Apologies all in advance. I have searched, and I just can't get this to work.

Equipment: I have a basic Samsung television: TXL2791F. IMHO the best of the flat screen tv's and I tested Panasonic Tau, Sony Wega. It's 4 yrs old and my posts on this and other forums about that saga are long gone...

Anyway, a great tv.

I have DirecTV TiVo service.

Just got a Samsung DVD-VR330 DVD/VHS recorder.

Problem: I can't get the thing to record DVDs from the tv.

What I want to do: The Directv DVR has for all recorded shows a "record to vhs" option. It just plays the show on the tv, and the "monitor out" connection to the recorder allows recording on the video.

I want to burn to DVD. That is what this combo device is supposed to do, right?

Well, it won't.

Connections attempted: I've tried it all. DVR S-Video to TV; Monitor out from TV to DVD-VR's AV In; DVD-VR AV out to tv.

Tried connecting AV out from DVR to DVD-VR.

Tried RF from TV to RF on DVD-VR.

Results : I can play dvds. I can play vhs. I can watch the DVR. I can copy vhs to dvd.

I cannot burn dvd from tv, or play from DVR and record that output no matter the configuration tried so far.

Can someone draw me a picture? Point me the right way?

Just guessing based on my own attempts to record from the Monitor Out on my4-5 yr-old projection TV...manual says Monitor Out does not work in DVD or DTV modes. It DOES work with a VCR, however.

I believe what that means in that the signal output from that connection is not in DVD-required format (480i).

My TV has lots of inputs, but no other video out connections that might work with a DVD.

Tried connecting AV out from DVR to DVD-VR.




This may be too basic so please don't be offended. It's just that it is not always clear as to the level of experience a poster has by reading their question.


Q1: Is this the way you tried it?

Directv AV Out -------> DVDR Input 1
DVDR Output 1 ------> TV Input 1

Q2: If yes, did you use the remote to set the DVDR to the proper input to match your connection?


This connection scheme should work if you choose the correct input setting on both the DVDR and the TV. You should not have to use the "TV monitor out" connection to make it work because in this scheme the TV is literally the end of the line. The DVDR should record the signal straight from Directv.... before it ever reaches the TV.

I hope this helps. If not, you may need to provide a few more details (step by step) on what you've already tried.

:)

I'll check this later. I thought I tried to do this but I'll check again. DVDR setting ... Not entirely sure there is a way to set the input selection, oddly. Believe me, I looked.

I'll look again.

Darn thing has an S-Video in. Maybe I should go DVR S-Video out to DVDR S-Video in, and then DVDR S-Video out to tv?

That'll still enable me to watch the DVR on the tv S-video right? And change channels through the DVR?

I don't want to mess that up....

I'll check this later. I thought I tried to do this but I'll check again. DVDR setting ... Not entirely sure there is a way to set the input selection, oddly. Believe me, I looked.

I'll look again.

Darn thing has an S-Video in. Maybe I should go DVR S-Video out to DVDR S-Video in, and then DVDR S-Video out to tv?

That'll still enable me to watch the DVR on the tv S-video right? And change channels through the DVR?

I don't want to mess that up....



1) S-Video all the way is good. Just be sure you set the DVDR input to the one where the S-Video is connected. Same thing with the TV.

2) Your DVDR remote should have an "Input" button. Each time you press the button it will switch to the next input. I have seen some VCR's that did not have an Input button on the remote, but there would still be one on the front panel of the unit itself.

3) Yes, you can still change channels on the DVR, but anytime the DVDR is turned-off, you may have to switch the "pass through" on. This is usually and easily done on the DVDR remote by pressing a button usually labeled as "TV/Video". It toggles between "pass through" and DVD unit each time you press it. Same as with a typical stand alone VCR.

Good luck and let us know if you succeed.

:)

Crud. No S-video cable supplied and I only have one. Guess this waits until Monday.

Ok, well it works with the regular AV cords. May get another S-video but there really isn't that much difference between them.

Thanks guys!

Ok, well it works with the regular AV cords. May get another S-video but there really isn't that much difference between them.

Thanks guys!


Now knowing that you have only one S-Video cable, I think I know what the problem has been.

Except for A/V Receivers equipped with special conversion circuitry, on most other equipment you CANNOT feed IN on one type of video cable and feed OUT on another.

In other words S-Video IN combined with Yellow Composite OUT --- WILL NOT WORK. The signal must come IN and go OUT on the same type of cable.

That is why you now have it working using two sets of standard Composite cables (yellow, red and white).

Glad to hera you got it working. Remember the above for future connections.

:)

No, I had the a/v connctions mucked up. Wasn't trying to go in with a/v and out with s-video. Just had it all crossed.
Actually, was tryign to use monitor out from tv to burn the dvd.

Anyway, thanks. And getting another s-video cable soon!

I've got 3 DVD/DVR's (one also has VHS), and I've only fed s-video into them from my E* SD 322 tuner, and then out to my TV's through component.

I've never had any kind of problem doing that. It's always worked fine for me.

Is that particular model Samsung different that way or something?

You are assuming a tuner that doesn't exist.

Plus, I've not been able to get the component connection to work on my tv as there appears to be no audio input for component. I can get picture but no audio so I just use S-video or AV connections.

I have the Samsung DVD-VR330 which I've hooked up as follows:

Motorola DCT6412 III >> S-Video >> VR330 (S-VIDEO IN)
Motorola DCT6412 III >> Red/White Audio >> VR330 (AV 1 IN)
VR330 (DIGITAL AUDIO OUT) >> Optical Cable >> AV Receiver
VR330 (AV OUT) >> Red/White Audio >> AV Receiver
VR330 (COMPONENT OUT) >> Component Cable >> Samsung HL-S5086W
I don't have any RF/antenna cable connected to the VR330 - i.e., I don't use the VR330's tuner. This set up lets me make DVDs of things I've previously recorded on the Moto's DVR.

For your gear, this set up should work:

Directv >> S-Video >> VR330 (S-VIDEO IN)
Directv >> Red/White Audio >> VR330 (AV 1 IN)
VR330 (AV OUT) >> Red/White Audio >> Samsung TXL2791F
VR330 (COMPONENT OUT) >> Component Cable >> Samsung TXL2791F

Last thing. On page 61 of the VR330's manual under "Recording from External Devices", make sure you execute Step 2 before you begin recording. In the set up I've suggested here, this means repeatedly pressing the remote's INPUT SEL. button until SUPER appears on the VR330's display. BTW, whether the input to the VR330 is composite or S-video, you still have a component video output for the TV.

Except for A/V Receivers equipped with special conversion circuitry, on most other equipment you CANNOT feed IN on one type of video cable and feed OUT on another.

In other words S-Video IN combined with Yellow Composite OUT --- WILL NOT WORK. The signal must come IN and go OUT on the same type of cable.

:)

High end AVRs will upconvert, but I doubt if many, if any at all, downconvert. This means that if you have S-Vid coming in from a given unit, you will get S-Vid and Component out from that unit, from the AVR, but will NOT get composite out.

Ostrow, on my two year old Samsung DLP, the component inputs are associated with a particular set of composite/S-Vid/L-R line audio inputs, and you must use those to get sound with the Component ins. Check your user's manual.