You can still use VCRs to record shows from a cable box.
A VCR can record shows from your cable box just as easily as it can record from the TV itself. You can use RCA jacks -- three cables color-coded red, yellow and white -- as well as a coaxial cable from the cable box to make the connection. Think of a TV signal as an arrow following a path: it leads from the coaxial cable into the cable box, and from there into the TV. When you install the VCR, the "arrow" will go from the cable to the cable box to the VCR to the TV.
Instructions
1. Insert the coaxial cable coming in from your wall into the "In" jack on the back of your cable box. The jack should be clearly labeled and you shouldn't need any tools to insert the cable. Take care to insert the plug straight so as not to bend the delicate pin inside it.
2. Connect a second length of coaxial cable between the "Out" jack on the cable box and the "In" or "In From Antenna" jack on the back of your VCR. In some cases, the cable box may have a set of RCA jacks -- color-coded red, white and yellow -- with an "Out" label. The VCR may have a similar set of jacks labeled "In" or "In From Antenna" and color-coded the same way. In these cases, you can make the connection using a set of RCA cables: place the ends of each cable in the jack that corresponds to its color: white cable to white jack, red cable to red jack, yellow-to-yellow.
3. Connect the "Out" jacks on your VCR to the "In" jacks on the back of your TV using a set of RCA cables. As with Step 2, the jacks will be color-coded red, white and yellow. You need to connect each cable in the RCA cables to the jacks with matching colors.
4. Turn on the TV and set it to "Line Input" or whichever input corresponds to the "In" RCA jacks. Consult your TV manual to see do this with your particular TV.
5. Turn on your VCR and set it to receive input from the "In" jack connected to the cable box. The precise method of doing so depends on the model of your VCR. Usually, you'll need to set the VCR to channel 3 or 4. In some cases, you'll need to set it to "Line In" or "Input." Your VCR's instruction manual should have precise instructions.
6. Turn on the cable box. You should see an image of the channel appear on your TV, allowing you to watch television normally.
7. Set the VCR to record the show you want at the time the show comes on. When setting the channel on the VCR, don't use the channel number for the show. Instead, use whatever channel you used in Step 5. Otherwise, you'll just get snow. Make sure a blank VHS tape is inside the VCR.
8. Set your cable box to the channel you wish to record. Leave the box on and don't change the channel or you will miss the show.
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