I know this has been discussed before, but not since the digital transition was complete, so I'd like to ask again and see if there are new options:

I don't have cable and don't want it, because I watch very little tv and I'm getting OTA just fine (even if it means adjusting the antenna.) I just want to be able to record Jeopardy OTA so that my husband and I can watch it together in the evenings, seeing as how it airs here during the day when we're at work. This is the only program I've ever recorded, and the only one I ever foresee wanting to record.

Anybody know what my cheapest option is these days? Thanks very much!

Tammy

DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner, there are still a few combo VCR and DVD recording machines available with the ATSC tuner.

I know this has been discussed before, but not since the digital transition was complete, so I'd like to ask again and see if there are new options:

I don't have cable and don't want it, because I watch very little tv and I'm getting OTA just fine (even if it means adjusting the antenna.) I just want to be able to record Jeopardy OTA so that my husband and I can watch it together in the evenings, seeing as how it airs here during the day when we're at work. This is the only program I've ever recorded, and the only one I ever foresee wanting to record.

Anybody know what my cheapest option is these days? Thanks very much!

Tammy

Tammy,

If you have a Coupon Eligible Converter Box you may connect one of its outputs to an input on your VCR and record from that input. Connect the CECB composite output (yellow video and white/red audio) to a composite input on your TV. Use the TV remote to select the composite TV input for VCR playback.

To avoid splitting your antenna input use a RF pass through CECB like the Zenith DTT901 connected to your antenna. Run the Zenith's coax cable output directly to the TV RF input. That way when the Zenith is powered off the antenna signal is passed through to your TV. Then connect the Zenith's composite output to one of the VCRs composite inputs. Connect the VCR's composite output to a composite input on your TV. For "live" TV viewing be sure the Zenith is powered off in order to allow viewing through the TV's tuner.

Tammy,

If you have a Coupon Eligible Converter Box you may connect one of its outputs to an input on your VCR and record from that input. Connect the CECB composite output (yellow video and white/red audio) to a composite input on your TV. Use the TV remote to select the composite TV input for VCR playback.

To avoid splitting your antenna input use a RF pass through CECB like the Zenith DTT901 connected to your antenna. Run the Zenith's coax cable output directly to the TV RF input. That way when the Zenith is powered off the antenna signal is passed through to your TV. Then connect the Zenith's composite output to one of the VCRs composite inputs. Connect the VCR's composite output to a composite input on your TV. For "live" TV viewing be sure the Zenith is powered off in order to allow viewing through the TV's tuner.
Thanks for the clarification...I was just getting ready to ask that!

;-)

Thanks for the clarification...I was just getting ready to ask that!

;-)

More clarification:

For unattended recording from the CECB you should, through a CECB's setup or options menu, set the CECBs "auto shut off" or "sleep timer" to "off." Be sure to leave the CECB on and tuned to the channel you wish to record.

Then connect the Zenith's composite output to one of the VCRs composite inputs. Connect the VCR's composite output to a composite input on your TV. For "live" TV viewing be sure the Zenith is powered off in order to allow viewing through the TV's tuner.

Assuming that the VCR has an NTSC tuner only ...

A couple of key steps have been overlooked.

1) The Zenith [or other] CECB must be ON and TUNED to the Jeopardy channel.

AND

2) The VCR source in the progammed timer recording must be set to the input that the CECB is connected to, be it Input 1, Input 2 or Ch 3[4] in the case of an RF connection.

Simply selecting the "old/analog" Jeopardy channel in the VCR timer program will not work.

Jeopardy used to be the only thing I recorded during the day, too (it's really the only thing on during the day worth recording). But my hard drive was getting so backed up with episodes, I just gave up recording it, because I couldn't keep up. I agree, though, that if you could only record one show each day, that would be the one I'd choose. It's consistently been the best show on TV for years (except during Ken Jennings' run, where I just had to turn it off and give it a rest after awhile. Completely took all the fun out of watching it for me).

. . . Jeopardy used to be the only thing I recorded during the day, too (it's really the only thing on during the day worth recording). But my hard drive was getting so backed up with episodes, I just gave up recording it, because I couldn't keep up. I agree, though, that if you could only record one show each day, that would be the one I'd choose. It's consistently been the best show on TV for years (except during Ken Jennings' run, where I just had to turn it off and give it a rest after awhile. Completely took all the fun out of watching it for me).

In my area Jeopardy has aired at 7:00 p.m. I watched most of the Ken Jennings run. The interesting thing is that the lady that beat Jennings lasted only a day or so after that.

The great thing about our local Fox station (KPTV) is that they've been running the original Perry Mason episodes non-stop since 1966. A couple years back I wrote thanking them for running Perry Mason. I suggested that they also obtain Robert Stack's series The Untouchables, (even if it had to be shown in the middle of the night due to the "violence"). Nothing came of that suggestion. KPTV was an ABC affilliate during The Untouchables original run in 1959-1963 so that's where I first viewed it as a teenager. Both Perry Mason and The Untouchables are syndicated through CBS/Paramount (Viacom).

Hey...it worked! thanks everybody.

Now if I could just get somebody here to broadcast Perry Mason, I'd be all set...

:-)