
selection of the VCR's output being Channel 3 or 4 only is relevant if
you use the VCR's RF output jack. Your Samsung TV needs to be set to
display the signal being presented to its composite input jacks. There
is no standard name for that input. Some TVs use "video 1", some use
"composite 1", some use "aux 1". If your TV has multiple composite
input capability, e.g., "aux 1, aux 2", make sure your cables are
connected to the same numbered input you've selected on the TV. (Also,
make sure that you didn't accidentally connect the audio output of the
VCR to the composite video input of the TV and the composite video
output of the VCR to the audio input jack on the TV.)

Final suggestion - although I assume that your Samsung LCD has a digital
tuner, most TVs with digital tuners also have analog tuners built in.
Since you are subscribed to cable, and have your cable box output
connected to the TV with component cables, the RF (antenna) input on
your TV is probably not connected to anything. If that's the case, find
an RF cable and connect it from the RF output of the VCR to the TV's
antenna input jack. Turn on the VCR and the TV. Put a tape into the VCR
that you know has something recorded and press the play button. Go to
the TV's setup, and scan for "new" channels. You should detect either
analog channel 3 or 4, depending on the position of the RF channel
selection switch on your VCR. After the scan is finished, "tune" the TV
to either analog channel 3 or 4. If you are still getting just a blue
screen I'm out of ideas.

Novel8

2012-07-30 17:01:23 UTC

This worked, thank you, but sort of disappointed. The autoscan seemed to have given me the Quam version of the cable....not what I wanted, at all. I cannot even view my regular component cable. Just was wondering if having the vcr connected twice to the TV create a problem? By that i mean, both rca cables and rf cables. I guess i have to do some more tweaking.

Peter

2012-07-30 17:24:32 UTC

No, that will not give you any problems. They are redundant. However,
just to minimize the risk of crosstalk interference, I'd select which
ever provides a better looking picture, retain that one, and disconnect
the other.

Novel8

2012-07-31 23:17:55 UTC

Peter, finally got it right. I had to remove the vcr rf output...so it did create a problem after all. That being settled..I decide now to do an autoscan via vcr output to my TV aux...Only got about 7 or 8 channels..cbs,cbs digital, no NBC,nor Fox, i did get abc, wpix, wnyc25, and spanish channel 47. I thought my 2 year old LCD TV had the digital capacity to give me all those other channels that one gets with a converter box. ..so I could avoid setting up my converter box again.

Peter

2012-08-01 12:47:09 UTC

Glad you've made progress. I'm mystified why having the VCR's RF output
to your TV's antenna input and the VCR's aux output to the TV's Aux
input would create problems if both the TV's input selection and the
VCR's TV/VCR output and channel output selection choices were properly
configured. Oh well, you've re-established VCR output to your TV.

As far as your LCD TV's ability to tune in the full menu of unencrypted,
mostly local and over-the-air stations from a cable provider's digital
signal without the use of a cable box, that all depends upon the
presence of a QAM tuner in the TV. Most, but not all "digital" TVs have
them. Check the owner's manual for your TV. Federal law requires
cable/satellite providers to keep their signals unencrypted for the
local stations that their customers otherwise could receive using an
over the air antenna. Here in the DC metro area, I use the QAM tuner
built into a 3 year old Toshiba 19" HDTV to receive the over the air
stations provided by my Verizon FIOS service. I get all of them, plus a
few local community cable channels. However, the autoscan on both those
devices provided dozens of noise channels without meaningful signal and
those channels needed to be manually locked out for tuning convenience.
Some of the channel designations are bizarre. Don't expect the cable
channel assignment to even come close to the over-the-air channel. Some
might, but some might not. NBC could be there, but as (just for
example) 42-134 rather than the 4-1 you might be expecting. So you need
to patiently flip through each and every autoscan "hit" to make sure you
didn't overlook a desired station.

Each cable provider has free choice which cable channel assignment to
use for each station and the channel they assign to each station can
change without notice (requiring a re-scan of the TV's tuner to capture
the new channel assignment(s)). For technical reasons, when cable
providers change channel assignments, their cable boxes apparently sense
and process the change in background and the end user isn't even aware
of the change. The QAM tuner viewer is very aware because the station
goes away until after the rescan. I've only had cable service for a few
months and so far I haven't had to rescan. Again, good luck!

