Connecting DVD and VCR to old TV
12-16-04, 08:17 PM
#1
Connecting DVD and VCR to old TV
I apologize if this has been answered already. It seems like something that would have been, but my search turned up nothing.
My parents have an old TV (1989). I want to buy them a DVD player for Christmas. They have one cable in connector and one complete set of composite audio and video (RCA) connectors, that is the yellow/red/white IN connectors and one set of RCA audio OUT (red and white) connectors. The first set of RCA connectors (OUT) are all taken by their VCR.
Can I connect their TV to the DVD player and VCR at the same time? The guy at the Sony store was particularly unhelpful.
My parents have an old TV (1989). I want to buy them a DVD player for Christmas. They have one cable in connector and one complete set of composite audio and video (RCA) connectors, that is the yellow/red/white IN connectors and one set of RCA audio OUT (red and white) connectors. The first set of RCA connectors (OUT) are all taken by their VCR.
Can I connect their TV to the DVD player and VCR at the same time? The guy at the Sony store was particularly unhelpful.
12-16-04, 08:52 PM
#2
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The answer is: it depends.
Most VCRs with composite out also have composite in. If your parent have such a VCR, they can just hook the DVD player into the VCR and tune to a special channel on the VCR or press a button on the VCR remote (depending on the brand) when they want to watch a DVD. The signal will pass straight through the VCR to the TV.
Now the problem here is with the Macrovision copy protection scheme used on DVDs. In theory it should only kick in if you press Record on the VCR while watching a DVD (naughty, naughty) but in practice Macrovision kicks in on some VCRs regardless of whether or not you're actually recording. (You'll know that it's doing it if the image keeps shifting between really dark and really bright.)
If your parents' VCR doesn't want to cooperate, you can buy an A/V switcher that lets you hook both the VCR and the DVD player up to the TV and switch between them by pressing a button. Since you won't be connecting the DVD player through the VCR, you won't have any problems with Macrovision. If you're not looking for anything particularly fancy, look in the video games accessories section of your favorite electronics store -- they'll inevitably have an inexpensive switcher there.
Most VCRs with composite out also have composite in. If your parent have such a VCR, they can just hook the DVD player into the VCR and tune to a special channel on the VCR or press a button on the VCR remote (depending on the brand) when they want to watch a DVD. The signal will pass straight through the VCR to the TV.
Now the problem here is with the Macrovision copy protection scheme used on DVDs. In theory it should only kick in if you press Record on the VCR while watching a DVD (naughty, naughty) but in practice Macrovision kicks in on some VCRs regardless of whether or not you're actually recording. (You'll know that it's doing it if the image keeps shifting between really dark and really bright.)
If your parents' VCR doesn't want to cooperate, you can buy an A/V switcher that lets you hook both the VCR and the DVD player up to the TV and switch between them by pressing a button. Since you won't be connecting the DVD player through the VCR, you won't have any problems with Macrovision. If you're not looking for anything particularly fancy, look in the video games accessories section of your favorite electronics store -- they'll inevitably have an inexpensive switcher there.
12-17-04, 03:02 PM
#3
Thanks for your answer. I bought the AV switch, although the dude at Radio Shack doesn't think I'll need one. I figure it's good to have on hand so I can start my Mom on "Buffy" right away.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
