DVR/DVD player hook-up

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 12:40 PM

OK, I've read every manual I can find, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I just got digital cable, with DVR (meaning cable box) not long ago. How do I get my DVD player into the system? I know it should be easy (in fact, until the other day I thought I had already accomplished it) but I'm missing something.

Then again, my DVD player (which worked just fine previously and is not that old---have gone through them like crazy) MIGHT not be working. So even if I'm doing it correctly I wouldn't know because nothing plays on the TV.

Argh...anyone have any simple suggestions as to hook-up, before I go out and buy a new DVD player only to find I was just stupid, after all?

glatt · 04-23-2009, 01:36 PM

I can't help you, but a few years ago, when our microwave stopped working, we bought another one. Only to find out that the first microwave was just fine. There was just not enough voltage in the outlet. We needed a new electrical service panel. The old one was corroded inside from water infiltration. A trip to town hall to pull a permit, one electrician, $1200, and one inspection later, we were just fine. Whee!

SteveDallas · 04-23-2009, 01:44 PM

Hard to know exactly without more details--but there are two basic ways to do this. One or both might work depending on what you have.

1. You have [at least] two appropriate inputs on your TV. Plug the cable box in one and the DVD in the other. Use your TV remote to switch from Input1 to Input2.

2. Your cable box is, I assume, already plugged in and working? If it has an external or aux jack you can plug your DVD player into that. In this case the cable box remote will have a switch to go between the cable TV and the aux input.

If you have choices, your best quality input is HDMI (note: don't pay a lot for a cable!); after that is Component (three separate plugs, red, green, & blue); then S-Video; then composite.

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 01:55 PM

Yes, the cable box is working. I thought I had hooked the DVD player into the box: when I lifted up the box to see which holes the red/white/yellow thingy was in I think it shocked me!

OK, so there is the regular hook-up cable, AND the red/white/yellow? I"m so confused. Perhaps I should revisit this when I am home.

Thanks guys!

SteveDallas · 04-23-2009, 02:32 PM

If by "regular hookup cable" you mean the "cable tv" kind of cable, black (most often) with a copper wire poking out of the center and a collar to screw into the jac, that's coax. A lot of DVD players etc. will have that as well as the red/white/yellow. (That's the composite video + 2 audio channels.) You can use either one with whatever hookup you have. Quality will be better if you use the red/white/yellow.

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 02:35 PM

Yeah, I knew it was a coaxial, I just didn't know what to do with it. (That sounds funny.)

So it's one or the other? And the red/white/yellow goes into the cable box, not the TV?

SteveDallas · 04-23-2009, 02:41 PM

I suppose you could plug in both, though there wouldn't be much point.

You can plug it into to the cable box or the TV if you have the available jacks. I'd go for the TV if you can--running it through one more box will cut down the signal quality somewhat.

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 02:42 PM

OK, thanks sleeve. I'll try it when I get home.

PS...I'm starting to think my DVD player is shot. I've been through like 4 of them in 6 years. grumble grumble.

lumberjim · 04-23-2009, 02:57 PM

MEANWHILE, IN MY SICK MIND

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 03:07 PM

Well if THAT's going on when I get home I'm leaving.

SteveDallas · 04-23-2009, 05:23 PM

This is a perfect illustration of

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve's First Rule of Cellar Posting

There's no point to restraining yourself from posting an off-color interpretation or double entendre based on another post. If you don't say it, somebody else will.

(Props to LJ though... I wouldn't have illustrated it.)

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 05:37 PM

That is such a great rule. Sometimes I kick myself. "What's that?" you say? "You hold back?"

Anyway, it's always something. I started looking at the hookups. I think it might be my DVD player, because the timer will run for a little while after I start the DVD then it says "root." WTF is root? So I find the manual, look in troubleshooting. Nothing about root. So I realize I was looking at the manual for my old DVD player. I look up my DVD player on the internet, find the guide, pull up the pdf, and forgot that something is wrong with my Adobe and pdfs only stay up for a minute or so before it crashes.

So I guess I have to uninstall and reinstall Adobe. Reboot. Get online. Find the manual. Hope it says wtf "root" means, and then I'll know if I need a new DVD player, or I am, as originally pondered, stupid.

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 07:22 PM

There was nothing in the manual about it. I went to the manufacturer and asked the online help. They'll notify me if someone answers.

classicman · 04-23-2009, 07:39 PM

I found this online - I know NOTHING about these things though.

Quote:

The dvd root folder is essentially a folder called: VIDEO_TS ... This folder contains all the essential dvd video files and navigation information.