Peter

2012-08-01 12:56:18 UTC

I meant to add that I don't understand what you meant by doing an
autoscan via the VCR output to your TV's aux. The only signal your TV's
aux input can process is a composite video signal, which is not the same
as the RF signal from your wall jack that could be passed through the
VCR's RF input/output jacks to your TV's RF input (antenna) jack if
connected that way. The only thing you scan when you do an autoscan,
whether autoscanning the VCR's tuner or the TV's tuner, is a scan of the
signal being presented to that device's RF input jack. If you've
removed the cable from your VCR's RF output, as you said, you can't be
scanning "via vcr output".

Novel8

2012-08-01 22:59:04 UTC

I think I found the problem, but first to get back to your above question about ''vcr's output''. I have my cable output going to my vcr input and I thought by connecting a cable from the vcr ouput to my TV aux, i would get whatever channels cable offers. My TV manual makes no mention about having Qam tuner, at least, i could not find anything related to it. Now, the problem as I previously mentioned that I found was when i hooked up my OTA output to the TV Aux, i barely got anything, like I said other than CBS,ABC, WPIX and WNYC here in NYC. I realized that the OTA connection was only my VHF, not the UHF...so obviously, I would need the converter box in that situation, but I thought that being I had a later TV digital set, it would have the contents like the box would have to give me those channels..but its not giving me those channels. I have to drill a hole in my floor to get the uhf cable to come through so I could connect it to the TV aux and hope to get those channels that i was getting once when i had the converter box connected. I do not want to use it again cause of lack of room, but if I know that I could remove it after autoscan it, that the channels would remain after disconnecting the box? Would you know that?

Peter

2012-08-02 13:13:20 UTC

Post by Novel8
I think I found the problem, but first to get back to your above question about ''vcr's output''. I have my cable output going to my vcr input and I thought by connecting a cable from the vcr ouput to my TV aux, i would get whatever channels cable offers. My TV manual makes no mention about having Qam tuner, at least, i could not find anything related to it. Now, the problem as I previously mentioned that I found was when i hooked up my OTA output to the TV Aux, i barely got anything, like I said other than CBS,ABC, WPIX and WNYC here in NYC. I realized that the OTA connection was only my VHF, not the UHF...so obviously, I would need the converter box in that situation, but I thought that being I had a later TV digital set, it would have the contents like the box would have to give me those channels..but its not giving me those channels. I have to drill a hole in my floor to get the uhf cable to come through so I could connect it to the TV aux and hope to get those channels that i

was getting once when i had the converter box connected. I do not want to use it again cause of lack of room, but if I know that I could remove it after autoscan it, that the channels would remain after disconnecting the box? Would you know that?
I can't answer your question because I believe we are having a problem
understanding each other. I assume that you are connecting the RF jack
on your wall, which provides your unprocessed cable signal to the RF
input on your VCR's RF input. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

If you are "viewing" your cable feed via the VCR's aux output, you've
obviously connected that output to your TV's aux input. The tuner that
is being used to process the cable signal is the VCR's tuner, not the
TV's tuner. Your TV is being used only as a passive monitor to display
the signal presented to the TV's aux input. You need to understand that
the only time the TV's tuner is used is when it is processing input
connected to the TV's RF (antenna) input jack. All the other inputs on
the TV enable the TV to display (as a passive monitor) various signal
formats your other equipment provides as output signals and the TV's
built in tuner is not in the signal path when viewing the signals coming
into the TV through HDMI, component or composite connecting cables.

I'm sure that the VCR does not have a QAM tuner. It amazes me that you
are receiving even one station with the hookup you;ve described. Forget
about VHF versus UHF. Unless the VCR is of 1970s vintage, it will have
both an analog VHF and UHF tuner built-in. Don't go drilling holes. No
need.

Please try this setup and see what happens:

Connect RF cable from cable wall jack to RF input on VCR.
Connect RF output from VCR to TV's antenna input.
Plug in but turn off VCR.
Turn on TV and go to the TV's setup menu.
Do autoscan for all cable channels analog and digital. Most digital
TV's have separate autoscan choices for cable and for antenna. Make
sure you select cable if the choice is available.
After autoscan is completed, make sure the TV's input is set to (may be
called CATV, cable, or rarely still labeled as ANT, depending on the
specific TV) and is not set to one of the HDMI, component or composite
(aux) inputs.
Manually use the TV remote's channel up or channel+ (however it is
marked) button to patiently scroll through EVERY channel selected by the
autoscan. On the digital channels, it may take 2-4 seconds on each
selection to determine if a specific channel is providing a useful
program or just noise.
Write down the full digital channel address of each program channel you
receive and the station ID so that later you can lock out the garbage
channels. You may also find multiple channels broadcasting the same
station. Sometimes those are really duplicate and sometimes some are
standard definition and some are high definition versions of the same
station. (You can determine that by checking your TV remote's "info"
button and check the signal resolution (e.g., 480, 720, 1080).

