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Posted on Aug 07, 2008
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I connected the Insignia converter box to my TV as per the instruction manual. The problem is I have a VCR attached to that set and the instructions say nothing about how to connect with a VCR. I tried to feed the signal to the converter box, then from the box to the VCR, then to the TV. But programs recorded on the VCR do not play on the TV. What connection am I overlooking?

  • 8 more comments 
  • RayHancock Aug 07, 2008

    If your expert asks me what make and model TV I have, what kind of assistance it that?

  • RayHancock Aug 08, 2008

    I do understand your need for the make and model of my TV, but the way the question was put to me it sounded like that was a response to my question. For the record, my TV is a Zenith System 3 and my VCR is a Panasonic Omnivision, Model No. PV-V4620.



    I tried your suggestion about using the three colored connectors. Didn't help.



    What do I try next? And is it going to cost me another $9.99?

  • RayHancock Aug 08, 2008

    I tried Randy V's suggestion (use the three colored connectors instead of the black coaxial) but it didn't help. As I said in the comment he asked for but which your system seems incapable of sending, my TV is a Zenith System 3 and my VCR is a Panasonic Omnivision.

    What do I try next? And is it going to cost me another $9.99?

  • RayHancock Aug 08, 2008

    I tried Randy V's suggestion (use the three colored connectors instead of the black coaxial) but it didn't help. As I said in the comment he asked for but which your system seems incapable of sending, my TV is a Zenith System 3 and my VCR is a Panasonic Omnivision.

    What do I try next? And is it going to cost me another $9.99?

  • RayHancock Aug 08, 2008

    I fail to see how Macklean's information ("Following input output are provided:
    Inputs: 1 RF
    Outputs: 1 Composite videa, 1 analog audio L/R,
    1 RF") even with a picture of the converter box and one showing the IO plugs, is any help to me in trying to solve my problem. I can see those plugs and the inscriptions beside them on my converter box, but I still cannot get a recorded program from the VCR to the TV past the converter box. Is Mr. Macklean about to leave your employ?

  • RayHancock Aug 08, 2008

    Your "solution" almost sounded like it could be followed, until I studied it with a view to following its steps. Then I realized there is not one word in it about tying in the connector box, which is my problem. I don't know how my problem became one about Projetion Televisions, unless at one point or another I hit a wrong key. My problem is: How do I connect my (rabbit-eared antenna) TV, my VCR, and the Converter Box together so that I can record programs on the VCR and play them on the TV without having to rewire the whole shebang, including the Converter Box.



    Maybe I should just take the Converter Box back to Best Buy and trade it in for a different make, and never again make the mistake of buying any piece of equipment bearing the Insignia label.

  • RayHancock Aug 09, 2008

    Thank you for the suggestion. I do not have a cable box, so I tried to follow your instructions for that case. When you say "From the wall" I assume you refer to a TV antenna outlet on the wall. Having no wall outlet, I assume the reference is to the antenna leads. Then you speak of cable connections from the VCR to the TV. But no where do you say anything about connecting the converter box, which is the cause of all my problems (other than trying to understand and implement the instructions your various "experts" have given me.
    I note also that almost every communication I have had from your "experts" seem to indicate that my problem is related to a projection TV. As far as I know, my TV is not a projection TV. My problem is with tying the TV, the VCR and the converter box together.

  • RayHancock Aug 09, 2008

    Thank you, Mr. Benimur. Yours was the first response I have received from any of the FixYa experts that makes sense to me.



    I tried the connections as you described, in fact they were pretty much what I had already figured out for myself. But your comment about making channel selection on the Insignia Converter Box was something new. Trying it, I found I could add or delete channels almost at will, so I tried to add, if they were not already listed, channels 5, 11, 13, 19, 39, 43, and 52, which were the channels I had been receiving before I got the converter box. Now I can receive Channels 5-1, 5-2, 39-1, 39-2, 52-1, 52-2, and 52-3. Calling for Channels 11-1, 13-1, or 19-1 produces the message "No Signal." However, when I turn my VCR on, the picture on the TV screen is a blur of distortion and the sound from the TV is a steady roar. Punching the VCR/TV button on the VCR remote control restores the video and audio on the TV, but I haven't yet figured out how to play a program from the cassette in the VCR -- which has been my problem since I first hooked up the converter box.



