Just bought a dvd recorder. How do I hook it up to my cable box to watch one channel, record another?

The answer depends on several factors you have not mentioned. If your cable box has the yellow red and white audio/video output jacks the solution is pretty simple: put a 2 way splitter on the cable coming in from the wall(that would be the one attached to the back of the cable box.). Run one coaxial wire out of the splitter back into the cable in on the cable box, and the other wire out of the splitter to the antenna/cable in on The back of your DVR/DVD recorder. Next, take a set of yellow red and white audio video cables and attach one end of the the yellow to the video out from your cable box, and the other end to the yellow video in on your DVR?DVD. Then run the red and white cables likewise, red to red and white to white. This will allow you to record all non scrambled cable channels by selecting the channel you want to record using the DVR?DVD tuner, and record all of the scrambled cable channels using the cable box connection to your DVR?DVD. I can more fully answer your questions if I know all the hookups you have. Feel free to email me at cleartv1@yahoo.com

First, take a look at your manual and see if it says you have a dual-band DVR. If you do, you can hook it up to your cable box and record one show while watching another at the same time without having to use multiple devices. Mine allows me to record two shows at once while watching a third, which greatly simplifies things and cuts down on the number of remotes I need to tote around the living room.

You'll need to make one connection from your cable box to your DVR, and another connection from your cable box to your VCR. Both the DVR and VCR will then need to be connected to your TV.

If you have a dual-band DVR, use it as your primary TV viewing device and you won't need multiple remotes unless you want to watch or record a tape on the VCR. You should be able to change channels and adjust the TV volume through your DVR, as well as set up and manage all your recordings.

If your manual doesn't say your DVR is dual-band, it's single-band. In that case, you'll need multiple remotes to switch back and forth between watching TV and recording TV. (The setup with your cable box will be the same.) When your DVR is recording a show and you want to watch a different show, do it through the VCR.

Enjoy your new DVR! I can't imagine watching TV without one now.

That depends. Are you wanting to record a channel that's not part of Basic cable? If so, you'll have to hook the cable box directly into the DVD Recorder, set the recorder on Channel 3, and the cable box on the channel you want to record.

If you want to record a non-basic channel and watch another non-basic channel, you'll need two cable boxes, some splitters, and a switch.

I need more info to give you the complete answer.

That depends. Are you wanting to record a channel that's not part of Basic cable? If so, you'll have to hook the cable box directly into the DVD Recorder, set the recorder on Channel 3, and the cable box on the channel you want to record.

cable goes into the DVR, from the DVR to the TV. Select what channel you want to record using the remote by using the "DVR" part of the remote, move the switch to the DVR, then hit start to start recording, then you can switch to TV on the DVR remote, then you select the channel you want to watch. The VCR has to be on a different input on your tv.

Some sort of splitter