VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

[tutusue]

My older vhs/dvd combo unit (vhs recorder/dvd player) bit the dust and I bought a new one. I've always been able to connect a unit and get it up and running. Not so, this time and I'm beginning to wonder if my memory is totally failing me!

I bought a fairly inexpensive combo unit (LiteOn...recorder in both formats) at Costco. The cable coming out of the wall is plugged into Ant In on the combo. Then there's another cable from Ant Out to the TV. So far, so good. The TV has a picture. The combo's manual says to connect the provided a/v cable from Line Out on the combo to In on the TV. I did not need the a/v cable with the old unit unless I connected it to a stand alone DVD recorder. It definitely was not connected to the TV. With or without the a/v cable I am not able to get an on-screen menu to set up the unit when I press the appropriate button on the remote. I cannot get an image on the TV from either a vhs tape or a dvd altho' the status window shows one or the other is playing. I have the TV set to channel 3. If the combo needs to be set to something specific, well, I can't set it up!!!

Am I ignoring something really obvious or might I have a faulty combo unit?

TIA...the Untechie Tutu!

[GeckoGeek]

Re: I'm feeling very untechie...HELP!!!

Check the back of the unit for a switch that says 3 and 4. Maybe it came from the factory set for channel 4 instead of 3.

You could use the A/V cable, but you need to make sure that you've got the TV set for those inputs. Some TVs have inputs front and back. You have to set it to the right one.

Sounds like you're on the right track.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: I'm feeling very untechie...HELP!!!

If you can't find the 3/4 switch, check the manual. Some units might have a button sequence to change it electronically rather then a manual switch in the back.

[damontucker]

Re: I'm feeling very untechie...HELP!!!

tutu... don't feel untechie at all... I actually get paid to do this type of stuff and I know how confusing it is...I still get confused with things and I still learn from experience many times.

So many ins/outs... A's/ B' etc... it's very easy to feel untechie about this type of stuff.

I wish I could give you a direct answer.... as it appears that you are doing everything to get things corrected and running as you have posted....

If all cords are connected correctly... you might be dealing with a defective cord.

And that can be frustrating too....

[tutusue]

Re: I'm feeling very untechie...HELP!!!

Check the back of the unit for a switch that says 3 and 4. Maybe it came from the factory set for channel 4 instead of 3.

Nope...no switch. Maybe that's part of the onscreen programming which I can't display that menu on the screen.

You could use the A/V cable, but you need to make sure that you've got the TV set for those inputs. Some TVs have inputs front and back. You have to set it to the right one.

I've tried both front/front and back/front on the combo unit and on the tv. The TV has only front inputs which is why I remember not using the a/v cable between the old units and the TV. The a/v cable sticks out of the front of the TV like a sore thumb. I've changed the batteries in the remote. There is such limited communication between the remote and the unit and I don't know if that's something I'm doing or faulty equipment. I'm remembering with the previous unit just attaching the the cable into the antenna pukas and everything working! The a/v cables just didn't plug into the only inputs in the front of the TV. Or maybe my memory has taken a complete nose dive!

Sounds like you're on the right track.

Doesn't feel like it!!! I'm almost 5 hours into playing with it. 'nuff for tonight! Thanks so much for your help.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: I'm feeling very untechie...HELP!!!

Well, you might try setting the TV to channel 4 just to see if it's there. Other then that, I'm out of ideas.

[pzarquon]

Re: I'm feeling very untechie...HELP!!!

You could use the A/V cable, but you need to make sure that you've got the TV set for those inputs. Some TVs have inputs front and back. You have to set it to the right one.

Tutu, trying to envision your setup in my head, I think GeckoGeek hit closest here. It sounds like right now your TV has two sources plugged into it -- the coaxial cable, and the A/V cables (RCA connectors).

From what you say of your original setup, your TV is set to display what's coming in on the coaxial cable. If the new combo unit relies on the A/V output to display its menus, you need to change the input setting on your TV to "listen to" the A/V ports rather than the cable. This is usually an important enough function to have a dedicated button on the TV itself (a button labeled "Input" or "TV/CABLE" or something) or on the remote, but if not, it should be selectable in your TV's own menus.

