VCR Hookup (1 Viewer)

[tennisnut]

I am trying to hook up a Samsung DVD/VCR (DVD-V9800) to a Vizio TV (VA320M). I have cable service, with no set top box. I have the cable into the TV, which works fine. I have an HDMI connection from the DVD/VCR to the TV, which works fine for the DVD. The VCR portion is what's troubling me.

To begin with, the manuals for both devices are not 100% clear on what needs to be connected, but they are clear that the HDMI connection will not provide any VCR signal, at least not on the video. I am not sure if that means that it would at least provide an audio signal.

So the Samsung guide says I need to hook up "the Video Out?line Out [yellow] jack to your TV". Then inside the manual it further states the video and audio need to be connected, but it is not clear if you already have an HDMI connection whether both audio and video jacks are needed.

The Vizio guide has only 2 possibilities for VCR input - the regular coaxial connection which is getting fed directly from the cable in, and an AV/S-Video connection which it states all need to be connected to hear the VCR.

So I have tried both a separate video cable, and both audio and video into the AV/S-Video sections of the Vizio. There is no s-video on the DVD/VCR, nor is there a coaxial connector, which I find a little odd.

No matter, with the AV selected on the TV, I get no signal from the VCR. I must be missing some fine point, but at this junction I have no clue what it might be.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Al.Anderson]

I found the DVD-V9800 manual to be confusing also. I believe though that it doesn't like two connections to be attached at the same time. And it does appear that they send the VCR output over HDMI. So I'd remove the non-HDMI video connection and try it that way. On your TV you would see both pictures by selecting "DVD" or "HDMI". You may have to cycle through the HDMI output format on the DVD/BCR for the TV to get the correct signal (for DVD you'd want 1080p; you may only be able to see the VCR when you select 480p).

If the HDMI connection doesn't work for you, drop back to the component connection (pg-16). That should work for both DVD and VCR, and provides a separate audio so there's no confusion. (Disconnect all other conenctions; the diagram on DVD/VCR output chart on pg-11 bothers me; even though it not very clear what they're getting out.)

 

[Stephen Tu]

Al, I think you are just completely wrong. HDMI should not have effect on the composite video output from the VCR. Also, the manual very clearly states that the VCR needs to use composite video & that component video won't work.

tennisnut: are you sure you connected to the VCR's *out*, not the "in"? Red/white/yellow RCA should work fine. It is possible that you have to turn off the "progressive out" in the DVD setup menu.

 

[Al.Anderson]

Well, I certainly could be wrong. But I was going by this, on page-11: [SIZE= smaller] [/SIZE] HDMI OUT JACK … - If you want to use the Video or Component Output, unplug the HDMI cable. [SIZE= smaller] [/SIZE] And also the table on the same page (labeled ‘DVD/VCR Output Chart’), which attempts to say something about connections being active and inactive. And it appears to be saying in the last row that if the HDMI Out is active then the VCR Output jacks are inactive. On re-reading just now I noticed that it does say elsewhere that you have to use the composite for the VCR. I don't want to believe that; but if true I'd return the unit and get a VCR that can be connected using a higher quality connection.

 

[Stephen Tu]

On most of these DVD/VCR combos, the video circuitry of the two players is almost completely independent of each other, I don't think I've ever seen one where the VHS side can output component or HDMI. For this reason it'd also be very strange for HDMI connection to affect whether the VHS can output via composite (depending on the way the DVD is designed, it might disable the DVD from being able to be output via composite/component).

They are a way to save a little rack space, not much synergy between the components at all.

These days I can't imagine ever spending money on VHS. But I suppose people have old tape collections they still want to see on occasion.

 

[dguard]

Based on my read of the manual, it seems you must physically unplug the HDMI cable and wait up to 10 seconds to activate the analog video connections (see page 11, items 3 and 6 as well as the DVD/VCR Output Chart). Your DVD/VCR will decode its digital DVD signals into an analog format and make them available on the component (pg 11, items 1 and 2) and composite (pg 11, item 6) connections. However, it will not encode the analog signal from the VCR into a digital form and send it on a digital connection (pg 11, item 3 and 4). See the DVD/VCR Output Chart on pg 11 for confirmation.

If you are set on keeping this DVD/VCR unit, the most convenient method of connection is using the RGB+RW (items 1 and 2) outputs into the corresponding inputs on your TV. The only real downside of this is your DVD will be doing the digital to analog decoding instead of your TV (and I suspect the digital decoder on the TV is better than the decoder on the DVD/VCR player). Some may argue this wiring approach isn't the best method. Technically they may be right; however, this approach solves your issue gracefully. Keep in mind that switching between the DVD and VCR will be a function of the DVD/VCR, not the TV.

 

[tennisnut]

After consulting with Samsung, it appears the lack of signal was remedied by a reboot of the machine (holding fast forward and rewind buttons for 20 seconds - something you would not find in any manual). Now it works with the HDMI cable handling the DVD and the RCA A/V cable handling the VCR. Since the VCR output will never be better than 480i it really doesn't matter as long as the DVD quality is highest through the HDMI.

We do have lots of old VHS tapes, but the main use of the VCR will be for VHS exercise tapes we have and I was not looking for 1080p quality - just an active signal. By the way, even though it isn't the highest quality hookup on the VCR, the picture doesn't look that bad.

Thanks for the various input.