VCR connection to tv and receiver with composite. (1 Viewer)

[Danklin26]

Hi guys. First off, I have a yamaha receiver thats capable of upconverting composite and s-video to component. I currently have a vcr connected straight to my tv via the in & out coax connections of the vcr. This is of course the poorest quality. I want to connect it to the tv but through the receiver with composite---> component. I already have a component cable running to my tv that handles DVD and PS2. I do not think this vcr has s-video out.

My real questions are, do i leave the coax connected to the tv and just add the composite connection if i still want to be able to watch and record independently? Also, if i go through my receiver with a composite, i'd go into the vcr in connections, correct? If so, how do i get tv sound on the receiver since the receiver would need to be on the vcr input even for watching cable television (no box in this setup) The tv is currently conneted to the TV audio in on the receiver with red and white audio cables. Any help is appreciated. Sorry if that sounds complicated.

 

[Robert_J]

This is where I lose you. Watching cable TV only, you would have your TV and receiver on. The receiver would be set to TV Audio in. Same scenario when watching cable TV and recoding another show on the VCR. Watching a recorded program, you would have the VCR connected to the receiver via composit video/analog audio. The receiver would be set to VCR and the TV would be set to one of the component video inputs from the receiver. The TV would be used a monitor only.

About the upconversion on the receiver. Don't expect miracles. You will not get video that looks high def just because it converts from composit to component. The receiver can't magially add picture information back to the standard def signal.

-Robert

 

[Danklin26]

Thank you for the reply Robert. I understand it all now. I was a bit confused on what input setting the receiver would need to be on for watching tv with this setup because i thought you'd need to have it set on vcr since the rca cables would be connected to the vcr inputs of the receiver, but you're saying to watch tv it would still go directly through the coax to the tv. So the rca cables between the vcr and receiver would be for tape playback only? Can the vcr determine automatically which connecting to use for tape playback? In other words, it wont go through the regular coax anymore?
I apologize for the long explanations and dumb questions.

Oh and i definitely understand what you're saying about the conversion to component. I'm not expecting much improvement in quality, its mostly for convenience sake only having one set of cables going to the tv for video.
Thanks again.

Noel

 

[Allan Jayne]

VCR's TV/VCR setting (always present)

VCR -- What the VCR is playing (or the VCR's currently selected channel if a tape is not playing) is sent to the TV via coax channel 3 or 4.

TV -- All the channels coming into the VCR via its antenna in coax are sent to the TV via coax keeping their original channel numbers for the TV to tune in.

Both (i.e. all the time)* What the VCR is playing (or the VCR's currently selected channel if a tape is not playing) is sent to the receiver via composite and left/right audio.

*Sometimes if the VCR is set to "TV" then nothing comes out the composite jacks.

Receiver's VCR (video tape monitor) setting, if present:

On -- The receiver is actually selecting something else for an input but sending that signal only to a VCR via special VCR Out jacks. Only a VCR's output coming in the matching VCR In jacks is sent to the TV (via composite and/or upconversion) and sound system amplifiers (receiver internals).

Off -- Normal; what the receiver is selecting, which could be a VCR too (not connected via special VCR In/Out jacks), is sent to the TV and is handled by the sound system amps.

When you connect a VCR to your receiver using the special jacks, use the receiver's VCR switch to select the VCR and use the receiver's regular input selector for everything else. If you connect a VCR to the receiver using regular input jacks, use the regular input selector for everything.

The receiver VCR setting may or may not be useful for non-composite inputs, this depends whether the receiver downconverts the selected input and cross feeds it to the VCR Out yellow jack, or whether the receiver possesses S-video and component video VCR Out and VCR In jacks for use with DVR's, TIVO (tm) units, etc.

Watching TV with sound from receiver:

If the VCR is tuning in or passing through the channel, then set the receiver up for playing tapes, for example use the receiver's VCR setting if needed. (VCR's TV/VCR setting on "VCR")

If the TV is tuning in the channel (directly connected coax or VCR's TV/VCR setting on "TV"), then turn off the receiver's VCR setting and select TV audio (probably a regular receiver input).

Video hints: Video Technicalia Made Easy

 

[Danklin26]

Receiver's VCR (video tape monitor) setting, if present:

On -- The receiver is actually selecting something else for an input but sending that signal only to a VCR via special VCR Out jacks. Only a VCR's output coming in the matching VCR In jacks is sent to the TV (via composite and/or upconversion) and sound system amplifiers (receiver internals).

Off -- Normal; what the receiver is selecting, which could be a VCR too (not connected via special VCR In/Out jacks), is sent to the TV and is handled by the sound system amps.

-----------------------------------------

Sorry, i sound like an idiot im sure, but i do not understand this part. Thank you for your reply. I'm starting to understand the tv/vcr settings. I didnt realize you could select both. I've never experimented with this switch much.

 

[Allan Jayne]

Exasmple of use of a separate VCR tape monitor setting on a receiver:

When this is off, you select your source (Video 1, Video 2, DVD, etc.) normally using your receiver remote and view that on your TV. The signal goes straight from the selected source through the receiver to your TV (and to your system speakers).

When this is on, the video signal you have selected with the receiver remote exits the receiver through the special VCR Out jack, goes to the VCR, comes back to the receiver's special VCR In jack, then goes to the TV (and system amps and speakers). If nothing is not hooked up to the special jacks (for example the VCR is connected to regular inputs such as Video 1) then nothing plays when the receiver's VCR setting is on.

Unlike specialized three head audio tape recorders, VCR's don't play at the same time they record. So when you manipulate the receiver VCR switch, you switch back and forth between viewing the source itself and what the VCR "thinks it is recording".

If the VCR is playing a tape, that will override something else coming in via the VCR's video and audio jacks.

 

[Danklin26]

I think i understand what you're saying. However i can not get the tv signal to go into the receiver then to the vcr and back to the receiver and finally to the tv. I dont have a cable box, so my only options are going to the vcr with the main coax and have a patch coax cable from the vcr to the tv, or have that with a set of composite cables from vcr to receiver which goes to the tv via compoment upconversion. Where im confused is getting the tv to tune the channels so i can watch something else while i record. I'm guessing that if i do the latter then whatever i play on the vcr(tape) will be veiwed through the receiver via the composite/component cables and the cable tv signal will go right to the tv as it does now?

So i wouldnt have to use the vcr out jacks, correct?

 

[Allan Jayne]

To record one show and watch another, you should have the main coax going to the VCR and a patch cable coax going from the VCR to the TV.

Alternatively (usually inferior) have the coax go to a splitter with patch cables from the splitter going to both VCR and TV.

Set the TV to take (upconverted Video 1 etc. or composite Video 2 etc. depending on how you watch tapes) material from the receiver.
Set the receiver to VCR tape monitoring on if needed.
Get the recording started.

Now set the receiver VCR tape monitoring off.
Set the VCR TV/VCR setting to TV.
Select TV audio on the receiver.
Select a channel instead of Video 1, etc. on your TV.
(Assumes you connected cables from the TV's audio out to one of your receiver regular inputs.)

When a VCR is recording, only the show being recorded will come from its composite and audio jacks.

It is not desirable to connect a TV's video out to any receiver input. A feedback loop (undesirable) could be created.

The receiver does not have to stay on for the VCR to keep recording a channel from the coax.

The receiver does not have to stay on when the TV is receiving channels from the coax patch cable and also you are using the TV speakers instead of your sound system for sound.