Beginning some time on June 12, 2009 most US TV broadcasts will no longer be in analog format, so they cannot be received by older VCRs, TiVos, and DVRs (digital video recorders) that do not have DTV tuners. However, they can be used to receive these signals using a DTV converter box. Some DTV-capable televisions also have analog video and sound outputs that can be connected to video and sound inputs of analog VCRs in order to enable recording of a program you are watching, and can also accept audio and video from those VCRs, and can receive the older analog TV signals ("NTSC format") on channels 3 or 4 from the antenna connection to your VCR output. So your older VCR or other recorder can still work either using a DTV converter box or most new DTV televisions. This article focuses on using your VCR, TiVo, or DVR with a DTV converter box.
The only difficulty is that the DTV converter box is probably not programmable to turn on and off at various times on various channels, so for timer recording your VCR will be limited to one channel -- the one that your converter box is tuned to. Unless you are there to change the channel on the converter box at the right time, you are limited to a single channel. Most DTV converter boxes use no more power than a night light (most are 7 watts or less), so it is possible to leave them on all the time (tuned to the channel you intend to record) without using much electrical power.
Step 1
Insert your VCR, TiVo, or DVR between the DTV converter box output coax connector and your TV set antenna input as shown in the figure below (if you have not yet set up your converter box, installation instructions can be found here and additional information on channel scan setup can be found here).
Step 2
Using your remote control for your DTV converter box, enter the menu for "sleep mode" or "auto off" function, and turn it "OFF". By default most DTV converter boxes turn off automatically after about 4 hours, but by turning this function off it will remain on until you turn it off.
Step 3
Be sure your VCR is set up to output on the same channel that your DTV converter box output is on (usually channel 3 or channel 4, selectable) .
Step 4
Program your VCR to record on the channel that is put out by your DTV converter box (channel 3 or 4) at the time of the program(s) you wish to record.
Step 5
Leave your DTV converter box turned on and tuned to the channel you intend to record.
Step 6
Later, the program(s) you recorded on your VCR can be played back on your TV as you normally would.
Tips
- If you are using an indoor antenna such as "rabbit ears", be sure the antenna is oriented properly to receive the channel before you record (you can check this using your TV).
- If you have 2 DTV converter boxes and your TV has audio/video input jacks, it is possible to watch one channel on your TV and record another channel on your VCR. Click here (or here for zoomable PDF version) to see a fact sheet on how to do this (scroll down to "Set-up #2"). However, it is still not possible to program to record different channels at different times (unless someone manually changes the channel on the converter box connected ahead of the VCR between recordings). The VCR must always be programmed to record from channel 3 or 4 (what ever is put out by the DTV converter box).
- On the FCC web site there is a page which lists a number of consumer publications on digital television. Scroll down to "Television" and look for "DTV" or "Digital" in the article title.
