I'm hoping someone here can answer my installation question. My in-laws have quite a complicated setup in their house that is causing some problems watching OTA HD channels and DirecTV.

Their setup is something like this:

Upstairs: HDTV, DirecTV SD receiver, DVD/VCR combo
Downstairs: HDTV, DVD/VCR combo

The downstairs television has access to DirecTV through a remote control extender like this (http://www.retrothing.com/2006/10/radio_shack_rem.html). Both TVs have access to the local HD channels through an OTA antenna. The downstairs TV works without problem. However, the upstairs TV runs into problems when trying to watch the HD channels without the DirecTV receiver turned on. Without the receiver on, you can watch the HD channels. However, when the receiver is off, you cannot. This runs into problems when you want to watch local HD channels upstairs and DirecTV downstairs...it's just not possible.

I'm pretty sure what has happened is the installer put the HD antenna cable through the DirecTV receiver rather than directly into the TV. My question is: Is it possible to hook up the antenna and receiver into the TV so that I can watch HD channels without having the DirecTV receiver on? As much detail in the hook up explanation you can give me would be great.

If the TV has a built in ATSC tuner, you will need to just hook the OTA antenna directly to the TV instead of passing it through the SD Directv box. If the TV only has one RF input you'll need an A/B switch to switch between sources or hook up the D* box using composite or s-video to the TV.

I probably should have specified...the TV upstairs is an LG42PC3D.

It has one Antenna/Cable In coax on the back and does appear to have a QAM/ATSC tuner. Does this mean I should connect the OTA antenna coax directly into the TV and connect the DirecTV receiver to the TV with an S-video cable/RCA audio? I think the DVD/VCR combo is hooked up through a composite cable.

It sounds as if the DirecTV receiver is feeding the upstairs television through its RF modulator. If you have to tune to Ch3 on the TV to watch DirecTV channels, then that's the case. Use the S-Video or composite video ..and the audio outputs from the DirecTV box (as you stated). There should be enough inputs on the TV to handle that and the DVD player, I'd think. Then hook the antenna directly to the Antenna/Cable In port.

It sounds as if the DirecTV receiver is feeding the upstairs television through its RF modulator. If you have to tune to Ch3 on the TV to watch DirecTV channels, then that's the case.
That is indeed the case. One more question: Because I am also connecting the DirecTV through the DVD/VCR combo and then into the TV (with composite cables), do I have to connect the DVD/VCR combo to the TV with the RF modulator (coax cable) in order to record television programs or will my current setup work (i.e., DVD/VCR connected to TV with composite cables only)?

The coax from the DVD/VCR TO the television is playback only. I'm assuming you're recording FROM the DirecTV box. If that's the case, you would run Composite video/audio from the DirecTV box TO the VCR, then run composite video/audio FROM the VCR TO the TV.

In all honesty, I'd seriously consider the DirecTV HD DVR and dispense with the VCR altogether. Then, you can connect a DVD player to one of the unused inputs on the TV. Much cleaner, easier to use and you can watch one program while recording another.

Doc

So...just to clarify my connection should look something like this:

1) OTA Antenna to TV Antenna/Cable In through Coax cable
2) Satellite Coax from wall to Satellite In on DirecTV receiver
3) Composite audio (red/white) from DirecTV receiver to VCR
4) S-video from DirecTV to VCR
5) Composite audio (red/white) from VCR to TV
6) S-video from VCR to TV

This will allow me to watch OTA HD channels with the DirecTV receiver either on or off, correct?

Also, I noticed that the DVD/VCR combo has component outputs. Would that be better than the s-video connection? I know it would be better when watching DVDs, but would it make a difference with the DirecTV image on the TV since it is connected between the DirecTV receiver and TV?

So...just to clarify my connection should look something like this:

1) OTA Antenna to TV Antenna/Cable In through Coax cable
2) Satellite Coax from wall to Satellite In on DirecTV receiver
3) Composite audio (red/white) from DirecTV receiver to VCR
4) S-video from DirecTV to VCR
5) Composite audio (red/white) from VCR to TV
6) S-video from VCR to TV

This will allow me to watch OTA HD channels with the DirecTV receiver either on or off, correct?

Also, I noticed that the DVD/VCR combo has component outputs. Would that be better than the s-video connection? I know it would be better when watching DVDs, but would it make a difference with the DirecTV image on the TV since it is connected between the DirecTV receiver and TV?
Correct

and

Maybe <G> Worth a try.

Everything worked great except for connecting through the DVD player and then into the TV. For some reason, when I connected the component cable from the DVD player to the TV after connecting the DirecTV receiver to the DVD player with s-video, the DirecTV picture was black and white. However, connecting the receiver directly to the with TV through s-video worked great. I did this and connected the DVD player into the component and all is well. Thanks for the help!