I don't know anything about this stuff. Complete newbie. I noticed on the box it said something about an "external tuner" being needed. I asked the salesperson and he assured me that a particular item would suit my needs. He gave me something called an "RF modulator." I assumed he knew what he was talking about. He had to know more than I do, at any rate.
So I paid for everything and then lugged this huge box all the way home on the bus. I tried to hook it up. And tried. And tried. I can get a DVD and a videotape to play. I can dub stuff. But what I can't do is get TV stations to come in via the new machine. It just keeps giving me a blank screen.
Which I suppose must be the part where I need that "external tuner." Apparently, the RF modulator the salesperson promised would make the thing work is NOT what I need. Rather than go right back to the store, which is a pain considering it takes ages to get there and back on the bus and I'm afraid I'll just get incorrect information again, I thought I would ask here first.
What in the world is an external tuner? Is it called by any other name? Is it the same thing as a "TV tuner" or is it different? What should I ask for at the store that will fix my problem? I don't trust the salespeople anymore, to be honest. If I can go in asking for a specific item instead of leaving it to them to tell me (and maybe be wrong again), I'd feel a lot better. If possible, can someone link me to a webpage that contains the sort of item I need to buy. Or any info that would help me.
BTW, I don't know if this info is necessary or helpful, but:
I have regular cable (not digital), my TV is analog, I have a VCR hooked up to the TV, and there is no cable box. The cable just connects right into the rear of the TV set and I tune the channels using the TV remote or else I turn the VCR on and tune using the VCR remote.
i'm just kinda guessing here but my assumptions would be:
1. "external tuner" - my guess - the unit you bought has no internal TV channels so it needs to have them plugged into it from an external source like an "external tuner" - or your "cable" - since apparently you "have cable" my guess is that you did not really need the "external tuner". (apparently the vcr machine you already have DOES have its own internal channels)
2. my guess would further be that you need to plug "the cable" into the back of the new unit, thus supplying it with channels that you can record off of and then plug the new unit into the TV set and then tune the tv set to channel 3 or 4 or "input" and then watch the cable channels through the tv set that way - tuning the channels with the new unit.
3. you need to READ THE DIRECTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE NEW UNIT and see if any of this is right - good luck.
I read the directions. Repeatedly. Like they say, if I connect the machine directly to the cable and the TV, I can ONLY watch DVDs or VCRs. I can't receive TV channels that way. I've tried many times with no success. There's an onscreen guide where I can set the clock, edit menus, etc., so I know the thing works to some extent.
The Toshiba website was of no assistance. Their 1-800 number provided no help, as I kept getting people with accents so thick I could barely understand them and they also gave me inaccurate info (one person insisted my cable must be out of order, even though it works fine as long as the DVR is NOT hooked up to it). The cable company said they couldn't help and referred me to the product manufacturer. I can't find anyone or anything that CAN help.
Originally posted by barbaro2: I read the directions. Repeatedly. Like they say, if I connect the machine directly to the cable and the TV, I can ONLY watch DVDs or VCRs. I can't receive TV channels that way.
The machine is operating as designed and you pretty much answered your own question. The thing doesn't have a tuner. My suggestion is you pack it all up real nice and take it back to the store for a refund. If you purchased this thing with the intention of recording television content, you bought the wrong box. You could make it work by using your VCR as the tuner and using A/V cables, but it would all be very cumbersome. So again, just return the thing to the store, you bought the wrong item.
Most of the recorders sold in the stores today don't have a tuner because of the transition from analog NTSC to digital ATSC. Anything sold with a tuner must have a digital ATSC tuner. Many manufacturers decided to not have any tuner until the transition takes effect. The recorders that do have a tuner only have a digital ATSC tuner, so your analog cable wouldn't work.
