View Full Version : Old VCR New TV


ponytail
03-15-2014, 09:15 PM
Mom got a new LED TV, she has a 11 year old VCR. We did get an antenna too. We tried hooking it up. Nothing. Obviously the input jack colors do not match. The input colors on the TV are Green, Blue, Red and White. The VCR colors are Red, White and Yellow. The guy at Best Buy said to put yellow into the Green. It did not work.

So what should she do? Buy a DVR player to record. And buy a new VCR/DVD to watch her old VHS tapes and dvd's? She has no cable.

Zoneboy
03-15-2014, 09:32 PM
Did you select the proper source? I'll assume you did but just wanted to ask.

ponytail
03-15-2014, 10:10 PM
On the TV is says input, I clicked that and it says that the input is invalid and shows a picture of the blue, green, red and white. It says we have to have those colors. Why do they make something so simple, so difficult? Now the owners manual which is on a disk, which I hate, click menu on your remote control and select mode. That never appeared, so I can't even find that. Well anyway we got frustrated with it all and put it back in the box. Maybe we will work on it later. It is not user-friendly. It is a LG 24" LED TV.

Signing off for the night, maybe someone will suggest what to do.

Thanks!

Zoneboy
03-15-2014, 10:14 PM
Ok, we just got one recently and it has 5 input selections, video, HDMI 1 & 2. antenna and pc.

robyrob
03-16-2014, 09:06 AM
ahh the pain of new technology - always leaving the older tech in the dust

the red-blue-green is component video - it needs all three (the green is just the light channel, no color signal)

the yellow is the composite video, the white and red are your stereo audio channels

what you are trying to do is difficult because it is not a matter of just a connector adapter; it requires a digital conversion (which means a chipset is involved, and that means $$) through something like this http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity%C2%AE-Composite-S-video-Converter-Upscaler/dp/B00B2B9Z20 or http://www.amazon.com/Video-Signal-Converter-Composite-1080P/dp/B00HXRUQ5M (these actually convert to an HDMI signal -not ideal, but might be simpler than some of the more expensive converters - however it may only output a stretched widescreen signal)

if the new tv has an antenna input, you would be better off converting the composite video to an RF signal (the screw-in type adapter that your antenna or cable connects to) with something like this http://www.amazon.com/Audiovox-Corporation-CRF907R-Compact-Modulator/dp/B0014KKV7W/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394974253&sr=1-1&keywords=composite+to+RF - it is just a simple switching RF modulator that you should be able to find at any electronics store

assuming you are connecting an antenna, you will need a switch to select between the antenna and the VCR.

if you are getting no signal with the antenna, it is because the TV is expecting a digital signal and you are connecting an analog antenna, which means you are going to need to get a digital converter box

does the VCR have the screw-in type RF connector output? if so that is probably your simplest connection.

ponytail
03-16-2014, 09:49 AM
does the VCR have the screw-in type RF connector output? if so that is probably your simplest connection.


Yes it does. We may give the RF modulator a try or just buy new. Thanks so much robyrob!