Charter cable went 100% digital. Now my dvd recorder won't record. How do I get it to record like before/

[Micro54961]

Charter cable just went 100% digital. Before I could program my RCA DVD recorder to record different channels at different times with no problem. I could watch any TV programs at the same time . Now I set up DVD recorder and when I playback, all I get is a blue screen and noise. How do I get my DVD recorder to work like before?

 

[getochkn]

Probably can't, the copyright signal is probably passed on or something and the dvd player won';t record anything with that signal.

assume you have it all hooked up correctly that is.

 

[Alabalcho]

Get an aerial, or get a DVR from your operator. You might also want to read ToS you've signed, to see whether you/they have any legal ground.

 

[popatim]

Rent a cable card from charter and get a Ceton tuner card
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815706005

or one of these cablecard network tuners
http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?N=100007683%20600160489&IsNodeId=1&Submit=ENE

 

[americanaudiophile]

If your DVD recorder has to ability to change channels on a cable box you could get another box and connect it to the recorder. You would have to pay the additional charge for the box so getting a DVR cable box might be a better option.

 

[Guest]

The remote changes channels in the decoder box. The DVR, like the TV, must be set to the output channel of the decoder. Therefore the DVR can only record the channel that the decoder is set to. You cannot watch one channel while watching another.
I have an expensive DVR that is now totally useless to me.
Just another way that Charter is ripping us off!

 

[switchblade74]

Probably can't, the copyright signal is probably passed on or something and the dvd player won';t record anything with that signal.

assume you have it all hooked up correctly that is.

I have a related question, sorry if this is not the correct place to ask. I would like to know how to hook up the dvr and the tv up to the cable box, so that I can record and watch different shows simultaneously. As it is now, the cable box controls what channel both the tv and the dvr are tuned to, and I cannot change channels on the tv or dvr separately and get a signal, of course, so what is the configuration I need to make them work individually? I have a Samsung hdtv, Magnavox dvd/dvr model MDR513H, and a Pace cable box model dc550dr. The cable comes in to the cable box, then RF cable out to the DVR, then another RF cable from the DVR to the TV. Is there a way to get cable to the DVR without the cable box controlling the channel it is on without splitting before the cable box because there is no signal without the cable box?

 

[Alabalcho]

@Switchblade, you have answered your own question. You need the cable box to watch TV, and which channel you watch is controlled by the 'box.

Some DVRs have also over-the-air TV tuner(s), and if you are connected over single "RF" cable, yours is probably the same (recording on channel 3, probably).

So, your DVR (being "dumb" device) can record only what it being passed by, in your case - the cable box. Some DVRs have the function to record a show while playing already recorded show.

One more point: If you connect everything with single coaxial cable, you're losing a lot of picture and sound quality. You shoud use highest quality connection (HDMI, component, S-Video, in that order) available between the components.