Can't recorder digital broadcast

I suspect that your Insignia TV has an ATSC (digital tuner). The VCRs only have NTSC (analog) tuners. If you have a digital to analog converter box, you can connect that to any of the VCRs and tune in the channels. You will have to tune in the channel at the converter box. Ensure that you disable the sleep mode, if the desired program you want to record will air later.

There is one DVD/VCR that I know had an ATSC tuner, the Panasonic DMR-EZ37VK. It's still listed for sale at Amazon and E-bay, among others. A few other manufacturers may have come out with models with digital tuners. However, I didn't spend much time looking into them. They all had MSRP >$300. I connected my VCR/DVD recorder to the composite out of a converter box for <$50.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(In the US, only a few low power stations were allowed to remain broadcasting analog signals at the initial switch-over date. Some of them have stopped broadcasting entirely.)

Hi Rick
I think you are painting yourself into a corner. So to Speak.
Why buy a SetTop Box to convert to an old VHS Tape when you can buy a Digital Recorder for probably the same price.
The modern way to Record video is to use a Hard Disk Drive Recorder rather than a VCR. They have a built in tuner and can record 2 stations at once and have a built in Electronic Program Guide. The EPG info is transmitted with the Digital TV transmission from the broadcaster.
I bought one 2 weeks ago for an old 85yo friend so he could record late night stuff and play back later. He still uses the VCR but only for old VHS Tape playback. It was a TEAC HDR9650TS Digital Video Recorder and I picked it up new for Aus$188.
Here are the unit features

1. Main Features:
   DVB-T Twin Digital Turners
   DVR Recording: Record three channels while watching a 4th from same network Smart Series Record feature to record a whole series at a touch of a button
   2.5" Sata Hard disk: 500GB
   Time Shift Function (Pause live TV)
   HDMI Digital Output
   Digital Audio Output
   CVBS/YPbPr/SPDIF connectors
   Supports TV formats 4:3 and 16:9
   Electronic Program Guide (EPG) up to 7 days in advance
   EPG searching and auto download
   Recorded program edit
   Parental Control
   Copy files from internal HDD to external HDD
   Built-in WiFi
   Network Playback
   USB 2.0 Interface

Now
This was my original reply until I saw the light.
So, Hopefully one of these will answer your queerie.

A digital TV picks up the new Digital Transmission and stores it in memory, then supplies the high definition to the input of your TV.
With a STB, once the digital broadcast signal is captured by the Set Top Box tuner, it is stored in memory and then it is converted to Video Format and comes out of the back connectors as a standard video & audio signal on the Red & White (Audio) & Yellow (Video) as a composite signal that can also be attached to an older VCR tape recorder.
If the STB output connectors have a Red White & Yellow RCA plugs then it is all ready to be picked up by an older TV or VCR.
Most set top boxes also have HDMI Output for high definition video & sound in the one cable, which attaches directly to the back of your TV (assuming it doesn't already have a tuner (STB) already built in).
HDMI is the state of the art cabling for modern devices. But probably not on the old VCR.
It will either use Component, Composite or SVideo cables. Match one of these cable standards up with your VCR.

Cheers.... Trevor
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So.... Who uses a VCR any more. They are ancient history.
They don't last forever so perhaps it's time to think ahead....

The modern way to Record video is to use a Hard Disk Drive Recorder rather than a VCR. They have a built in tuner and can record 2 stations at once and have a built in Electronic Program Guide. The EPG info is transmitted with the Digital TV transmission from the broadcaster.
I bought one 2 weeks ago for an old 85yo friend so he could record late night stuff and play back later. He still uses the VCR but only for old VHS Tape playback. I got him a TEAC HDR9650TS Digital Video Recorder and I picked it up new for Aus$188.

Main Features:
DVB-T Twin Digital Turners
DVR Recording: Record three channels while watching a 4th from same network Smart Series Record feature to record a whole series at a touch of a button
2.5" Sata Hard disk: 500GB
Time Shift Function (Pause live TV)
HDMI Digital Output
Digital Audio Output
CVBS/YPbPr/SPDIF connectors
Supports TV formats 4:3 and 16:9
Electronic Program Guide (EPG) up to 7 days in advance
EPG searching and auto download
Recorded program edit
Parental Control
Copy files from internal HDD to external HDD
Built-in WiFi
Network Playback
USB 2.0 Interface

Cheers
Good Luck
Maybe you can get a little more life out of that VCR still

I guess you mean a Set Top Box to convert digital TV transmission to old analog TV. Choose the correct video format for your screen.
Ah... Perhaps Your recording at an old standard & passing it to a modern TV or HD TV with the digital output from 1080 HD to 720 or lower still.
OR
Get a Digital Hard Drive recorder.....

