Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - Dvr Hook Up

I just purchased a new Polaroid 80 GB HDD DVR.I have no boxes or audio /video inputs on my Memorex TV.So I just hook it up like a VCR putting the incoming cable coax to RF IN on back of DVR and another cable to RF out on back of dvr to back of TV.I can't find the screen i need to set it up on my tv,just regular channels come in,pushed all kind of buttons on DVR remote and still nothing to program the DVR.My tv remote has no game or auxilary buttons on it or i would try that.Should i just take it back and get a good old VCR?:confused:

You probably need to have the TV on channel 3 (or 4).

Does ypu tv have a input channel.The remote shoud say something like AUX or INPUT.

Not really meaning to be nasty but you didn't read the instruction manual for the DVR, did you?

ALL DVR's REQUIRE the television set to have auxilliary audio and video inputs. You could use an RF converter from the DVR outputs to the television antenna input but you would get an inferior picture.

Believe it or not I did read the manuel and thats why I came on here to confirm my fears on whether to take it back because i was afraid it wouldn't work with my tv not having them jacks although the manuel doesn't imply anywhere it won't work with certain tv's which is misleading because it ought to be noted right on the outside of the box before a first time buyer like me buys one of these things.Back to Wallys world I go to trade in for a good old VCR.

Well, I'm confused now. If the DVR has an RF out, that's all you need. It wouldn't supply an RF out jack if it couldn't use it. And like a VCR, you need to set the tv to channel 3 or 4.

Did you confused an RCA jack with an RF jack.

I just looked it up on-line. Did you get the model with the DVD recorder built in?
The manual shows two RF connection in the back. But, in one picture one is label IN and the other is labeled OUT. In another picture BOTH are labeled IN.

Bob, the RF output connection is ONLY a pass-through for the RF signal from either an antenna or a cable TV system. No DVD player or recorder has an RF output that passes the DVD signal.

Sure enough wallys tried to get me one of them RF adapters when i took it back last night and i said no thanks heard it lowers the picture quality and they said why we never heard that before LOL

Okay, let me explain a bit further.

DVD and SVHS have the ability to send a higher quality video signal (meaning a better picture) to a television that has the provisions (special input jacks) for processing the signal. DVD is superior to SVHS.

The latest televisions will have multiple jacks for video input, in order of highest picture quality to lowest they are:

Component inputs. These will have three RCA type jacks for three video cables from the DVD player.

SVHS input. This is a single jack but the connecting cable consists of two video cables contained within the single jacket of the cable. It uses a special SVHS plug/jack.

Composite input. This is a single RCA type jack (usually yellow) and connects with a single cable.

RF (radio frequency) input. This is the "F" style coaxial cable connector that goes into the tuner section of the television. It is almost always the connection to an antenna and/or cable TV service.


The first home video recorders (tape) used an RF output to connect to the RF input that all televisions had at the time. Some televisions had the F type coaxial connector but most had a "balanced" 300 ohm "twin lead" connection made for an antenna and required a matching transformer to convert the 300 ohm twin-lead input to a 75 ohm coaxial input. After the industry saw that the videotape recorder was here to stay (along with cable TV systems) they started installing the 75 ohm coaxial connector on virtually all but the cheapest model televisions.

As time went by the limitations of processing the video and audio signals through the RF connection and the internal tuner of the television became obvious. Improved picture (and sound) was possible by circumventing the RF signal and instead applying the video and audio signals directly to the appropriate circuits AFTER the RF circuits. This lead to external inputs for composite video and stereo sound. There was a noticeable improvement in the picture (and sound) quality when this was done.

Some years later engineers determined that by separating the components of the video signal into two parts that they could again improve picture quality, this was the SVHS standard and it required the manufacturers of televisions to install the special SVHS circuitry and appropriate jacks. This standard is still in wide use today.

Recently (last few years) the video signal standard has become component video.


All that stated, if you do not have a television with the appropriate jacks you may still avail yourself of the ability to watch DVD or record on a DVD recorder (PVR) if you take the composite output of the DVD unit and connect it to an RF adapter. You will probably need an adapter that includes audio input along with the video input. You would use the left channel of the stereo output of the DVD as the input to the RF adapter. The RF adapter would connect to the antenna input of the television and the television would need to be tuned to the proper channel (usually 3 or 4) that the adapter is set.

The result would be a picture comparable to the first generation of home video recorders, watchable but no where near the picture (or sound) quality that the DVD is capable of reproducing.