Why can't I get a DVD player to work in my old video stack?

Question

Since I never watch TV except for baseball games, I haven't updated my video stack in decades; could the obsolescence of my equipment be the source of my problem?  I have an old, non-cable-ready TV and two VCRs.  The cable goes into one VCR, then the second VCR, then the TV using coaxial cable, and I tune the channels using a VCR's tuner.  The VCRs are also hooked up in series using the in and out jacks, which allows copying from one VCR to the other.
I got tired of watching DVDs on my computer, so I bought a DVD player to plug into my video stack.  I connected it via the output and input jacks to one of the VCRs, replacing the first VCR in the series, so it would play through the remaining VCR and into the TV, just like the VCR it replaced.  But it doesn't.  The DVD player starts and runs, but no signal reaches the TV.
I doubt that the DVD player is defective right out of the box, though I have no way to check.  I can't connect it directly to the TV, as it's meant to be hooked up, because my ancient TV doesn't have input jacks.
Am I missing something obvious, or is there a reason why a DVD player won't work when it's hooked up that way?  Do I need a new, more modern TV with direct input jacks?

percival.sweetwater · Accepted Answer

That IS an old TV since most have been cable-ready since the mid 1980's.  And the jury-rigging leaves too many questions about which cables are used for what inputs and/or outputs.  And finally, terminology is critical when describing players vs recorders.

Essentially, I can guess at a couple possibilities.  If you were supplying coax to VCR #1, on through to VCR #2 (for recording), and onto your TV for viewing, then your new DVD player won't have a function for coax cable IN.  So, that means you'd have to use the player's RCA outputs to the VCR's video (not Cable) input.  You'd need to switch [formerly] VCR #2's input to Video for watching DVD's and back to Cable for your TV programs.

The other possibility is that your VCR is new enough to be covered under the federal DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) which mandates that all recorder manufacturers incorporate circutry at the input to recognize digital copyright schemes and refuse to pass them through.  When using your old VCR #1, it wasn't a problem because copyright schemes on VHS was primitive and analog.

If that's the case, there is still hope.  There's not enough demand for them to find them in stores, but online there are several reputable companies, like Amazon, who sell the Digital Video Stabilizer for $25 - $40.  It cleans up the video, which also removes the copyright scheme, and is legal to manufacture, sell, buy, own, and use.  Since it works only on the video output, it's analog and does not violate the DMCA.

Why can't I get a DVD player to work in my old video stack?

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