Post your results as a reply here.

Patty Winter

2012-08-02 16:44:52 UTC

Post by Peter
Connect RF cable from cable wall jack to RF input on VCR.
Connect RF output from VCR to TV's antenna input.
Plug in but turn off VCR.

Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?

Patty

Peter

2012-08-02 18:27:42 UTC

Post by Peter
Connect RF cable from cable wall jack to RF input on VCR.
Connect RF output from VCR to TV's antenna input.
Plug in but turn off VCR.

Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?
Patty

Patty, yes, you're right.

However, I realize that I may have lost the bubble with respect to the
OP's original problem - trying to record selected cable channels on his
VCR - when I became focused on his inability to view any VCR output or
his VCR's on-the-screen setup menu on his TV.

The determination of whether or not his TV has a QAM tuner is probably
moot because he's using a cable box with his TV and the setup I asked
him to try should not enable tuning many (or any) unencrypted channels
(via his VCR's analog tuner) unless his cable provider is still
providing a lot of analog signal along with the digital signal.

I've always been surprised how many people using these AV devices have
no idea at all about their most basic operating principles. I've
explained it dozens of times to my wife and she still thinks she needs
to turn on the TV before she can turn on the DVD player to insert a disc
and also doesn't get the concept of the TV being only a passive display
for the video output of all the connected equipment. Don't even get her
started on how the home theater unit interacts with the other stuff! Peter

Patty Winter

2012-08-02 19:05:08 UTC

Post by Patty Winter
Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?

Patty, yes, you're right.

Yeah, that's a real gotcha! Those RF connections are tricky.

Post by Peter
However, I realize that I may have lost the bubble with respect to the
OP's original problem - trying to record selected cable channels on his
VCR - when I became focused on his inability to view any VCR output or
his VCR's on-the-screen setup menu on his TV.
The determination of whether or not his TV has a QAM tuner is probably
moot because he's using a cable box with his TV and the setup I asked
him to try should not enable tuning many (or any) unencrypted channels
(via his VCR's analog tuner) unless his cable provider is still
providing a lot of analog signal along with the digital signal.

Exactly. Many cable companies have discontinued analog channels now.
Although I thought I saw him mention that he had also received the
digital version of one local channel, so that was confusing. I wasn't
sure what was happening, and there was so much quoted text in the postings
that I skipped a bunch of them until your shorter posting showed up earlier
today. :-)

Post by Peter
I've always been surprised how many people using these AV devices have
no idea at all about their most basic operating principles. I've
explained it dozens of times to my wife and she still thinks she needs
to turn on the TV before she can turn on the DVD player to insert a disc
and also doesn't get the concept of the TV being only a passive display
for the video output of all the connected equipment. Don't even get her
started on how the home theater unit interacts with the other stuff! Peter

My living room system is complicated enough that I've created a
diagram of it. Otherwise I can never remember exactly what goes
where. :-)

In fairness, there are some aspects of all this that really aren't
intuitively obvious, such as that an RF connection can be more
limited than a composite or component or HDMI connection. And don't
get me started on why closed captioning makes it through some paths
but not others!!

Patty

Peter

2012-08-02 20:55:01 UTC

Post by Patty Winter
Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?

Patty, yes, you're right.

Yeah, that's a real gotcha! Those RF connections are tricky.

My living room system is complicated enough that I've created a
diagram of it. Otherwise I can never remember exactly what goes
where. :-)
In fairness, there are some aspects of all this that really aren't
intuitively obvious, such as that an RF connection can be more
limited than a composite or component or HDMI connection. And don't
get me started on why closed captioning makes it through some paths
but not others!!
Patty

My feeling is that if someone can afford the monthly charges for cable
service and/or a cell phone contract, they most likely can afford a
stand-alone DVR with a QAM tuner. Much more satisfying to watch than a
VCR signal, especially on any TV larger than about 27". Of course, I've
still got an old VHS VCR hooked up as well as a DVD player and a Roku
box. Now all I need is to give up sleeping.

Novel8

2012-08-02 23:25:57 UTC

Post by Patty Winter
Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?

Patty, yes, you're right.

Yeah, that's a real gotcha! Those RF connections are tricky.

