Now that you’ve received or purchased a brand new DVD recorder, how do you connect it to your TV? This tutorial will focus on connecting the DVD recorder to the TV, whether you have a cable, satellite or cable antenna as a TV source. There are also tips on how to connect the DVD recorder to a Dolby 5.1 surround sound system. Let’s begin! This information applies to televisions from various manufacturers, including, for example, those made by LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, and Vizio.
Follow these steps
- The first step in connecting a DVD recorder to the TV is to determine what type of connection you want to make between the TV source (cable, satellite, antenna), the DVD recorder and the TV. This is usually determined by the outputs and inputs available on the DVD recorder and TV.
- If you have an older TV that only accepts RF (coaxial) input, then you need to connect the RF output (a coaxial cable) from your TV source (in my case a Cable Box) to the RF input on the DVD recorder. Then connect the RF output from the DVD recorder to the RF input on the TV. This is the simplest (and lowest quality) option for connecting a DVD recorder to any TV.
- If you want to use higher quality cables, you can connect the TV source (cable and satellite only, not Antenna) to the DVD recorder using video and composite audio, S-Video or Component cables.
- To use composite cables (also known as RCA, the yellow plug is video, red and white plugs, audio)- connect the composite cables to the RCA outputs on the back of the TV source and then connect the composite cables to the RCA Inputs of the DVD recorder. Then connect the RCA outputs from the DVD recorder to the RCA inputs on the TV.
- To use the S-Video and RCA audio cables- Connect the S-Video cable to the S-Video output of the TV source. Connect the S-Video cable to the S-Video input on the DVD recorder. Then, connect the RCA audio cable to the output on the TV source and to the input on the DVD recorder. Finally, connect the S-Video cable and the RCA audio cable to the output on the DVD recorder and to the input on the TV.
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- To use Component Video cables and RCA audio cables- Connect the Component Video cable and the red and white RCA audio cables to the outputs on the TV source and to the inputs on the DVD recorder. Then connect the Component Video cable and the RCA audio cable to the outputs on the DVD recorder and to the inputs on the TV.
- Now that the TV source (cable, satellite or antenna), DVD recorder and TV are all connected, you need to configure everything to make sure that the TV passes through the DVD recorder, for recording and viewing.
- Turn on the cable or satellite receiver, TV recorder, and DVD.
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- If you have connected everything using RF connections, the TV should go through the DVD recorder and display the television on the TV screen. To record in this mode, you need to tune to channel 3 or 4 on the TV, then use the DVD recorder’s TV tuner to change channels and record.
- If you have made connections using composite cables, S-Video or Component, then to view or record the TV, you need to make two adjustments. First, the DVD recorder must be tuned to the appropriate input, typically L1 or L3 for the rear inputs and L2 for the front inputs. Secondly, even the TV must be tuned to the correct input, on a TV usually Video 1 or Video 2.
- If you have a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound A/V receiver, you can connect an optical digital audio cable or a coaxial digital audio cable from the DVD Recorder to the receiver to listen to the sound through the receiver.
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TIPS
If the cable TV comes directly from the wall, the only option is to connect the coaxial cable to the RF input on the DVD recorder and then transmit it to the TV using RF, composite, S-Video or Component audio and video cables.
Some DVD recorders require you to establish an RF connection and an A/V connection to use the electronic programming guide (for example, Panasonic DVD recorders that include the TV Guide on the EPG screen). Always check the manufacturer’s manual before making connections.
Feel free to use the connection combinations when you connect your DVD recorder. For example, you can connect from the TV source to the DVD recorder using a coaxial (RF) connection and then insert it using S-Video and RCA Audio on the TV.
Make sure that if you use A/V cables to connect the DVD recorder to a TV, choose the appropriate input on the TV.
Use the best cables you can for connections. The video cables from the lowest to the highest quality are RF, composite, S-Video, component. The cables used will be determined by the types of outputs and inputs on the DVD recorder and TV.
