[dennisthe12c]

Hi all, New to the forum and glad to have access to the valuable information. For three weeks I have been reading everything about DVD recorders here and even though I am thoroughly confused at this point mine arrived a few minutes ago via UPS. Actually its going to be my moms and will be replacing an old Hitachi FX623 VCR that she used for many years to record a soap while she watched another (they are on at the same time). The TV is a Panasonic TC-26LE55. Right now it has a Samsung DTB-H260F for the new stations with a roof top antenna. It is connected to the TV via a HDMI cable making a simple 1 wire for audio and video. Got the Refurbished Mag H2160MW9 from J&R today and much to my frustration still am unsure how to link this simple set-up. I would appreciate any feedback on how to link these three in order to watch 1 station while the other station is recording. Thanks in advance.

Dennis in Pasadena

 

[7558037]

Connect basically as shown in Sketch 1 here plus Explanations (explains important diff. between VCR and 2160), with the 2160 1st on the antenna coax. I believe the Samsung 260 can be next on the coax, if it's still needed but don't think it is, then the TV. Or, if the 260 IS needed, connect a 2-way splitter on the antenna coax and run one output leg to the 2160 and one to the 260?


I'm not positive on what the 2160 is... if it's just a digital tuner, shoiuldn.t be needed, unless maybe to feed the VCR on one leg of a splitter as another way to record digital channels? This way, she'll be able to watch one digital channel while recording another... with or w/o the VCR after the 260.

 

[dennisthe12c]

There will be no VCR in the system. Just the Samsung STB, the Mag recorder and the TV

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisthe12c /forum/post/16916556


There will be no VCR in the system. Just the Samsung STB, the Mag recorder and the TV

If the TV has a digital tuner and multiple input, she'll just need the 2160 on the coax then coax on to the TV, plus line connection from 2160 to TV, so she can watch one digital channel while recording another digital channel in the 2160.


If her TV does not have a digital tuner, but has multiple inputs, you can connect both the 2160 and the Samsung digital tuner with a 2-way splitter on the antenna coax, then run their separate line connections to the TV. This will also allow her to watch one channel thru the Samsung tuner while recording a diff. digital channel in the 2160.

 

[dennisthe12c]

Hi and thanks for the input! The Samsung stb has a pass through so would that eliminate the need to split the coax?

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisthe12c /forum/post/16916679


Hi and thanks for the input! The Samsung stb has a pass through so would that eliminate the need to split the coax?

Yes, just set the 2160 1st on the coax cuz it has an amplified passthru for a slight boost in signal strength thru the 2160, rather than the normal slight attenuation.

 

[dennisthe12c]

Thanks so much for the help! Will jump on it later and with a little more confidence thanks to you.

 

[dennisthe12c]

Actually works great, love the unit! Guess its one of the last non-A mags from J&R (Dec 08 build) One strange quirk that I haven't been able to track down is when you want to watch TV & initially turn it & the samsung STB on (in any order) you get Video but no sound. In order to kick the sound on the STB has to be turned off and on once more and then all is fine. Not a big deal but a pain not to be able to track it down. Have checked most settings but probably missed the needed one. The samsung 260 tuner remained hooked up to the tv with HDMI (TV has no HD tuner). 2160 is first on coax, 260 is second and tv 3rd. 2160 is hooked up with component cables and R&W to tv. All functions needed have worked fine. Thanks for the help!

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisthe12c /forum/post/16976850


Actually works great, love the unit! Guess its one of the last non-A mags from J&R (Dec 08 build) One strange quirk that I haven't been able to track down is when you want to watch TV & initially turn it & the samsung STB on (in any order) you get Video but no sound. In order to kick the sound on the STB has to be turned off and on once more and then all is fine. Not a big deal but a pain not to be able to track it down. Have checked most settings but probably missed the needed one. The samsung 260 tuner remained hooked up to the tv with HDMI (TV has no HD tuner). 2160 is first on coax, 260 is second and tv 3rd. 2160 is hooked up with component cables and R&W to tv. All functions needed have worked fine. Thanks for the help!

Samsung equip. has some "handshake" reqmts, like turning one unit on before the other. Try STB 1st, then 2160 and vice versa, and maybe one will work right? Let 1st unit "boot up" first before turning 2nd unit on?

 

[Sportinlife]

Wajo,


I have a slightly different problem with my 2160 that I bought in January. I receive tv signals OTA by means of indoor rabbit ears. Signal strength is very good here (I can see the broadcast towers for CBS, PBS and FOX standing in my driveway) and initially everything worked OK. My setup is rabbit ears > 2160 > TV. TV is a Sony KDL-46XBR4. In May I was going to record a basketball game on the 2160, but the ABC station (channel 2 here) was suffering a signal breakup, so I switched the aerial output to a 3576 that I also have, and recorded the game.


