Official Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK thread - Page 44

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

...I will try your suggestion tomorrow. I can upload photos of the backs of the equipment, altho you know what the Panasonic looks like. I took the pics to Radio Shack and of course the guy tried but had no clue.

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

Thank you, guys! I sure wish I had your knowledge! So here are photos of the backs of the TV Set (an RCA big screen HDTV Monitor), the DirecTV HD DVR receiver and the panasonic.

He's got the DirecTV dvr attached directly to the TV set.

Originally Posted by DigaDo

... Then use two "Y" adapters to spilt the white/red audio outputs (those just to the right of the yellow video connection on the DirectTV receiver). That will provide two audio feeds, one to the TV and the other to the EZ48...

Originally Posted by jjeff

...if you use a S-video instead of composite(going from your STB to DVDR) you should see a better picture for recording.

Originally Posted by DigaDo

From the photo it isn't entirely clear that the S-Video is an output. Might this be an input, and if so, for what purpose?

Originally Posted by DigaDo

From the photo it isn't entirely clear that the S-Video is an output. Might this be an input, and if so, for what purpose?

What is the STB? S-video on the DVR or the DVD player?

Well there is one s-video on the DVR, doesn't say in or out and two s-videos on the DVD player, again neither says in or out!

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

The bottom two cables (where you see the first one is red) are connected directly to the TV set. Where do I move those?

Originally Posted by DigaDo

Unplug those two white/red cables. Then, in their place plug the two "Y" adapters into those white and red jacks. Then reconnect the original white/red cables into one side of each "Y" adapter. The other end of those cables will remain plugged into the TV white/red audio inputs. Then, with another pair of white/red cables plug them into the unused side of each "Y" adapter. The other ends of that white/red cable set will be plugged into the white/red audio inputs of the EZ48.

To maintain correct stereo orientation you need to remember which of the "Y" adapters is the white side (left channel) and which of the "Y" adapters is the red side (right channel). One way to remember this is to twist a short white wire-tie around the "Y" adapter cable plugged into the white jack, like this:

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

See photos above:

UPDATED QUESTIONS: on back of the DirecTV STB what are those green, blue and red cables for?

And they're attached to the CMP1 in back of my TV set. What do these do? Carry video only?

What are those two fatter cables just below the back of the Direct box green, blue and red cables which are also attached to the back of the tv set but to the right of the 3 cables in the CMP1.

Is it possible to plug in an s-video connector to the s-video in on back of the tv set then connect the other end to the s-video out on back of the direct box?

then connect the L and R audio cables (are those red and white ones?) in back of the TV set to the red and white L & R on back of the direcTV box under audio out then connect the red, white and yellow components on back of the direct box (removing the green, blue and red one) to the video and audio in on back of the dvd burner? Would that work?

Or do I need those green, blue and red cables as the two fatter cables?

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

See photos above:

UPDATED QUESTIONS: on back of the DirecTV STB what are those green, blue and red cables for? And they're attached to the CMP1 in back of my TV set. What do these do? Carry video only? What are those two fatter cables just below the back of the Direct box green, blue and red cables which are also attached to the back of the tv set but to the right of the 3 cables in the CMP1.

What is the CMP1 in back of the set? what is that for?

Is it possible to plug in an s-video connector to the s-video in on back of the tv set then connect the other end to the s-video out on back of the direct box? then connect the L and R audio cables (are those red and white ones?) in back of the TV set to the red and white L & R on back of the direcTV box under audio out then connect the red, white and yellow components on back of the direct box (removing the green, blue and red one) to the video and audio in on back of the dvd burner? Would that work? Or do I need those green, blue and red cables as the two fatter cables?

Originally Posted by jjeff

Note if you're STB outputs Wide Screen over S-video you will get a much better picture recording WS material than if it only letterboxes WS. Sometimes you may be able to go into the STB setup and specify if you want WS or letterboxed WS output for SD outputs(choose WS).
Note some boxes do NOT allow WS over S-video, cable boxes are notorious for this although it seems Sat. boxes generally allow WS.

