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Sound advice: Hooking up converter box poses problems

For the Minnesota Star Tribune
June 22, 2008 at 9:02PM

Q I hope you can answer my many questions about the new digital TV converter boxes. Probably a lot of your readers will soon be interested in this.

My first problem is that the VCR won't work. I hooked up the antenna to the box and the white and yellow cables from the box into the white and yellow connections on the VCR. I also hooked up the cable coming from the box directly into the TV. This TV has only one input for an antenna.

The VCR won't play a tape or go to TV when not playing. I also tried connecting a splitter to the back of the TV, with the VCR and the converter box cables into it. Same result. I also tried connecting the box cable into the VCR antenna in, and the VCR out into the TV. Still no working VCR.

The second problem is that the VCR will play tapes, but it won't switch to TV programs, so all I get is a blue screen. I hooked up the red, white and yellow cables from the box to the connections on the VCR in. I hooked up an additional set of red, white and yellow cables from the VCR into the corresponding connections on the back of the TV. The antenna goes into the converter box, and the box cable goes into the TV.

What gives?

BARBARA GESSNER, FREMONT, CALIF.

A You are correct that many readers are interested in this. I have received a lot of e-mail recently about converter box confusion. Just reading yours made my head spin.

To solve all your problems, you need to stick with one set of connections and settings for the TV and VCR. I recommend using the Channel 3 output to keep things simple. (If Channel 3 is a broadcast network in your area, use Channel 4.)

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First, set the converter box to output on Channel 3 and the VCR to output on Channel 3.

Next, set the TV to Channel 3 and set the VCR to tune Channel 3. Use a single 75-ohm cable (the big one, as in cable TV) to connect the output of the box to the input on the VCR, and another single 75-ohm cable from the output of the VCR to the input on the TV.

The key here is setting everything to Channel 3. If you don't, the box, VCR and TV won't be on the same wavelength and won't "see" each other.

Turn on the box, VCR and TV. On the VCR, set TV/VCR to TV. Now the VCR will pass the signal from the box to the TV uninterrupted as you tune your stations using the converter box. When using a digital box, the VCR tuner will never be used, and if you change the VCR away from Channel 3, it will stop your signal right there. Always keep the VCR on Channel 3.

When you play a tape, just set the VCR to VCR and press play. It will output on Channel 3 and your TV will pick it up.

Submit questions and read past columns at www.soundadviceblog.com.

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DON LINDICH

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