My living room system is complicated enough that I've created a
diagram of it. Otherwise I can never remember exactly what goes
where. :-)
In fairness, there are some aspects of all this that really aren't
intuitively obvious, such as that an RF connection can be more
limited than a composite or component or HDMI connection. And don't
get me started on why closed captioning makes it through some paths
but not others!!
Patty

I agree 100%, and am on the verge of cancelling my cable. As far as a dvr and my vcr, i am of the old school, if it ain't broken, use it till it goes. Thanks again.

Peter

2012-08-03 12:00:49 UTC

Post by Patty Winter
Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?

Patty, yes, you're right.

Yeah, that's a real gotcha! Those RF connections are tricky.

My living room system is complicated enough that I've created a
diagram of it. Otherwise I can never remember exactly what goes
where. :-)
In fairness, there are some aspects of all this that really aren't
intuitively obvious, such as that an RF connection can be more
limited than a composite or component or HDMI connection. And don't
get me started on why closed captioning makes it through some paths
but not others!!
Patty

I agree 100%, and am on the verge of cancelling my cable. As far as a dvr and my vcr, i am of the old school, if it ain't broken, use it till it goes. Thanks again.

Novel8 - I agree; that's why I still have my VCR connected too.
However, before you cancel your cable service, be sure you can receive
satisfactory reception over the air. I am only 9 miles from downtown DC
and recently switched from a 2 year old well aimed high gain rooftop
antenna to cable just to get reliable reception of the local broadcast
stations. I found that nearby trees when fully leafed out in the
summer, rainstorms, and the frequent helicopters in the downtown area
that fly between the transmitters and my house created enough reception
dropouts to make viewing some stations unbearable. In the NY metro
area, where you are, good antenna reception is famously difficult.

Novel8

2012-08-03 12:56:12 UTC

Post by Patty Winter
Peter, your intention with that third step is to use the passthrough
mode of the VCR rather than having its tuner affect what's being sent
to the TV, correct?

Patty, yes, you're right.

Yeah, that's a real gotcha! Those RF connections are tricky.

My living room system is complicated enough that I've created a
diagram of it. Otherwise I can never remember exactly what goes
where. :-)
In fairness, there are some aspects of all this that really aren't
intuitively obvious, such as that an RF connection can be more
limited than a composite or component or HDMI connection. And don't
get me started on why closed captioning makes it through some paths
but not others!!
Patty

I agree 100%, and am on the verge of cancelling my cable. As far as a dvr and my vcr, i am of the old school, if it ain't broken, use it till it goes. Thanks again.

Peter, I understand what your saying and I live in one of the boroughs, Brooklyn, where I had a clear sight of the old world trade center where we were getting our service before that eventful day, so they moved everything to the empire state building. Now, with the new trade center to be finished next year and even higher and I can see the top part of it, they would add again the antenna back again. Fortunately, there no obstacles between 'us'. I remembered that sombre day when as usual i would turn on the tv just to listen to the news, headlines and weather forecast, as i have my breakfast and all the channels had snow, as I was hearing in the background the wailing sounds of fire engines in my area. i thought to myself, wow, that must be some fire somewhere. As i searched for a channel with my remote, I finally came across one that was showing live the second plane hitting the center. CBS, was the only channel showing this, cause they were smart enough to have back up on the empire state building. Sorry, but when the OTA's are mentioned, it brings back that murky period.

Peter

2012-08-03 14:59:37 UTC

Post by Novel8
Peter, I understand what your saying and I live in one of the boroughs, Brooklyn, where I had a clear sight of the old world trade center where we were getting our service before that eventful day, so they moved everything to the empire state building. Now, with the new trade center to be finished next year and even higher and I can see the top part of it, they would add again the antenna back again. Fortunately, there no obstacles between 'us'. I remembered that sombre day when as usual i would turn on the tv just to listen to the news, headlines and weather forecast, as i have my breakfast and all the channels had snow, as I was hearing in the background the wailing sounds of fire engines in my area. i thought to myself, wow, that must be some fire somewhere. As i searched for a channel with my remote, I finally came across one that was showing live the second plane hitting the center. CBS, was the only channel showing this, cause they were smart enough to have back up on the

empire state building. Sorry, but when the OTA's are mentioned, it brings back that murky period.
I relate completely. I was on active duty in the Navy at that time and
I watched the Pentagon burn with my own eyes, not on TV. We were
initially told that we wouldn't be going home until the situation was
assessed to be stable. No phone connections, land line or cell were
functioning initially and I couldn't even notify my wife. I felt more
anxiety that day than when I did my first night dive in open, alligator
infested waters during dive school.

Novel8

2012-08-02 19:24:35 UTC