Hooking LCD TV getting more channels through DTV converter box hooked to VCR

[Sossity]

I have been struggling to get all the channels I used to get on my tube TV with a set of rabbit ear/loop antenna. When it is connected directly to the TV, I get different channels in different parts of my home, in one room I may get ABC 10, CBS 8, but not in another room, & in another I get KUSI 51, & FOX 69. But I never seem to get all channels in one room.

I then tried hooking up my DTV converter box to my VCR, & TV with all of these connected with 3 RF cables, I now get all the channels, but the picture is worse, grainy, & all are with pillar boxes like standard def. I noticed for example when I had the antenna hooked directly to the TV, ABC 10 would come in full wide screen with a nice clear picture, but through converter box & VCR, it was standard def & grainy. I set it up like this, so I would be able to record the over the air signal.

I went into the TV's "advanced video" setting among picture settings, there are these options; auto aspect ratio, wide screen,zoom, normal, & cinema modes. Which of these modes should I set the picture to?

is there any way to get the nice clear pictures that I got with direct connection to my antenna? & also get all the channels, & be able to record them with my VCR?

would a new indoor digital antenna solve this?

[cholla]

The problem is the RF connections. I have one older VCR connected this way because I don’t use it except when all the DVD recorders are busy.From the same converter box the RF to it is grainy. The composite cable out to the DVD recorder has a good picture.
For the aspect ratio many of the converter boxes have settings that control their output aspect ratio.I suspect that is where you need to correct that.
I do have a good indoor amplified antenna a Winegard SS 3000 .
It is connected to 3 DVD recorders & one VCR . Two of the DVD recorders have their own builtin digital tuner . The other one has only an analog tuner so it uses a converter box which it shares with the old VCR. The VCR from RF & the DVD recorder from composite.

[Sossity]

so should I clean off the connections? do I need newer RF cables? what aspect ratio should I set the converter box to? what should I set the TV to?

[cholla]

If the connections need cleaning then clean them.
You can try newer better quality RF cables but I think you will still get a poor signal through RF from a converter box.
A good antenna would be the best item for improving picture quality.
Hooking the converter box to VCR to TV with composite cables will be much better too.
I don’t know what your whole set up is or how the VCR might affect the aspect ratio.
If possible set all 3 the same. Then it depends on your TV. If the TV is widescreen then set all to 16:9 ; if it is a CRT then 4:3.
I have a very old TV set in my computer room .It has an RCA converter box connected to it with regular rabbit ears . I soldered a RF cable to the 300Ohm flat wire from the rabit ears to connect it to the converter box. It receives all but the weak PBS station . It doesn’t even have an RF connection only the old 300ohm antenna conectors. I use a balum to connect the RF cable to it.The picture is pretty good though .

[Sossity]

[QUOTE=cholla;2539255]If the connections need cleaning then clean them.
You can try newer better quality RF cables but I think you will still get a poor signal through RF from a converter box.
A good antenna would be the best item for improving picture quality.
Hooking the converter box to VCR to TV with composite cables will be much better too.
I don’t know what your whole set up is or how the VCR might affect the aspect ratio.
If possible set all 3 the same. Then it depends on your TV. If the TV is widescreen then set all to 16:9 ; if it is a CRT then 4:3.
I have a very old TV set in my computer room .It has an RCA converter box connected to it with regular rabbit ears . I soldered a RF cable to the 300Ohm flat wire from the rabit ears to connect it to the converter box. It receives all but the weak PBS station . It doesn’t even have an RF connection only the old 300ohm antenna conectors. I use a balum to connect the RF cable to it.The picture is pretty good though .[/QUOTE]

Are the composite cables the ones with red,yellow & white on both ends? I am not sure what you mean, could you find pictures or a diagram for me to see? the trouble with this is, there is only one set of red,yellow, & white hookups and another single set of blue,green & red hookups on the back of my TV, & I use these for my DVD player. With VCR & TV hooked with composite cables, would I be able to record Over the air shows from the TV? can a DVD player be hooked up with an HDMI cable?

