How to Connect a DVD Recorder to a Television

This article explains how to connect your DVD recorder to your TV, whether you have cable, satellite, or Over-the-Air Antenna as a TV source. We also include tips on how to hook up the DVD recorder to a Dolby 5.1 surround sound system. Information here applies to TVs from a variety of manufacturers, including LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, and Vizio.

Connect a DVD Recorder to a TV

Here's how to connect your DVD recorder to your TV.

The first step to connecting a DVD recorder to your TV is to determine what type of connection you want to make between the TV source (cable, satellite, antenna), the DVD recorder and the TV. This is usually determined by the outputs and inputs available on the DVD recorder and the TV.

Useful Tips for a Successful Connection

If cable TV is coming in directly from the wall with no cable box, the only option is to connect the Coaxial cable to the RF input on the DVD recorder and then output to the TV using either RF, composite, S-Video, or Component audio and video cables.
Some DVD recorders require you to make an RF connection as well as an A/V connection in order to use the Electronic Programming Guide (for example, Panasonic DVD recorders that include the TV Guide On Screen EPG). Always check the owner's manual before making connections.
Feel free to use connection combinations when hooking up your DVD recorder. For example, you can connect from the TV source to the DVD recorder using a coaxial (RF) connection and then output using S-Video and RCA Audio to the TV.
Make sure if you are using A/V cables to connect the DVD recorder to a TV, that you change to the appropriate input on the TV.
Use the best cables you can for connections. Video cables from the lowest to the highest quality are RF, composite, S-Video, Component. Which cables you use will be determined by the types of outputs and inputs on the DVD recorder and the TV.

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