Recording TV every time I try to record a television program on the VCR, it records for a few seconds, and then the screen goes half yellow and says that my TV input does not support DIV. I have no idea what that means. I have an HD cable box hooked to the DVD/VCR with a red/white/yellow cable. I have the DVD/VCR hooked up to a sumsung LCD with an HDMI cable.

turn off the timer

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
Was this Helpful
.......Then give me a tick of approval

You can try this: Connect your DirecTv to VCR with Red/White/Yellow cables. Then the VCR to your TV with the same type of cables. Make sure the VCR is set to the video input, not the tuner. Turn your TV to the correct video input. Get the program ready on the DVR as if you were going to watch it. Press record on the VCR and then play on the DVR. At the end of the program, press stop on both. You may have a problem with the video recording properly. Some stations broadcast with copyright protection.

Timer Recording JVC VCR HR A591U
Timer recording can be programmed on-screen with
the remote control. The built-in timer allows automatic
unattended recording of up to 8 programs within 1
month.

EXAMPLE: Program a timer recording for the 26th day,
channel 125 (CATV), 11:00 - 11:30 PM on timer program
number 1 (Tape speed: EP).

When a TV is connected with an audio/video cable, turn the
TV and this VCR on and select the video input mode on the
TV.


• After timer recording is completed, the VCR turns off
automatically.
• You can program the timer recording while a regular
recording is in progress; the menu screens will not be
recorded.
• The timer recording will start at 20 seconds before the time
you predetermined.

Press MENU on the Remote.
Check the “TIMER REC SET”
option is selected, then press
ENTER.

Press SET –/+ to select one of
the program lines, then press
ENTER.

Press SET –/+ to select the
date, then press ENTER.

Set the start time, end time,
channel and tape speed as in
step 3.
NOTE: To record from external
source, press SET –/+
and set the channel to
"L". "L" will appear next
to CH 125 (or 69).

To enter other programs,
repeat step 2 through 4. Or,
press MENU twice to return
to the normal screen.

Press TIMER on the Remote.
The power will go off, the
TIMER REC indicator ( ) will
light and the VCR stands by
for recording.

To cancel a program:

Press the SET –/+ to select the
“TIMER REC SET” option in the
MENU. Then press SET –/+ to
select the unnecessary program,
and press CANCEL to cancel the
program.

There are 2 options-
Option 1
Connect the coax cables in the following order.
1 From the wall to the input of the converter box.
2. From the output of the converter box to the input of the VCR.
3. From the VCR to the TV input.

Here is how you record with this option.
1. Tune the converter box to the channel you wish to record.
2. Turn the channel on the VCR to channel 3 or program the VCR to record channel 3 this will record whatever channel you have your converter box set to at the time of the recording.

Option 2- (will not work on satellite)
1. From the wall to a 2 way splitter (made for digital cable. General rule of thumb with digital cable is gold does not usually mean good.)
2. One output from the splitter to the converter box and the other to the input of the VCR.
3. Connect an Audio Video (RCA (yellow/red/white cable)) from the VCR to the TV input.
4. Select the appropriate input on the TV for the VCR.

Here is how you record with option-
Tune the VCR to the channel you wish to record and push the record button or program the timer to record the channel and time that you wish.
Note- with this option you will only be able to record channels that you would receive without the converter box. Also each time that you split the cable line you loose part of your incoming signal and depending on how you house is set up this option could affect the quality of your digital signals on the converter box.

Hello.

If its a combined dvd/vcr unit you should be able to record on the dvd input from the vcr with a 3 split cord connected as described below..

VCR -
---------
Video output - yellow.
Audio output - left and right - red & white.

=========================================

DVD
--------
Video input - yellow.
Audio input - left and right - red & white.

=========================================
Or you might have to use a standared RF cable from the
antenna out on the video to the antenna in on the DVD.

=========================================

Additional information....
---------------------------------

Just as you can't copy commercially made video tapes to another VCR due to Macrovision anti-copy encoding, the same applies to making copies to DVD. DVD recorders cannot bypass the anti-copy signal on commercial VHS tapes or DVDs. If a DVD recorder detects the anti-copy encoding on a commercial DVD it will not start the recording and display some sort of message either on screen or on its LED front panel display that it detects the anti-copy code or that it is detecting an unusable signal.
A DVD recorder can be used to copy any homemade videos, such as camcorder videos and videos made from TV shows, and can also copy Laserdiscs, and other non-copyprotected video material. Also, remember that a DVD recorder also has a built-tuner for recording TV programming directly. The tuner can be programmed to record a series of programs on different days and times, much like a VCR. However, if you are recording a non-copy protected DVD to a DVD recorder you can record any of the video content, provided you click on the menu and start the video segments running and you have enough time space on the disc. DVD recorders function like VCRs in that they can record incoming video signals -- however, they do not automatically copy all the contents of the DVD - for instance, you cannot copy the interactive menu functions of a non-copy protected commercial DVD. A DVD recorder creates its own menu functions, it will not duplicate the function menu from a another DVD.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope this will help you.

/Tech5508

You need to plug a red, white, and yellow cord from the red, white, and yellow OUT of your cable or satellite box into the red, white, and yellow labelled VCR IN/LINE 1 on the Philips. To view what you are trying to record, make sure there is another red, white, and yellow cable plugged from the DVD/VCR OUT of the Philips to your television. Make sure the television is on the appropriate source channel (AUX 1, AUX 2, VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2, etc). Then press the VCR button on the Philips. You should now see your cable or sat channel (as long as it's not an HD Satellite box) on the television screen. Press record, and you are on your way. Good luck!

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

You need to decide which set of inputs or outputs you want to use. To record, and watch what you have recorded on your TV, you will need TWO sets of audio/visual patch cords. One for recording and the other for playing. Let's start with the recording. Look for the Line in or video in plugs on your DVD-VCR unit. Some recorders have separate inputs for the VCR and DVD. Others let you select with the remote. Usually Line 1 is at the back and Line 2 is on the front. Your remote will have "recording source" to let you select, or sometimes you can use the channel up and down arrows to select your input source. Your remote will also allow you to select either the DVD or VCR for recording. Connect the Yellow plug to the Video In socket, and the red and white plugs to audio in., Connect the other end of the cord to the TV or cable box. Yellow goes to Video Out, red and white go to audio out. Recording from the cable box is much easier because you wiull always have a signal going into the DVD-VCR recorder no matter what happens at the TV.  Now look for the Video out connection on the DVD-VCR recorder. Connect the Yellow plug to video out and the red and white plugs to audio out. Ignore the other connections at this point. They are for RGB component video. Your DVD -VCR should have one output for both functions. Use that one.
Now connect that cord to a Video one or Video 2 input on your TV.
Test the set-up. Play a DVD or a VHS tape and try to bring it in using the TV remote.
Then turn on a program and try to record it on  the DVD-VCR, then play it back.
This sounds very complicated, but all that's involved are two patch cords with three plugs on each end - 12 connections in all and color-coded. YELLOW is always video.

Why not simply record a channel tuned into the vcr and use your tv remote to watch a channel tuned into your tv? that is how it is normaly done... don't forget a vcr/pvr/dvd recorder has it's own channels just like a tv does... just no screen of it's own the tv has of course it's own channels and in fact does not even need to be switched on in order for your recorder to record a program neither does the recorder need to be on to use your tv

if there are rca ports on the front of the vcr which are output, connect those to the tv input 3, the input to input connection is definitely not going to work...