    In your suggestion you say the Zenith TV will not be on any channel but would be on either Video 1 or Video 2 and that channel selection would be done on the Insignia Converter box. To what do "Video 1" and "Video 2" refer? Somewhere I have seen reference to L1 and L2, but nothing I have tried involving them seems to help.



    My Zenith System 3 TV has only one coaxial outlet. It is marked "UHF VHF CATV."

  • RayHancock Aug 10, 2008

    (a) I wonder how do I get back to one of your experts who has previously commented on my problem.
    (b) The latest expert, and the one who has probably come closest to solving my problem was Scrodamoon. Unfortunately he apparently was half asleep when he wrote to me and his "solution" is a mish-mash of run-on sentences, misplaced or absent punctuation, and almost a total absence of appropriate capitalization. Equally unfortunately, his comments seem to contain a kernel of the solution; if I could just make some sense of them.
    (c) His picture shows pretty much the way my TV/VCR/Converter Box are wired up. The main discrepancy is that my TV (a Zenith System 3) has no av-cable outlets, so the TV is connected to the VCR by a coaxial cable. And when I previously connected the VCR to the box by av-cables it didn't seem to help, so at this moment that connection is via a coaxial cable. (I assume that's what he means by Rf.)
    (d) Now, if I could make some sense of what he means by: "all [I] would have to do would be to ... tune the tv/vcr tune the vcr to pick up the box," and "recording would be able to be run if you only run the vcr through the tv setting on the VCR." But then he says I "will not be able to record what [I] want. but having the VCR set to the box this would run it through there." What does he mean by "having the VCR set to the box", and to what antecedent do the pronouns "this" and "it" refer?
    (e) His second paragraph is also very puzzling. What does "there you go your program is on your tv and able to be recorded through the vcr function" mean? And I "just have to get the vcr to be powered on and then it shuold pass through find the right channel to set your vcr to" is equally puzzling.
    (f) Mr. Scrodamoon sounds as if he is closer to a solution to my problem than any of the other Insignia "experts" with whom I have heard from, but I have yet to figure out how to get back to him -- or to any of the others. See my comment (a), above.

  • RayHancock Aug 13, 2008

    Thanks to all the Insignia experts who tried to help me solve my problem, especially Reddevil6 whose attempt at a solution seemed to come as close as any to actually solving the problem. Finally I was in Bristol, Va., and stopped by the Best Buy store where I bought my converter boxes (four of them) and made arrangements for a member of their Geek Squad to come to my house and physically make all the connections and push all the buttons, so that now all four of my TVs, VCRs (both built-in and separate), and converter boxes seem to be tuned to each other and I (apparently) now can record and play programs off the air. I say "apparently" because the young man from Best Buy tried and seemed to succeed; I have not yet tried on my own.

    Anyway, many thanks.

    Sincerely, V. Ray Hancock.

    [email protected]



    Over and out.

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7 Answers

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  • Posted on Aug 10, 2008
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Try this:

RF and coax term are used for the same connector (round metal with a copper lead in the middle that pushes on or can screw on).
Connect the convertor box input (coax cable or RF) to the rabbit ears with a proper adaptor (75 ohm connector like the coax cable uses). Then connect the convertor box output(coax again) to the VCR input of the same type (coax connector), then connect the output of the VCR to the input of the TV (coax cable again). Make sure your TV is set to channel 3 or 4 (which ever the VCR is set for outputting on). Everything should then be connected using the coax cable or RF. You would tune stations thru the convertor box, sending it to the VCR for recording if you want, then outputting to the TV. You will also need to set the VCR to channel 3 or 4 since the convertor box requires a special channel when using the RF or coax output, which I think it does when you are recording, but not when it is turned off. When it is turned off the signal should just pass straight thru it from the convertor box to the TV.

