Hclapp1164 06-03-2012 01:10 PM Poor installation practices ...When I had my fios installed I had a vcr and dvd player connected to my "old" cable boxes. When the service tech installed the fios boxes he did not reattach my vcr and dvd players to the new boxes. When Comcast installed their boxes (previously) they reattached all my equipment, just like it was when they started. I haven't been able to figure out how to get my equipment reattached so I haven't been able to use them since I've had fios. AND I'M NOT INTERESTED IN PAYING FOR MOVIES ON FIOS!!!
Hubrisnxs 06-04-2012 02:55 PM & tns 06-05-2012 07:24 AM offer fine advise on connection diagrams however your setup may require a switch and/or splitter scenario to create a separate connection to your video input on your television.
1) Television has only one coax and one set of video (YELLOW)/ right channel (RED)/ left channel (WHITE) connection than scenario definitely requires a splitter for the RF (Ch 3/4) coax connection plus some sort of audio/video signal at the TV. Then you can split the coax signal at the STB output to supply the RF and STB audio/video connection for the VCR and utilize VCR's audio/video connections for inputs for the TV itself. This leaves out your DVD units are primarily output only, unless its a recorder as well. However a DVD recorder needs only the YELLOW/RED/WHITE connections to actually output video toward your TV biet before or after VCR. BUT the VCR definitely needs a RF connection somehow so a splitter is required. Also since DVD units are primarily output only, unless its a recorder as well, this requires only an input into your system biet connection thru VCR as input or TV. itself as input to YELLOW/RED/WHITE connectors via switching scheme. Here either VCR or STB signal can be viewed at one time, not both.
2) If television has only one coax but 2 independent sets of video (YELLOW)/ right channel (RED)/ left channel (WHITE) connections than your scenario still requires the splitter for the RF (Ch 3/4) connection plus some sort of audio/video signal connection at the TV for the VCR. Most modern TVs have this secondary connection however older ones may not and require more sophisticated scheme, such as a Home Theatre Units which offer such signal splitting. Also since most DVD units are primarily output only, unless its a recorder as well, it requires just an input into your system biet connection thru VCR as an input or to TV as input via additional YELLOW/RED/WHITE connectors. However here you have 2 independent circuits supplying signal toward your TV but only one circuit may be viewed at a time but both will function independently i.e. Playing DVD or watching/recording VCR on one circuit or watching Live TV on the other. OR Playing DVD on one or watching Live TV and/or VCR on the other.
I have both of these setups at my home, one Verizon circuit feeds the STB then a VCR which in turn feeds VCR/DVD recorder which supplies output to my TV leaving my secondary inputs unoccupied...AND another Verizon circuit which feeds another STB through a VCR/TIVO combo, PLUS a DVD player independently connected to the TV's secondary YELLOW/RED/WHITE input connections.