The modern way to Record video is to use a Hard Disk Drive Recorder rather than a VCR. They have a built in tuner and can record 2 stations at once and have a built in Electronic Program Guide. The EPG info is transmitted with the Digital TV transmission from the broadcaster.
I bought one 2 weeks ago for an old 85yo friend so he could record late night stuff and play back later. He still uses the VCR but only for old VHS Tape playback. It was a TEAC HDR9650TS Digital Video Recorder and I picked it up new for Aus$188.
Here are the unit features
Main Features:
DVB-T Twin Digital Turners
DVR Recording: Record three channels while watching a 4th from same network Smart Series Record feature to record a whole series at a touch of a button
2.5" Sata Hard disk: 500GB
Time Shift Function (Pause live TV)
HDMI Digital Output
Digital Audio Output
CVBS/YPbPr/SPDIF connectors
Supports TV formats 4:3 and 16:9
Electronic Program Guide (EPG) up to 7 days in advance
EPG searching and auto download
Recorded program edit
Parental Control
Copy files from internal HDD to external HDD
Built-in WiFi
Network Playback
USB 2.0 Interface

Your VCR is no longer capable of recording "off air" tv signals. All tv stations are now broadcasting in digital format, your VCR is analog only. You can however get a digital converter box that will receive "off air" digital signals and convert them for recording on your VCR. CLICKING HERE will give you all the information you need to hook up the converter box... Good Luck!

The answer to this question can get a little complicated. Lets tackle it in two parts. First the last part; the part about picking up channels as decimals. With analog TV transmission, it took the full television broadcast channel to transmit one standard definition TV program. The newer digital transmission system uses some advanced video compression and audio compression technology to reduce the data needed to transmit the pictures and sound which allows the same bandwidth to deliver either High Definition Television programming or MULTIPLE channels of Standard Definition programs. So in your example above, you use to watch one channel of programming on TV channel 4, but now the TV station can broadcast multiple channels of programming on channel 4, sot they delineate the programs with a decimal point. So 4.1 it the first program on TV channel 4, 4.2 it the second program on TV channel 4..... Well, I hope you get the idea.

Now for the hard part of your question. I believe that before the transition, even with your new digital TV, you were still enjoying the analog broadcasts from your stations. Your VCR picked them up and recorded them and your digital TV could tune them in and you watched as you had always done in the past. After the transition you noticed that your VCR could not record anymore and your digital TV had discovered the digital channels that replace the analog channels. To remedy this situation, your VCR will need the aid of a DTV converter box to tune channels, and you may have to reconfigure the way your TV and VCR are connected. The best resource that I can give your for the reconnecting is the website http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/converterbox_vcr.html. Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Scroll down to the Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 section about “Set-up #2: Watch One Channel while Recording a Different Channel”.


Hope this helps

You need to set the vcr to channel 3 or 4 (whatever channel the digital converter box is set to broadcast on) to record a program. The digital converter box has to be set to the channel you want to record the show from.

You have to set the vcr to channel 3 or 4 (whatever the converter box is set to broadcast on). The signal to record has to come through the converter box. Since the VCR only has a analog tuner, it cannot pick up any digital channels on it's own.

You have to use the RCA plugs on the back of the converter box and the tv (red,yellow and white). Or you can attach the antenna wire to box and then attach the wire that comes with the converter that is listed as to the tv and instead attach it to the antenna in on the vcr. The converter box will determine which channel your vcr will get a singal to record from. Your VCR for every program will be set to channel 3 or 4 (depending on what your converter box is set to broadcast on). Make sure the power saver on the converter box is turned off as if you want to record a program in say 4 hours, if the converter box turns off in 2, your vcr will have nothing to record.

I ran seperate coaxible cable to the tv from vcr and unplug the tv converter box everytime I want to watch the vcr. You can also use the RCA cord to send the signal from the vcr to the tv and use the input signal to watch your recorded programs. I had static showing up everytime I played it through the second converter box thus I solved it by running a seperate coax line. I don't know if you will have this problem, just wanted you to be aware.

connect the RF lead from the wall to your cable box then out from that to your dvd then out from your dvd to your tv. now connect a scart lead from the cable box to AV 2 on the DVD then connect AV 1 on the DVD to your TV if you have a second scart on your tv connect that to the cable box. NOW on the DVD select AV2 now whatever is on the cable box will be recorded onto DVD/VCR. Put the DVD recorder into VCR mode and set it to auto tune all the Digital Video Broadcasts. You cannot physically tune the cable boxes own channels into the DVD via RF it has to be via a scart.