Originally Posted by DigaDo

My post #1292, just before your post #1293, addressed these matters. Here is the pertinent portion of post #1292:

"While I have no familiarity with DirectTV receivers I would think that they have the usual set of outputs. This will include (digital) HDMI and (analog) component red, green, blue outputs for connection to a HDTV. The HDMI carries video and audio while the component connections carries only the video. When component outputs are used the white/red audio connections are also necessary. There will certainly be a composite video output, the yellow connection, and perhaps there will be a S-Video output, a round black connector with several pins. The composite video and S-Video both require use of the white/red audio outputs. Perhaps the DirectTV receiver might have a threaded RF coax cable output that carries the video and audio.

"If more than a single set of white/red audio outputs are needed use "Y" adapters, as seen the second photo, to split the DirectTV receiver's single set of audio outputs.

"Sometimes satellite receiver or cable box outputs are not "active." By this I mean that they may not be functional until one goes into a configuration menu to set the output to "ON" or "ENABLE" or "ACTIVATE" or some such term. That information should be in whatever instruction sheet or user guide was provided with the DirectTV receiver."

After your photos appeared in post #1293 I responded with this advice in post #1294:

"This should be pretty straightforward.

"The connection between the DirectTV receiver output and the DMR-EZ48 input will use the yellow composite output (just below the component red, blue green connections on the DirectTV receiver). Then use two "Y" adapters to spilt the white/red audio outputs (those just to the right of the yellow video connection on the DirectTV receiver). That will provide two audio feeds, one to the TV and the other to the EZ48. Then connect a set of EZ48 outputs to a set of vacant inputs on the TV. Then use the TV's remote control to toggle between the inputs where the DirectTV receiver and the EZ48 are connected."

In post #1303 I provided additional advice:

"Unplug those two white/red cables. Then, in their place plug the two "Y" adapters into those white and red jacks. Then reconnect the original white/red cables into one side of each "Y" adapter. The other end of those cables will remain plugged into the TV white/red audio inputs. Then, with another pair of white/red cables plug them into the unused side of each "Y" adapter. The other ends of that white/red cable set will be plugged into the white/red audio inputs of the EZ48.

To maintain correct stereo orientation you need to remember which of the "Y" adapters is the white side (left channel) and which of the "Y" adapters is the red side (right channel). One way to remember this is to twist a short white wire-tie around the "Y" adapter cable plugged into the white jack..."

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

I used the Y splitters. I hooked everything up like you said in the paragraphs above. And using the DirecTV remote control to toggle over to VID 1 (the Panasonic's wouldn't work) I can view both VHS and DVDs! Alas, I cannot tape or record anything! I usually love to burn to DVD programs off the DVR that I decide to keep and from time to time I use the VCR to tape a program for a friend to give to them to keep. So I still can't do that. Help

So any suggestions?

Originally Posted by DigaDo

When you mention using the DirectTV remote that must mean that you've set up that remote to control your TV as well as the DirectTV tuner. Is that correct? That allows you to toggle between the TV inputs where the DirectTV and EZ48 are connected. So far, so good.

Originally Posted by DigaDo

Assuming that the correct connections have been made between the DirectTV outputs and the corresponding DMR-EZ48 inputs, the Panasonic remote will need to be used to select the input where the DirectTV feeds it's signal to the EZ48. With the Panasonic remote's INPUT SELECT button repeated pressings toggle through the inputs.

Originally Posted by DigaDo

There was discussion of using the DirectTV yellow video output or the S-Video output, either of which require that the DirectTV white/red audio outputs are connected to the corresponding inputs on the EZ48. If those DirectTV outputs are connected to the corresponding inputs on the EZ48's rear panel the IN 1 would be selected with the EZ48 remote's INPUT SELECT button; if the connections were made to the EZ48's front panel the IN 2 would be selected with the Panasonic remote's INPUT SELECT button.

Originally Posted by DigaDo

Once the EZ48 is set to the correct input the DirectTV output may be viewed/recorded through that EZ48 input. Be sure to leave the EZ48 set to that input as the EZ48 has now been enslaved to the DirectTV tuner. The current input setting before entering the SCHEDULE menu becomes the default input when timer recording data is entered.

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

I tried briefly this morning to do that but the panasonic remote INPUT SELECT would only go to something called C1 then it stopped. There was still no picture.

