How to Record TV Programs w/o Cable Box/Satellite...

I recently purchased a Sony RDR-VX525 VCR-DVD recorder and I'm having some trouble hooking it up and recording TV programs.

Here's what the manual says... "This recorder does not include a TV tuner. To record TV programs on this recorder, you need to connect the recorder to a tuner that has audio/video output jacks." "If you have been using your VCR connected to an antenna, connect this recorder to your VCR using an audio/video cord. In this way, you will be able to record TV programs."

I do not have a cable box or satellite receiver, something they recommend having to make hook up/recording more easier, but I do have a VCR that's connected to my TV antenna. So I tried to connect the new recorder to my VCR the way the manual tells me to. I connected my VCR output to the VCR-DVD recorder input and the VCR-DVD recorder output to the TV video input1. I also tried connecting my VCR input to the TV video input3. (Not sure if that's correct to do. My VCR only has one output and one input.) After this hook-up, I tested the new machine to see if it would play DVD/VHS videos. It seems to be okay.

My main problem is trying to record TV programs. When I turn on the recorder, I get a gray screen. I go to the "Timer" menu and enter the information to record. Because this machine normally goes through a cable box/satellite receiver, I'm not able to choose which channel I'd like to record. Instead, I'm given the options: "Line1" or "Line2". Is it possible to select a channel to record using my VCR? And if it is, how would I do that so the new recorder recognizes that channel selected on the VCR as the one to record? For demo purposes, I selected "Line1", since that's where I connected the A/V cords, but after it recorded, the playback came out as the gray screen.

Can you please tell me if it sounds like I'm hooking up the new recorder incorrectly? (Nothing changes when I disconnect the VCR from the TV.) And if you have any advice/suggestions on how to record a TV program through my VCR, that would be really helpful.

Thank you so much. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read about my problem.