How do I connect my DVD/VHS combo deck?


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Old 05-09-14, 07:36 AM
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How do I connect my DVD/VHS combo deck?

Now that I got free from the cable / satellite companies with my new exterior TV antenna, I got to find a way to connect my DVD/VHS combo deck. This is a JVC deck with a component output for the DVD and RCA (coaxial?) outputs for the VHS including antenna IN/OUT connections. The component DVD and RCA outputs are plugged into my Panasonic SA-HE100 audio / video control receiver and the VHS video only works when I connect the antenna OUT directly to TV’s antenna IN

The DVD/VHS deck is important to me because I have many original movies on VHS. A few years ago I bought the WinTV-HVR1800 Media Center Kit and I transfer all my VHS tapes to DVD’s but the quality although acceptable is not as good as the original and therefore I still prefer to watch my original tapes

My Samsung TV has 3 HDMI inputs, a component input and a TV antenna IN. When I was with the cable company, I plugged their cable into their box antenna IN and from there I used the HDMI OUT to go into one of my TV’s HDMI inputs and so I had the TV antenna IN free to plug my VHS antenna OUT.

But now I don’t have the cables company box and I have to plug my exterior antenna to the TV’s antenna IN and so I have no way to use the VHS antenna OUT.

Any ideas how / where to connect the VHS antenna OUT?
 
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Old 05-09-14, 08:03 AM
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Are you certain the outputs from your JVC are separate? I thought you had the choice to use either component or RCA. You do not have to hook up both. Try hooking up your component outputs from the JVC to the TV and give it a try with both the DVD and VHS to confirm. Then you can either run your TV antenna either directly to the TV's antenna input or to the JVC's antenna input and connect the JVC antenna output to the TV. You'll probably get a slightly better signal if you run your antenna directly to the TV but it might cause you to do more input switching.
 
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Old 05-09-14, 08:37 AM
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Combo decks will usually DOWNCONVERT the DVD signal through the composite/RCA and RF outputs, but they will not UPCONVERT the VHS signal through the component/HDMI outputs. So to use the component out for the DVD, he would still have to use the SD output for VHS.

As far as hooking it to the TV, simply connect the antenna to the VCR's Antenna In, then connect the TV Out from the VCR to the TV's Antenna In. When the VCR is off, it SHOULD pass the signal straight through to the TV - although I'm not sure if this will cause issues with digital channels. I've never tried it. TECHNICALLY it should be a direct pass-through.

When you want to watch the VCR, you just tune the TV to channel 3 or 4.
 
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Old 05-09-14, 09:02 AM
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There are combo decks that upconvert the VHS so both will output to HDMI. This is a way simpler and higher quality option but it does mean upgrading the deck.

My wife could never wrap her mind around VHS=RF ch. 3, DVD = Component Video1 yadda yadda so I HAD to get the upconverting combo machine to make life simpler for me. She can handle "this box is HDMI1, that box is HDMI2" ;-)
 
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Old 05-09-14, 10:46 AM
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The JVC has 2 separate banks of outputs besides the antenna IN/OUT; one bank is marked DVD output and contains the component, L/R audio jacks and S-Video. The other bank is marked DVD / VHS output and contains L/R audio jacks and 1 video jack. I have tried various wiring connections but tonight I will try again with just the DVD / VHS outputs and make sure that my TV is switched to channel 3.

It is true that when I switch ON my JVC, the TV freezes and says “No Signal” then I have to switch to channel 3 to watch the DVD or VHS. As Matt mentioned, the TV does not like the antenna to be connected to JVC when the JVC is ON but it’s ok when the JVC is OFF. My guess is that when the JVC is OFF, the antenna signals passing right thru from JVC to TV but when the JVC is ON, the antenna signals perhaps go thru the JVC electronics which screw up the TV signal.

I did find some combo DVD / VCR decks on eBay / Amazon which upconvert the VHS but I’m in Canada and the shipping cost is more than the deck. I’m searching now to see what I can find locally since this will be the best solution.
 
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Old 05-09-14, 05:43 PM
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I removed all DVD connections from the DVD to my audio center and left only the VHS connections and now all works fine. Less wiring and less commands on the remote to switch from TV to DVD/VHS. Regarding the video quality, I have not noticed any difference on either TV, DVD or VHS. Somehow I thought that the DVD component connections were required but I was wrong. Thank you all
 
 

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