Shawnee123 · 04-23-2009, 07:53 PM

I saw that, that doesn't tell me anything about why that word is coming up on the LED display, I'm guessing the answer will be connected to that. Thanks.

04-23-2009, 12:40 PM	#1
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	DVR/DVD player hook-up OK, I've read every manual I can find, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I just got digital cable, with DVR (meaning cable box) not long ago. How do I get my DVD player into the system? I know it should be easy (in fact, until the other day I thought I had already accomplished it) but I'm missing something. Then again, my DVD player (which worked just fine previously and is not that old---have gone through them like crazy) MIGHT not be working. So even if I'm doing it correctly I wouldn't know because nothing plays on the TV. Argh...anyone have any simple suggestions as to hook-up, before I go out and buy a new DVD player only to find I was just stupid, after all? __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

04-23-2009, 01:44 PM	#3
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Hard to know exactly without more details--but there are two basic ways to do this. One or both might work depending on what you have. 1. You have [at least] two appropriate inputs on your TV. Plug the cable box in one and the DVD in the other. Use your TV remote to switch from Input1 to Input2. 2. Your cable box is, I assume, already plugged in and working? If it has an external or aux jack you can plug your DVD player into that. In this case the cable box remote will have a switch to go between the cable TV and the aux input. If you have choices, your best quality input is HDMI (note: don't pay a lot for a cable!); after that is Component (three separate plugs, red, green, & blue); then S-Video; then composite. Last edited by SteveDallas; 04-23-2009 at 02:29 PM. Reason: Boneheaded mis-labelling of one cable type

04-23-2009, 01:55 PM	#4
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Yes, the cable box is working. I thought I had hooked the DVD player into the box: when I lifted up the box to see which holes the red/white/yellow thingy was in I think it shocked me! OK, so there is the regular hook-up cable, AND the red/white/yellow? I"m so confused. Perhaps I should revisit this when I am home. Thanks guys! __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

04-23-2009, 02:35 PM	#6
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Yeah, I knew it was a coaxial, I just didn't know what to do with it. (That sounds funny.) So it's one or the other? And the red/white/yellow goes into the cable box, not the TV? __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

04-23-2009, 02:42 PM	#8
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	OK, thanks sleeve. I'll try it when I get home. PS...I'm starting to think my DVD player is shot. I've been through like 4 of them in 6 years. grumble grumble. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby Last edited by Shawnee123; 04-23-2009 at 02:47 PM.

04-23-2009, 01:36 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I can't help you, but a few years ago, when our microwave stopped working, we bought another one. Only to find out that the first microwave was just fine. There was just not enough voltage in the outlet. We needed a new electrical service panel. The old one was corroded inside from water infiltration. A trip to town hall to pull a permit, one electrician, $1200, and one inspection later, we were just fine. Whee!

04-23-2009, 02:32 PM	#5
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	If by "regular hookup cable" you mean the "cable tv" kind of cable, black (most often) with a copper wire poking out of the center and a collar to screw into the jac, that's coax. A lot of DVD players etc. will have that as well as the red/white/yellow. (That's the composite video + 2 audio channels.) You can use either one with whatever hookup you have. Quality will be better if you use the red/white/yellow.

04-23-2009, 02:41 PM	#7
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I suppose you could plug in both, though there wouldn't be much point. You can plug it into to the cable box or the TV if you have the available jacks. I'd go for the TV if you can--running it through one more box will cut down the signal quality somewhat.

04-23-2009, 02:57 PM	#9
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	MEANWHILE, IN MY SICK MIND Attached Images __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

04-23-2009, 03:07 PM	#10
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Well if THAT's going on when I get home I'm leaving. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

04-23-2009, 05:37 PM	#12
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	That is such a great rule. Sometimes I kick myself. "What's that?" you say? "You hold back?" Anyway, it's always something. I started looking at the hookups. I think it might be my DVD player, because the timer will run for a little while after I start the DVD then it says "root." WTF is root? So I find the manual, look in troubleshooting. Nothing about root. So I realize I was looking at the manual for my old DVD player. I look up my DVD player on the internet, find the guide, pull up the pdf, and forgot that something is wrong with my Adobe and pdfs only stay up for a minute or so before it crashes. So I guess I have to uninstall and reinstall Adobe. Reboot. Get online. Find the manual. Hope it says wtf "root" means, and then I'll know if I need a new DVD player, or I am, as originally pondered, stupid. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

04-23-2009, 07:22 PM	#13
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	There was nothing in the manual about it. I went to the manufacturer and asked the online help. They'll notify me if someone answers. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

04-23-2009, 07:53 PM	#15
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I saw that, that doesn't tell me anything about why that word is coming up on the LED display, I'm guessing the answer will be connected to that. Thanks. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

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