Possible to record DSTV, through a VCR?

Rickster

Rickster

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This random question came to me last night,is it possible?

Although its silly, I would just like to know. :)
 
You will need a video capture card in your PC with lots of hard disk space. Or a VCR (do you still get them?).
 
Yes, of course it is possible. Just need to run the signal through the VCR.
We're talking the normal RF Cable output of course.
 
Supposedly later model VCR's had the same anti-copy measures as DVD recorders so it may vary from VCR to VCR.
 
I have a TV-card in my PC and splitter on decoder. I can therefor connect the the decoder on another TV/PC too.
The player that came with TV-card package has the option to record, so you can record anything that comes off your TV/decoder.
There are also settings for image size (recording).

THE VHS/VCR one, sure you can. I remember we use to play PS1 through the VCR, and record our Tony Hawk sessions just to record/listen to the music actually. Fun times.
 
DSTV TO VHS VCR CONNECTION

You can connect a DSTV to a VHS VCR for recording purposes by two different means:

Option 1 - Lower Quality - Mono Audio
Connect your outside Terrestrial Antenna co-axial cable into the RF / Aerial In socket of your DSTV Decoder (preferably use a lightning protection multi plug strip for RF / Aerial in - LNB IN, and power - especially when you are in a high lightning strike zone.)

Then connect the RF/ Aerial output of the DSTV decoder into VCR RF / Aerial Input socket of your VHS VCR. Connect the RF / Aerial output of the VCR into the TV set's RF / AERIAL input socket. Make sure the TV set has a channel preset tuned into the VHS VCR's RF output frequency - normally preset to UHF 36.

Tune in a spare channel preset of the VHS VCR to pick up the DSTV's RF signal - usually it is set to UHF 46 - unless this causes RF interference with other TV channels and needs to be changed to a different frequency.

Option 2 - Higher quality - Stereo Audio
Connect a 3 x RCA Cable (Yellow - AV OUT / White - Left Audio Out / Red - Right Audio Out) from the AV1 outputs at the back of the DSTV decoder (older models had separate Audio Outputs for FIXED or VARIABLE - use FIXED if available)

Then plug the other end of the 3 x RCA cable into the VHS VCR's AV 1 / AUX 1 / LINE IN 1 inputs as follows:
Yellow - AV IN / White - Left Audio In / Red - Right Audio In (if you have a Hi-Fi Stereo VHS VCR) - or get a 2 x 1 RCA inline adaptor for the audio input if it is a Mono VHS VCR and plug the Red / White RCA connectors into this - then plug the adaptor into the White Mono Audio In socket of the VHS VCR.

Set the INPUT SOURCE selector of your VHS VCR to AV 1 / AUX 1 / LINE IN 1 to receive the DSTV AV OUTPUT signal.

Preferably also connect another set of 3 x RCA cables from the VHS VCR 's AV OUT sockets to the TV set's AV / AUX inputs using the same procedure as followed for the VHS AV inputs - depending on whether it is a Mono or Hi-Fi Stereo VHS VCR, to enable you to watch it more clearly on the TV set as well.

PLEASE NOTE:

With BOTH options as detailed above - make sure that you have set the DSTV decoder to MAXIMUM volume and that you have not pressed the AUDIO MUTE button - or you will get a recording with NO sound on it!
 
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