[cholla]

Yes composite are the red,yellow & white on both ends.
You need a splitter for composite.
You run the composite cables from the DVD player & VCR to the input of the splitter .
Then from the splitter output to the TV.
I have a remote control splitter but there are “switched” manual ones.

No you can’t record Over the air shows from the TV. Simply put because there is no output from the TV.
I don’t have anything with HDMI but if the DVD player & the TV both have HDMI I don’t see any reason the DVD player couldn’t be connected that way.

This is the one I use .It says currently unavailable at Amazon.I use Amazon links for convenience . So you can check out the splitters.

Amazon.com: RCA VH920 Video Source Selector (Discontinued by Manufacturer): Home Audio & Theater

This one is available & similar to mine:

Amazon.com: RCA VH915 Audio / Video Source Selector Switch Box (Discontinued by Manufacturer): Home Audio & Theater

There are brands other than RCA but mine has worked very well.

[Sossity]

right now, I have my converter box connected to my VCR & antenna with RF cables, with one of them running to the TV. Can I record signals this way?

I take it back about only one set of composite hookups on the TV, I discovered there is a 2and set on the side of the TV. Would this change your suggestions?

I am really having trouble picturing this in just words, could you make a sort of numbered list of how you suggest hooking it all up? what goes to what?

I have this converter box; http://www.dsconverter.com/index.php?p=2

and this is how I have it connected to link up my TV & VCR; http://www.dsconverter.com/index.php?p=3&im=4 to record signals on VCR.

there is this; http://www.dsconverter.com/index.php?p=3&im=3

would this setup allow me to get a better reception with the VCR & record the signals?

[cholla]

The second set on the side is probably a different input .If it is you wouldn’t need the splitter box.
With your TV’s remote you probably have the TV’s tuner set to channel 3. That is where you get the RF signal in.
If the two sets of composite inputs are seperate you should have something like Video1 & Video 2 when you use the “input” button on your TV remote.
The way to connect the composite cables is this:

1. Converter box to VCR.
2. VCR to Video 1
   3.DVD player to Video 2.
   You would just change between them with your TV remote input button.
   I’m not sure what type tuner your TV has so it may also need an antenna connected to it with the RF. If it has a digital tuner.

[Sossity]

[QUOTE=cholla;2539440]The second set on the side is probably a different input .If it is you wouldn’t need the splitter box.
With your TV’s remote you probably have the TV’s tuner set to channel 3. That is where you get the RF signal in.
If the two sets of composite inputs are seperate you should have something like Video1 & Video 2 when you use the “input” button on your TV remote.
The way to connect the composite cables is this:

1. Converter box to VCR.
2. VCR to Video 1
   3.DVD player to Video 2.
   You would just change between them with your TV remote input button.
   I’m not sure what type tuner your TV has so it may also need an antenna connected to it with the RF. If it has a digital tuner.[/QUOTE]

I tried this & I think there might be a problem with this, the VCR has one video & single audio input on the front & only an audio in & out in the back, with corresponding yellow & white hookups. So I can connect the converter box to the VCR, but I do not have a 2and set of composite to go out to the video 1.

this is the TV I have; http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26%23153%3B±+19%22+Class+/+720p+/+60Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/9602913.p?id=1218129862699&skuId=9602913

I think it does have a built in tuner.

[cholla]

If the TV will receive channels with only an antenna connected to it then it has a tuner.

If this VCR only has yellow & white inputs & outputs it is a mono VCR. The yellow should be video & the white audio. This means it only records in mono.
You will need another set of composite cables .You will just connect the yellow to yellow & the white to white input/output.
If your converter box has a setting for mono Audio you need to use that with this VCR

If you can find a new or good used stereo VCR it would be better but the video would be about the same.