I recently ordered and picked up a DVR for my TV. I have tried every possible configuration (well, apparently not) but have not been able to get a picture on my TV. It works perfectly with the STB, but replacing that with the DVR has been a total frustration. Yes, I have read all the different Technical Help info and the DVR User Guide. I feel totally stupid and need your help!
Here's my set-up: I have a console TV (digital, Standard Definition) with one coaxial cable outlet and three component outlets. The DVR has one coaxial cable outlet and three component outlets. The component cable that I have has two white video wires (one solid white, one white with red stripe) and four audio wires (red, white, green and blue). Plus, of course, the FIOS cable from the wall which has a splitter which connects to the wireless modem and either the TV or DVR.
PLEASE tell me what should be connected to what before I pull my hair out!! Thank you so much!!
So you have a STB and a seperate DVR? What is the make and model of the DVR?
Your color coding makes no sense. In general the Audio cables have red and white connectors on them.
Composite Video is usually Yellow
S-Video isn't color coded, but an S-Video cable won't fit into anything except an S-Video jack.
Component Video Cables are usually color code as Red, Blue and Green because those are the colors output from the DVR via Component Video. On the DVR all outputs are usually active simultaneously, so you can connect the STB to different AV inputs on the TV via different interfaces on the DVR, and they will all work. I suggest you start with the simplest, which is just Coax from the DVR to the TV antenna input.
There are basically 4 ways you can connect the TV:
You can run Coax from the Set Top Box to the TV, and tune the TV to channel 3 or 4. That will provided the lowest quality picture/sound.
You can go via the A/V inputs.
On the back of the DVR is an RCA jack marked Video OUt. This goes to a yellow RCA jack on the back of your Television.
You then need to connect the audio. Usually this is done with two cables, one color coded red, the other white. Connect red to red and white to white, and you now Composite video with Stereo sound. Set the TV to the AV input that corresponds to the connectors you are using on the TV.
For improved video, you can replace the composite video signal with S-Video. You run the S-Video (or S-VHS) cable (which is a different beast than any of the other cables you might be using) from the output on the back of the DVR marked S-Video to the connector on the back of the TV it fits in. Generally there is only 1 jack that it will fit in. Make sure you connect the audio cables (red and white) to the corresponding red and white connectors on the back the TV. This will provide significantly higher quality video than either the Coax, or Composite Video.
Finally if you have the connection for component input, the connectors on the back of the DVR are usually marked Pb which is blue, Pr which is red and Y or G which is Green. Component video usually comes as a set of 3 cables and are usually color coded as Red, Green and Blue.
Make sure you connect Blue to Blue, Red to Red and G to G. It is possible to connect the Red audio cable to the Red Video input. You probably won't hurt anything, but you will get a picture with no Red if you do, and nothing but static on the audio channel you have connected the video to.
YOu will need to connect the audio cables to the same input that has component inputs. Note that relatively few SD television actually have Component input, and those that do will usually only run 480i. You then must set the STB to output 480i.
This is somewhat difficult to do when the TV doesn't work at all. So I suggest you connect the TV to the STB via either Coax or composite Video to set the STB to 480i output. ONce that is done, you can select the AV input on the TV that corresponds to component video. and if you have connected it properly, it all should work.
Sometimes a picture helps. Try this, or Google others if this one isn't quite right:
http://www.diyaudioandvideo.com/TV/Wiring/
Good luck.
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