When pressing the EZ48 remote's INPUT SELECT button a small menu box will open showing these choices, "TV" (meaning the RF input--not relevant to your set-up), "IN1" (meaning the rear panel S-Video or composite yellow input and adjacent white/red audio inputs), "IN2" (meaning the front panel S-Video or composite yellow input and the adjacent white/red audio inputs), or "DV" (meaning the DVI input, a small jack behind the fold-down door on the front panel--not relevant to your set-up).

Since the EZ48's internal tuner is irrelevant when using the DirectTV tuner, the INPUT SELECT must be set to the INPUT where the DirectTV tuner feeds it's signal to the EZ48.

Ordinarily, with a Panasonic DVD recorder a "C" followed by a number message indicates a tuned "channel" but there is no "channel 1" so I'm at a loss to explain how the EZ48 might generate a "C1" message. Most likely, the "C1" message is being generated by the TV itself, indicating that the EZ48 is connected to the TV's "Composite #1" input.

I am not getting any image on the TV screen. That C1 msg was on the front of the DVD player. And that's all I'm seeing. Nothing from the ez48 shows up on screen, no menu, no setting controls for the ez.

Someone here at work suggested my problem is that I have a HD steam trying to go to a SD device and there's no conversion happening. That the DirecTV box may not enable it due to the HD connection.

I think I'm going to try your suggestion as well as the s-video connection and as a last resort throw in the towel on the HD receiver and ask them to send me a SD receiver DVR and the heck with HD!

Originally Posted by DigaDo

The DirectTV tuner outputs "digital" High Definition video through it's HDMI output and "analog" High Definition video through it's component video (red, blue, green) outputs. The other DirectTV tuner video outputs, S-Video and yellow composite, are "analog" Standard Definition video, not High Definition video.

In two of my earlier responses I made this observation:

"Sometimes satellite receiver or cable box outputs are not "active." By this I mean that they may not be functional until one goes into a configuration menu to set the output to "ON" or "ENABLE" or "ACTIVATE" or some such term. That information should be in whatever instruction sheet or user guide was provided with the DirectTV receiver."

Have you checked the DirectTV tuner setup and/or configuration menus to determine if the composite video (and/or S-Video) outputs are set to "ON" or "ENABLE" or "ACTIVATE" or some such term?

No, I haven't checked that yet; I'll try that as soon as I get home!

With some equipment enabling a certain feature results in disabling another feature. My experience is with cable (and OTA), not satellite. Sometimes cable equipment has to have certain features enabled by service or technical personnel, not the customer. That might also be the case with DirectTV.

Originally Posted by catchyoulater

I may have to call customer service and ask them if this is the case. I have noticed that this receiver is so new that they don't even have it listed on their website nor to they have PDF manuals on site for it.

Originally Posted by mdavej

Not necessary. All DirecTV receivers (including your new HR24) have no such setting. All outputs are always active (and wide-screen as well, by the way). I used an EZ48 (and EH75, EZ17, EZ27, EZ28, etc.) with DirecTV for years without issue and never had to change any settings.

You likely either haven't connected the panny to your tv correctly or you haven't selected the correct input on your tv. So dig into your tv manual and find out how to select (or possibly enable) the different inputs. Don't give up that HR24 under any circumstances (I would kill to get my hands on one of those myself). It's the best DVR DirecTV has ever made and works beautifully with any DVD recorder.

To summarize, here's what you should have:
- DirecTV S-video Out and R/W audio Out from your Y splitters to S-video In and R/W audio In on your Panny
- Panny S-video Out and R/W audio Out to S-video In and R/W audio In on your TV

All other connections remain the same as the installer left them.

On your TV, you need to figure out how to select the S-Video input to watch the panny and how to select the component input to watch DirecTV. On the panny you need to figure out how to select the S-Video input to record.

Not to put another fly in the ointment. But once you get it figured out. You may want to start using the DVI input on your TV for the Panny instead of S-Video. Just get an HDMI-DVI cable from monoprice.com and connect from the HDMI out on the panny to the DVI in on the TV. In that case use the R/W audio inputs next to the DVI connector.

Originally Posted by mdavej

On your TV, you need to figure out how to select the S-Video input to watch the panny and how to select the component input to watch DirecTV. On the panny you need to figure out how to select the S-Video input to record.