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Old 17th Jan 2021, 3:43 pm   #1
Ray_Singh
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Default Shameful question about video recorders

Dear Friends.

I am ashamed of myself as i type this question to you. I hope that you will all fogive me. I conder myself an engineer and have a degree in radio frquency electronics. I worked for Nokia in the R&D area for 20 years - so should know the answer to this question....

A neighbour has given me a Sharp Video/DVD combo that he has had for years. Its a decent unit which he tells me he paid big money for in the old days.

Its a Sharp DV-RW250 and I have been playing with it for a couple of days. I took the opportunity to dig out my old vhs tapes from when i was a lad to test it and was worried when my wife and kids sat down to see what was on these tapes. Thank the lord that it was only some old english wrestling (big daddy) and a 808 state concert. It could have been a lot worse like the good morning britan swimsuit edition!!

Anyway, the neighbour complains that he cant record from the TV. Now i thought that I will experiment, but had a flash of inspiration in my afternoon nap just now.
With the Digital switchover, are these units rendundant from recording from the TV?

Any help appreciated.

Rav

P.S - the unit is here: https://www.sharp.co.uk/cps/rde/xbcr...250H_OM_GB.pdf
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 3:57 pm   #2
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

The Sharp DV-RW250 is designed for analogue RF signals, so won't actually tune in to any digital broadcast and definately won't record it. If you want to record digital broadcast signals with this unit, you will need a digibox of some description that can receive the digital signal and either re-send the signal back out as analogue RF or use it's video/audio signals output to connect to the video/audio inputs on the Sharp unit.
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 3:58 pm   #3
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

In a word, yes. A set top box to RF may be the way out though.
 
Old 17th Jan 2021, 4:00 pm   #4
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

AS far I can this unit does not a tuner that will tune to Digital signals from digital transmitter . You can connect a free view box to your unit with scart lead then selects the AV1 or Av2 input on your unit. If Scart lead is connected to the tv and the DVD/ Vcr Then it should be able to record again using the A/V inputs on the DVD/VCR. Providing that the Tv as a built in Freeview tuner
Hope this might help
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Last edited by 1955APREN; 17th Jan 2021 at 4:03 pm. Reason: Crossed with merlinmaxwell
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 4:02 pm   #5
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Some units that I have seen like this do have unexpected modern features such as HDMI-out and DVB (Digital Terrestrial) tuners.

However on looking through the manual you linked to there is no mention of DVB capability on this unit so I think you are correct to assume that it only has an analogue tuner which is no longer served by any transmissions in the UK.

If you can find a set-top Digital Terrestrial or FreeSAT box with a SCART output then it ought to be possible to connect that to the AV or SCART inputs on that unit and record off air signals that way. Not ideal, because the recording timer on the recorder unit will have no control over the set-top box (no way to choose the channel to record, for instance).

Edit: Crossed with everyone else.
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 4:31 pm   #6
Ray_Singh
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

You are all scholars, and gentlemen!!
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 5:32 pm   #7
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Mr Singh - please do not be concerned about not knowing the answer - as the years advance, memories fade and so much new 'stuff' comes along, it is quite impossible to deal with everything!
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 5:34 pm   #8
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Quote:
Originally Posted by lesmw0sec View Post
Mr Singh - please do not be concerned about not knowing the answer - as the years advance, memories fade and so much new 'stuff' comes along, it is quite impossible to deal with everything!
Further to my last - it might help to know I get puzzled these days as to how some stuff which I designed in the past, works...
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 5:38 pm   #9
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Also the new stuff goes obsolete before you even noticed it arriving, and standards do not seem to last for very long. The level of confusion the average consumer must have reached is terrifying.

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Old 17th Jan 2021, 6:47 pm   #10
Ray_Singh
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You are all too kind....
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 6:52 pm   #11
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

The only stupid question is the one not asked. There are numerous instances of giant projects failing dramatically because people were embarrassed to ask. Besides, anyone who was enough of a knuckle-dragger to try to big themselves up at your expense would quickly have a moderator on their case round here.
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 7:10 pm   #12
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

I'm a little confused. Who now has the Sharp combo? You or your neighbour? If your neighbour then what has previously been said holds, if you have it and your neighbour can't record on another device then you have to check the aerial connections.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 4:00 pm   #13
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Hello. Like the other members mentioned, the tuner found in VCRs can only receive analogue PAL, SECAM or NTSC signals depending on the region, and not the DVB-T or ATSC digital TV standards that are used today. The way you can record onto VHS these days is by using a digital set-top box receiver that has a composite (RCA) or SCART output. Even if the TV box only has an HDMI output, you can still make VHS or DVD recordings off the air by using an HDMI to composite video converter.

Regards,

Fivos
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 5:40 pm   #14
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Yes, digital TV transmissions came in just as VHS recorders started to become rarer, so as far as I know, there were never any videos with inbuilt DVB-T tuners (though I'm willing to be corrected on that). It's not impossible that a company like Amstrad or Bush cobbled something together though.

Even the early DVD and HDD recorders had analogue-only tuners, the DVB-T tuners being reserved for the premium models until not long before the analogue switch-off.

You can indeed add an external Freeview box or similar, but would it really be worth it other than as a bit of fun? Systems like YouView [i.e. Freeview with a hard drive recorder and a programme schedule-based user interface] are just much more convenient.

Nick.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 7:42 pm   #15
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

I am using a Panasonic DMR-EZ45V VCR/DVD Recorder which has a freeview tuner built in and works well. I still use VHS for time shifting the odd program worth watching. Unfortunately Pan removed the RF out modulator but did provide HMDI output. (No use to me) So i fitted a separate modulator from a scrap VCR inside and found the correct supply rails to run it. Very useful when your main set is a BRC 2000.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 8:19 pm   #16
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

I think the Funai / Toshiba combined HDD / Disc / VHS recorder machines have DVB tuners and HDMI-out, but these are probably exceptions to the rule. Most (all?) VCR-only machines won't have DVB tuners.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 8:19 pm   #17
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Interesting, David and Siriushardware, thank you for the correction.
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Old 19th Jan 2021, 11:56 am   #18
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

I can't say I've ever seen a DVB-T tuner on a stand-alone VCR.
However as Sirius says, the Toshiba/Funai combis did and most after the RDXV45 had HDMI as well. Likewise most of the later Panasonic EX series combis had a digital tuner as well as HDMI which is what you'd expect from Panasonic.
Incidentally there were some CRT TVs with DVB by Samsung, LG,. Hitachi, Toshiba and Sony, though time soon caught up with the software.
With typical Vestel ingenuity, their TVs had an uncased digibox strapped inside the cabinet with a SCART lead going to a socket turned through 90 degrees and a spare mains feed! Crude but effective.
We had quite a lucrative time upgrading Hitachi's flagship TV range with flash memory cards, though they soon realised they could actually tell the customer how to do it.
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Old 19th Jan 2021, 12:05 pm   #19
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

Quote:
Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak View Post
With typical Vestel ingenuity, their TVs had an uncased digibox strapped inside the cabinet with a SCART lead going to a socket turned through 90 degrees and a spare mains feed!
That's what I was alluding to in post 14. I thought they might have done it with a VHS video machine too.
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Old 19th Jan 2021, 6:09 pm   #20
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Default Re: Shameful question about video recorders

This reminds me of the LG CRT TVs that had a slightly modified Pace Sky Digibox inside that apparently broke a convention that Sky functionality would not be integrated into a TV.
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