Recording difficulities - please help. (1 Viewer)

[Frederick_Falk]

I have a Sony SAT-HD100 DSS Satellite receiver and am running component cables from it to the HD inputs on my Sony KV-36XBR400 TV. I also have two VCR's: a Sony SLV-R1000 S-VHS and a Sony SLV-M91HF. I have both of their outputs running out to my Sony STR-DA50ES A/V receiver and the A/V receiver then runs the video out to the S-video input on the TV.
I can play a pre-recorded tape on either VCR and pass the video and audio signals to the A/V receiver and then the video out to the TV and I get a picture and the sound is passed to my Polk speakers. Everything is good in "Playback" land.
HOWEVER, recording is a whole different story. No matter what I have tried, if I try to send the video signal to the either VCR nothing is recorded except the sound. I have tried the S-Video, composite and the coax connections of both VCR's. I have tried routing the signal to the A/V receiver and then to the VCR. I have tried routine the signal straight from the HD receiver directly to the VCR. I have tried using the composite video output on my TV back to the VCR. I have tried all three inputs on the VCR and verified that I had the correct input selected.
I know I have the correct input selected because I CAN record the audio. If the wrong input is selected, then all I get is blank tape - no audio AND no sound. But since I am getting the sound recorded, I should get video also.
Is there something in the HD receiver that is not allowing the VCR's to record? I don't think this is a copy protection issue. Is the signal in some kind of format that the TV can decipher but the VCR's cannot?
This has become very frustrating and I am obviously missing something here. :frowning: I am usually pretty good at figuring things out but this one has me stumped. :b If anyone happens to have a Sony SAT-HD100 DSS receiver and is able to record to a VCR could tell me what settings you are using and how you have your equipment setup would be a great help.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

 

[Scooter]

Just a thought...go into menu and make sure that the input you are trying to use is set for S-Video.

 

[Paul Clarke]

What do you have connected to the VCR inputs? And what kinds of connections?

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Paul,

I only have the DSS receiver hooked up to the inputs of the VCRs. I have four sets of outputs on the DSS box. One set is the component output for video. For playback (taking the VCR's out of the equation for now) I am using Monster Z-reference component cables for (Y-CR-CB to Y-PR-PB) to the TV for the video and an optical cable from the DSS to the A/V receiver for the audio. Then there is the coax output cable for both video and audio. There are also two other outputs on the DSS box and each has S-video, composite and L/R audio. I have tried every conceivable combination. I have tried DSS driectly to VCR inputs 1 and then switched to input three. I have tried the coax connection. The TV also has a video output so you can have an additional monitor (say in a control room) attached so you can see what is being displayed on the main TV screen. I have tried using that TV output and connecting it to the inputs on the VCR. If I disconnect the optical ouput and take that out of the loop, I can record the audio from the L/R outputs from the DSS receiver, but I cannot get any picture to record using either the S-video or the composite inputs on either VCR. I don't think the problem is with the VCR because I can get the sound to record. Both of these VCR's are relatively new and have very few recording hours on the heads. I think the problem is with the DSS receiver. It is as if the video outputs on the DSS receiver for the S-video and composite are somehow turned off. Also be aware I have been wooking on this problem for weeks trying different manufacturer cables, different configurations and nothing has worked.

Does this help?

 

[James Q Jenkins]

Just a thought...go into menu and make sure that the input you are trying to use is set for S- Video.

I have the same thought. Make sure that your inputs on the VCR are set to S-Video. This sounds like what the problem is.
I've done the same thing before.

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Well, only the R1000 has S-video inputs. The Sony SLV-M91HF has only composite video inputs. I have tried the Composite inputs on both VCR's and the S-video inputs (Input 1 and 3) on the R1000 without any success. I know I have the correct input selected on the VCR, otherwise I would not be able to record the audio. I have also tried routine the video through the A/V receiver AND I have also tried bypassing it and going directly from the VCR to the TV. I have tried the composite inputs on the TV as well as the S-video inputs. To verify that I have everything setup correctly going from the VCR to the TV (when I am switching out cables and trying different combinations), I play back a pre-recorded VHS tape and I get video and audio. Therefore I know that that side of the equation is working. So logically that means the problem is between the DSS receiver and the VCR's.

I will check tonight the inputs on the VCR's but I don't think that is the problem. Especially since one of the VCR's in the mix does not have ANY S-video inputs or outputs. I do know that you cannot send the s-video signal from the DSS receiver to the A/V receiver and then use the composite video output on the A/V receiver as it cannot do this conversion.

