How to connect Set Top Box

Connecting Set-Top box to TV and VHS/DVD Player
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There are 3 hardware that need to be connected here.
i) TV set (analog, non-digital)
ii) Set top box (for receiving digital TV stations onto non-digital TV)
iii) VHS Recorder / DVD player combo.

Requirements - what we want:
i) To be able to view non-digital TV stations
ii) To be able to view digital tv stations
iii) To be able to use VHS recorder player to record both digital and non-digital stations.
iv) To be able to play DVD.

I am writing here to share my experience after I bought the set top box. I already had the TV and the VHS/DVD unit before. Basically, on top of the old functionalities, I wanted to view Digital TV as well as record it after I bought the set top box.

The connections are very simple once I figured it out - but initially, the instructions did not make much sense. Here is the KEY - the TV as well as the VHS/DVD units have multiple inputs for video signal known as AV1, AV2, etc. Once I understood this, everything became easy.

Connection TYpe: We will be using the 3 plug (RCA) Composite cables.
Red and White are for audio, Yellow is for the Video signal.

TV aerial:
i) Connect Wall Antenna to set top box (IN) with one TV cable.
ii) Connect the set top box (OUT) to the VHS/DVD unit (IN) with a second TV cable.

This is like chaining the antenna from wall to set top box to video recorder.

Set top box to VHS/DVD: connect this together via the composite cable (red-white-yellow plugs) from the output of the set top box to AV1 (input) of the VHS/DVD unit.

VHS/DVD to TV: Use a second set of composite cable to connect from the VHS/DVD unit (OUT) to an input on the TV set (eg another AV1).

What's Happening? Essentially the analog TV signal first goes to the set top box which converts to analog signal. From the set top box, the raw analog TV signal (analog TV channels) is re-transferred to the VHS player. The composite cable from set top box to VHS unit carries the digital TV channels.

Since the VHS/DVD player now has both analog and digital tv stations, the key to access both is that:
i) analog channels are accessed by switching the channels on the VHS/DVD unit.
ii) digiatal channels require the VHS/DVD unit to use AV1 or AV2 depending on which port you plug the 3 cables to the unit.
iii) the VHS can record both analog and digital channels.

VHS/DVD to TV: This requires one connection only using the 3plug composite cable. The signal from the VHS/DVD unit (OUT) to the TV (IN AV1, or IN AV2) can carry both analog and digital channels. So both analog and digital channels are available. Note that the AV1 or AV2 here belongs to the TV, and is different to the AV1 of the VHS/DVD unit. We must select AV1, or AV2, in order to get the signals from the VHS/DVD player.


Operating the Remote Controls
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There are 3 remote controls, let's call them:
RC-STB for Set Top Box
RC-DVD for DVD
RC-TV for analog TV

The operation described works for the specific connections that I have described above. If you choose different connections, eg using AV2 instead of AV1, then you have to operate the Remote Control accordingly.

1. Switch on TV, DVD/VHS and Set Top Box in any order
2. Use RC-TV to select the TV's AV1 - never change this again.
3. For viewing or recording Digital TV signals (analog and digital from Set Top Box),
- use RC-DVD and select VHS in the VHS/DVD option buttons
- use RC-DVD and select A1 (stands for AV1)
- use RC-STB to flip through the digital channels and/or record to VHS tape.
4. For viewing or recording Analog TV signals (raw analog signal)
- use RC-DVD and flip through 1,2,3, etc..... and view and/or record to VHS tape.
- no need to use RC-STB at all here.