Just make sure all the equipment you are using is all set to the proper settings (or channels) that it requires to be displayed on the next component.

Sorry if my spelling or proper use of grammer and puctuation is incorrect, but if you understand what it means you should be able to solve your problem.

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  • Posted on Aug 10, 2008
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Hi, boy you sure got alot of confusing answers, didn't you. I looked at the picture of your converter box, you have RF in, hook your cable in there, then you have 2 choices:
!) there is an RF out, hook a 75 ohm cable from the RF out to the RF in on the back of your VCR. Then hook another cable to the RF ant. in on your tv. Leave your tv on channel 3 as well as your vcr. Change channels with your converter box. You also record what you are watching on the VCR.
2)There is a A/V cable output, run this to the back of your VCR to the A/V in, then run an RF cable to your ant. in on the back of your tv. Leave the tv on chan. 3, or you can run A/V out of the converter box to A/V input on the tv and leave it in a line input, L1 or L2, you can put it on chan 2 then using chan. down until you come to the right input.

Hope I explained so that you can understand and not get confused.

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  • Posted on Aug 09, 2008
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Ok sorry if the pic isnt readable ill upload it to my server for you to view.

I connected the Insignia converter - e418435.jpg

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  • Posted on Aug 08, 2008
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Hi,

The simplest connection is:

  • A/V outputs of the Insignia Converter box to A/V inputs (1) of the Zenith TV;
  • A/V outputs of the VCR to A/V inputs (2) of the TV,
this is assuming that the Zenith has multiple video inputs.

If you are intending to record TV programs received by your Insignia Converter box to your Panasonic Omnivision VCR, then connections should be:
  • A/V outputs of the Insignia Converter box to A/V inputs to the VCR, A/V output of the VCR to the A/V input of the Zenith.
On either of the above, the Zenith TV will not be on any channel but would be on either Video 1 or Video 2. Channel selection would be done on the Insignia Converter box.

Hope this be of initial help/idea. Pls post back how things turned up or should you need additional information.

Good luck and kind regards. Thank you for using FixYa.

  • Anonymous Aug 10, 2008

    Hi again,

    Appreciate your postback/comment.

    I understand that your Zenith TV has only one (1) coaxial coaxial outlet marked "UHF VHF CATV." Other than this, does the Zenith TV have any other outlet/connectors either at the lower front or at the back? If yes, how many and what are their markings as well as their colors? Your responses to these queries would be essential to figure a more appropriate connection/course of action specifically addressing the blurred/distorted video and roaring sound.

    As to your query, Video 1 and Video 2 is just another name for L1 and L2. The "L" stands for line.

    Looking forward to your reply.

    Cheers.

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  • Posted on Aug 08, 2008
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Following input output are provided

  • Inputs: 1 RF
  • Outputs: 1 composite video, 1 analog audio L/R, 1 RF
  • I connected the Insignia converter - 3b67314.jpg51fa4fe.jpg

    • 1 more comment 
    • Anonymous Aug 08, 2008

      Is your VCR a Panasonic Omnivision, Model No. PV-V4620 correct? perhaps PV-V4625S. I didnt find your model as is referred in your post.

    • Anonymous Aug 08, 2008

      Insigna accepts only RF signals as input so you cannot get a recorded program from the VCR to the TV past the converter box. Probably VCR output must be connected to your TV input.

    • Anonymous Aug 09, 2008

      A simple way to avoid rewiring think of inserting a suitable cable selector switch to select desired operation.

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    • Expert 236 Answers
    • Posted on Aug 07, 2008
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    I know you tried all of the inputs and channel 3 and 4.

    So, maybe you can change the way you connect the vhs to the tv.
    For ex. you might have them connected with the coaxial (black) cable, so now change the connections with composite (yellow and white).

    we kind of do need your tv model.

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    • Posted on Aug 07, 2008
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    Can you tell us the maker and model of your T.V.?

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