HDTV antenna to stereo system (1 Viewer)

Here is the deal, I have an HDTV antenna, HDTV with no analog audio output, and a 2 ch stereo receiver. I am trying to get sound from the antenna to the stereo. I hooked up the antenna to a vcr, then out to the tv via coax. Then simply connected the audio out of the vcr to the stereo. The tv will scan channels and there is no audio to stereo. I also tried scanning channels on the vcr and they would not scan (older vcr, maybe need a newer one to get channels through that). When the vcr itself is switched from "TV to VCR" setting, then the TV scans for the vcr which now can play movies with sound to stereo but no channels are scanned (so it is either or). How can I get this working?

Welcome to the forum.


There is no such thing as an HDTV antenna. It's all marketing hype. An antenna made 50 years ago will pick up current digital TV signals as long as it is the appropriate kind (UHF, VHF or a combination of both), it is pointed in the correct direction and you are close enough to the transmitter to receive a signal.


Your VCR will not tune in digital channels. It has an NTSC tuner and the new transmission system is called ATSC.


What model TV do you have? Can it pick up channels that you want? So all you need is something to convert the digital audio output of your TV to analog for your receiver? If that is the case, it is as simple as getting a digital to analog converter - http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=180-998 .

Thanks for the reply. I know there is no such thing as an HDTV antenna, my customer has an oldschool gigantic 30 ft high antenna with a rotor. The TV is a brand new Vizio 37" lcd and it gets the channels wonderfully from the antenna but I just need sound to the stereo. I figured there had to be something not right with the vcr hookup, so that make sense. I thought about using a digital to analog converter like you say since the tv does have a digital optical out, but there is always reviews about any brand of converter that says if the channel is broadcast in Dolby Digital then you will not get sound. Is that my best option short of getting a digital A/V receiver? Thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Make sure the TV is set to only output PCM (stereo) and all will be fine.