Recently I decided to switch the aerial back to the 2160 to use the HDD on it for a while, but the 2160 tuner shows only a grey screen for all of the OTA stations. The TV tuner (through the 2160 pass through) works OK. I put the aerial back on the 3576 and it worked fine. I then tried a second set of rabbit ears, and the results were the same, the 2160 had a blank grey screen and the 3576 worked OK. The channel presets on the 2160 tuner were still there, only with a grey screen.


It appears that the tuner on the 2160 has quit, but is there any buried settings in the 2160 that would cause the 2160 tuner to show a blank screen? I haven't changed any of the 2160 settings. Connection for playback from the 2160 to the TV is by HDMI.

 

[7558037]

Sportinlife,


Has the 2160 been unplugged or lost power at all?


Did you connect antenna up with unit ON or even plugged in... it has an amplified coax passthru so power going thru it whenever plugged in?


Without delving any further, you could try a hard reset using the SKIP 123 Procedure described here , which wipes the clock, custom settings, timer rec programs and channel memory so you can start "fresh"?

 

[Sportinlife]

Wajo,


I tried the SKIP 123 procedure that you suggested and the OTA stations have now been restored. Thanks for the advice.


I have not unplugged the 2160, but about 5 weeks ago the electricity to the entire house was off for ~ 4 hours due to a big thunderstorm. That may have been when the 2160 tuner lost the stations.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportinlife /forum/post/16983222


Wajo,


I tried the SKIP 123 procedure that you suggested and the OTA stations have now been restored. Thanks for the advice.


I have not unplugged the 2160, but about 5 weeks ago the electricity to the entire house was off for ~ 4 hours due to a big thunderstorm. That may have been when the 2160 tuner lost the stations.

Glad to hear!


There's one other thing you could try if you ever have just a very short power blip (not the 4-hour thing you encountered)... these DVDRs have Standby power and that standby circuit can lose its settings with a short power outage, even tho the unit looks like it's A-OK.


Dehumidifiers with touchpad controls also have that circuit and they'll turn the fan back on with power back but they won't engage the compressor cuz that's got a setting for humidity level to turn it on.


These DVDRs can look OK but best to unplug for just a few sec and plug back in... that's usually enough to reset the Standby circuit.

 

[dennisthe12c]

One last question, I have tried all settings and turning them on in every different sequence but I still have to turn the samsung stb on and off and then on for the sound(this is just to watch tv through the samsung tuner with the 2160 off) If I added a line from the Optical audio output of the stb to the input of the tv do you think it would solve the problem? Thanks for your input.

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisthe12c /forum/post/16983829


One last question, I have tried all settings and turning them on in every different sequence but I still have to turn the samsung stb on and off and then on for the sound(this is just to watch tv through the samsung tuner with the 2160 off) If I added a line from the Optical audio output of the stb to the input of the tv do you think it would solve the problem? Thanks for your input.

Oops, I was telling you to turn the 2160 and STB on/off in sequence, but it should have been the STB and TV! Sounds like that's what you tried... STB > TV?


If it's the typ. Samsung handshake deal, it seems to be only with HDMI, so connecting optical from STB to TV should work. I know when you use other than HDMI audio from the 2160 you need to turn HDMI Audio OFF, but not sure your STB has a similar setting so it sends audio only thru the optical and not the HDMI?

 

[dennisthe12c]

OK I know I keep promising but this should be the last question & thanks for your patience! I got a set of close-out Monster component cables ($7.00) at radio shack and they don't fit right (slightest movement and they will fall out of TV. Anyway I ordered new ones and I remembered you stressed that the recorder had to be unplugged when being hooked up. Is that the case? Will I loose all the settings,stations etc.? Should only take a few seconds but I don't want to do any damage. Thanks for the help!

 

[7558037]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dennisthe12c /forum/post/16990158


OK I know I keep promising but this should be the last question & thanks for your patience! I got a set of close-out Monster component cables ($7.00) at radio shack and they don't fit right (slightest movement and they will fall out of TV. Anyway I ordered new ones and I remembered you stressed that the recorder had to be unplugged when being hooked up. Is that the case? Will I loose all the settings,stations etc.? Should only take a few seconds but I don't want to do any damage. Thanks for the help!

I advise unplugging while connecting cables. If you set your Clock on Auto Clock ON or Manual (where you select one channel to get the time signal, as described in The 11:57 Procedure here ), you *should* have at least 2 min. of backup power while unplugged. Unplugged is the recommended method (it's the last step, Step 4, in the manual).


I've been lucky and connected cables while plugged in, but always OFF. If you do that, just watch what you're doing and don't go by feel (static electricity).

 

[dennisthe12c]

Unplugged and replaced the cables along with adding additional audio cables for the STB to tv and didn't lose a thing. Now the HDMI (stb to tv) works right away with no on-off resetting. Thanks for all the help and mom said to let you know she already has the record-erase for her soap down! Easier then the VCR haha.