The DVD Recorder I have is an old model - one side of it is DVD recording and the other side of it is VHS recording. As it's years old, I'm sure it doesn't have "QAM" tuning.
That isn't a big deal. Even if it did have QAM tuning, it would only be able to record your local channels (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS, etc.) by itself.
Specifically, what I want to do is record a TV show or movie from FIOS onto a DVD disk. I'm thinking the channels I'd be interested in recording to VHS tape or a DVD disk are the History Channel, Discovery Channel, TV Land, etc. No premium channels.
It doesn't matter which channels you want to record. Your DVD recorder, from the sounds of it, does not have any type of digital tuner (most don't), meaning it won't be able to pick up any signal just connected to your wall with cable like it would with another cable provider that leaves chs. 1-99 in analog.
So what you're essentially going to have to do is connect your cable from the wall to the STB (as usual) and then use composite (Red, Yellow, White) or component cables (Green, Blue, Red, Red, White) from your STB to your DVD recorder, and then more composite or component cables from your DVD recorder to your TV.
What you will need to do is set your DVD recorder to record from "line in" or something like that; you will not actually be using the channel numbers on your DVD recorder to tune to a channel. Turning it to "line in" means it will pick up whatever the STB is outputting to your TV.
Then, to view what's actually on the screen of your DVD recorder, you turn your TV to "composite" or "input" or whatever connection you used for that leg.
Then you press record, and your DVD recorder will record whatever your STB is outputting. So if you're changing the channel on your STB, then the DVD will record your channel guide popping up when you change the channel. This means you will need to have your STB tuned to whatever channel you want to record at the time you are recording; it doesn't matter if your TV is actually on to view it or not.
With the standard triple play package I bought, and the standard SD box, will I be able to record from these stations onto a DVD disk?
Again, the package or the STB you bought has no impact on your ability of your DVD recorder to pickup video output from your STB.
If not, what are my options? Does FIOS' DVR equipment give you the ability to record to a DVD disk (using my old recorder)? Or can I only record over the air stations like ABC, NBC, etc.?
Like I said above, your DVD recorder is essentially acting as a TV, picking up a signal from your STB. So it doesn't matter which type of STB you use because every one in the world has to be able to output video; it is indiscriminate whether it outputs to a TV, a VCR, a DVD recorder, or a combination thereof. It is going to output to your DVD whatever it is outputting to your TV, which will include the menu if you hit "menu" or the guide if you hit "guide." Whatever is displayed on your screen. Verizon couldn't stop customers from recording to DVD even if they wanted to; as long as you have video being displayed from a STB onto a TV it is recordable.
I used to have Charter cable, which had Scientific Atlanta boxes that were capable of outputting DVR'd video to a VCR or DVD recorder while playing something else on the screen. But the Verizon Motorola boxes don't have that feature.
Is there another type of DVD recorder I need to buy to be able to record these channels from FIO onto a DVD disk?
Thanks.
Quite honestly, if you're just recording shows onto DVD to watch them the same day, and then deleting them (i.e. not storing or archiving the DVDs), then you might be better off just getting a DVR. It has 20x the storage capacity of a DVD and in most cases is "set it and forget it;" it will record seasons of shows and then organize them neatly on your STB itself, so you don't have to go fumbling back and forth with the TV's inputs just to get to watch your recorded DVD.
I used to have a DVD recorder and did what you did, but that was four years ago. In fact, most that I've read on tech sites say that the DVR has mostly killed off the DVD recorder market, which is why you see less and less of them in stores.