It sounds like your new combo unit prefers the A/V channel to the coaxial... perhaps the latter exists primarily as a cable signal pass through?

[tutusue]

Re: VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

Thanks everyone. Even after a decent night's sleep I still couldn't get the set-up to work. Then I noticed the 'tv/aux' button on the tv's remote and tried that. Nuthin'! Out of frustration I moved the a/v cable on the combo from the front to the back. BINGO! With the TV on 'aux' and the a/v cable going from the front of the tv to the back of the combo...it's working! Bummers...it is dependent on the a/v cable and not the coax like all of my previous set-ups.

And, ya know what...after all of that hassle...I don't really like it! I don't want to see cable coming out of the front of the equipment. It ruins the aesthetics of my little grass shack!!! I guess I'll take the week-end to decide whether or not to keep it. Maybe I'll take the combo into the office where using the front ports on the TV isn't as aesthetically important to me and bring the combo unit (which depends on the coax) from the office to home. Then again, maybe not. The LiteOn has an IEEE port so I can burn a DVD directly from the camera at home. Decisions...decisions!!!

I really miss the good ol' days of plug 'n play; ya know, change the channel with a manual dial on the tv!

Thanks again for the help!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

You say with your present hookup you have picture. Do you also have audio?

So with the combo unit just on with no DVD or VHS playing, it functions like a cable tuner box right? Meaning with the remote you can change TV channels from the combo's tuner.

But the problem is when you play a DVD or VHS right? When you hit the play button on either media, does the broadcast from Oceanic disappear or does it remain on?

The fact that you are getting signal thru the combo unit from Oceanic but no on-screen display or DVD/VHS playback tells me that the combo unit is not switching between the ant. input and the DVD/VHS outputs.

And the fact that your status window indicates the unit is running tells me that power is being supplied through it.

Sounds like you got a defective combo unit and I would return it.

[tutusue]

Re: VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

[...]Sounds like you got a defective combo unit and I would return it.

Thanks, Craig. Turns out it was a user problem and not a unit problem ...explained in post #8!

[GeckoGeek]

Re: VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

Tutusue, I dug up the user manual for your unit. On page 7 where it shows the RF input/output jacks I see this:

1) RF OUT/IN jacks
RF signal output/input
Note:
Playback signals are not transmitted via this connection.
Make proper connections before using this VCR/DVD recorder.

So there it is, you have to use the A/V jacks to watch. The RF output is just there so you don't have to have a splitter to feed both the recorder and the TV set.

Does your set have any jacks on the back? Maybe a S-Video? You don't like the jacks coming out of the front of the set? Maybe time to get a new set.

Also, I noticed a firmware update for the unit dated 10/27/06. Not sure what it's for, probably for media compatibility so it can reliability burn more types of DVDs. Check here to get the firmware and how to load it. Dang, there's firmware upgrades to appliances now?

[tutusue]

Re: VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

Tutusue, I dug up the user manual for your unit.[...]

Thanks so much! I can't believe you took the time to research this. This is why your user name is GeckoGeek and mine is Tutusue. I saw the reference in the manual too but, well, what can I say? It just went right over my untechie, ungeekie head!

No jacks on the back of the TV set and no S video. It's at least 5 years old and was probably $109.99 at Costco! So, yes, it's time for a new set but I'll wait 'til my little grass shack is completed then opt for a wall hung, flat screen set. In the meantime I'll wrap the a/v cable in polyester fern fronds!

I saw the firmware update, too. Maybe I'll tackle that...maybe I won't!!! It's probably not Mac compatible anyway. I've spent enough time this week-end on that dang combo unit!

Thanks, again!

[GeckoGeek]

Re: VHS/DVD Combo Unit... HELP!!!

In the meantime I'll wrap the a/v cable in polyester fern fronds!

Hey, I hear that Don Quijote might have some.

I saw the firmware update, too. Maybe I'll tackle that...maybe I won't!!! It's probably not Mac compatible anyway.

I only glanced at the update instructions, but it seems you download the file, burn it to a CD and feed it to the unit. As long as you can unzip a file, I don't think it cares what computer you have.