 

[James Q Jenkins]

I do know that you cannot send the s-video signal from the DSS receiver to the A/V receiver and then use the composite video output on the A/V receiver as it cannot do this conversion.

Some receivers can. Combining S-Video to composite is very simple.

 

[Frederick_Falk]

James,

I am well aware that there are A/V receivers that CAN convert S-video to composite and vis-versa. However, what I meant was that my receiver does NOT have that capability and I wanted to let those who were trying to help me know that that was not the problem. I am speaking specifically about my equipment and its capabilities, not what else is out there on the market. I should have stated "my" receiver and not "the" receiver. I just assumed everyone would know I was talking about my equipment's capablities and the statement was not meant to be a generality. My bad!

I was hoping that someone else that has the same equipment as myself and was recording successfully would tell me how they were doing it. I can take either of these VCR's and hook them up to my daughter's RCA DSS receiver and they record fine. So why can I not get the Sony DSS receiver to output correctly so I can record its signal? Is there something unique about this receiver that I have not taken into account?

 

[James Q Jenkins]

Sorry, my experience is with an old JVC SVHS deck (4600?). You had to go into a menu to select "S-Video" on or off for the inputs. It drove me up a wall that I was getting sound but no video every time I tried to record. Eventually I nosed through the menu system and figured out what was up.

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Hummm.... Very interesting. Did you also have to turn "on" the composite as well? I have tried that path as well as I still get nothing. In other words, I run a composite cable from DSS to VCR, then VCR to A/V receiver and then A/V receiver to TV. I have even tried bypassing the A/V receiver altogether with no luck.
Well, tonight I will try the following. I will only use S-Video throughout and verify with a pre-recorded tape that the playback is working properly. Then I will verify that the VCR is indeed setup to input a S-video signal by dare I say it, reading the manual and going through the menu options. If it still does not work then it has to be something in the DSS receiver that is not passing the video signal via the S-video path. Then it will be time to break out that manual and see if there is something that I have to do to "turn on" those outputs. I will let you know my findings in the morning.
Thanks to all that have posted comments.

 

[Robert_J]

Are you taking your sat receiver out of HD mode and putting it back in standard mode? When it is in HD mode, it doesn't output standard def video.

-Robert

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Ah-ha!!! That has got to be the problen because I am Not taking it out of anything when I am trying to record. I just thought all outputs were active. That would explain it! Now I just have to remember what I did with the manual and find out how to get it out of HD mode into standard mode and all will be set.
Robert_J - Thanks a bunch!

 

[Chuck Paskovics]

I hope that works for you. I know when I mixed my video signals I got a black screen too. It could just be a matter of somewhere along the line you have a mixed type of video signal (using s-video mixed with composite, etc). If the HD tuner switch does not fix it you may want to start simple and hook the sat receiver directly to your vcr and start from there. I know on mine I have 2 outputs and one goes to my receiver (for dolby digital info) and the other goes directly to one of my vcr inputs. That way I can record quick and easy when I need to yet still get dolby digital sound through the receiver on another receiver input. I just keep my vcr on the input all the time for fast recording.

The signal running from the sat box to the receiver is s-video (my system runs s-video throughout..for now) and then my 2nd input from the satbox is simply composite running directly to the vcr's input. You may want to do this and eliminate the audio receiver for recording.

 

[James Q Jenkins]

Now that makes more sense.

But to answer your earlier question, I believe the setting was a toggle. Either composite or S-Video for the inputs. In S-Video mode it would not read the composite input and vice versa.

 

[Frederick_Falk]

Okay, it turns out that I had two problems. One I have been able to fix. The other I have been able to get around but I would still like help to see if there is a way to fix it.
First I set the SAT-HD100 input select to output to lines 1 and 2. Then I hooked a S-video cable from the DSS directly to the TV and volia it works. Next I hooked the DSS to the A/V receiver and then to the TV and it still works. Next I hooked the DSS to the SLV-R1000, then to the A/V receiver and then to the TV all using S-video cables. I played a pre-recorded tape and I got video and audio on the TV. Still great. Then I tried to watch a show from the DSS receiver with the VCR on and NO picture. Ugh! Then I switched the S-video cable from the DSS to the VCR and volia, I get a picture.
Dilema: Why can I not use the S-video input on the VCR that is getting a signal from the DSS and PASS it through the S-video ouput of the VCR. It WILL pass the composite signal back out the S-video output on the VCR so why not the S-video signal?
I looked for the manual but could not locate it. Does anyone else have this VCR and do you know how to "turn on" the S-video inputs on this unit? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again to Robert_J for the first fix. Now if I can just get the other problem fixed, I will be a very happy camper.