No cable TV at my slip

[Fastjeff]

...and that's a problem 'cause I watch a bunch of stuff regularly (mainly TCM and History Channel stuff). For many years now I 'simply' taped what I wanted, then played the tapes in my VCR. But that was before my cable company (at home) started going digital (my VCR is analog).

So...what I need is a SIMPLE (read: cheap, like me) way to record digital programs off my cable TV, then transport them (method TBD) to the boat to be played on...something.

Any recommendations will be gratefully accepted.

Jeff

PS: A few years back someone (and shame on me for not remembering who) gave me a way to download U-tube music. I now have hundreds of hours of really great stuff that, after listening to it, I decided I liked it and downloaded it--something I never would do otherwise. (Cheapskate, remember?)

[Supersport18]

Do you have wifi at your marina? Use a laptop or iPad to watch movies on Netflix.

[Fastjeff]

Yes...and no. We have it but it doesn't work worth a damn.

Jeff

[jralbert]

="Fastjeff A few years back someone (and shame on me for not remembering who) gave me a way to download U-tube music. I now have hundreds of hours of really great stuff that, after listening to it, I decided I liked it and downloaded it--something I never would do otherwise. (Cheapskate, remember?)

Hey Cheapskate .. did you try A google search? I don't know what kind of cable box you have but the ones I have seen have an "RF" output for the benefit of yokels with older TV sets. If yours does, you are home free. That output should easily feed your VCR. You may have to tune the cable box to the non-HD feed of the stations and I don't know whether there is such a thing for your favorite channels.

[Fastjeff]

I'll try it!

Thanks,

Jeff

[Fastjeff]

No such luck, so here I ma again.

Looked at prices for USED tuner equipped DVRs and they are steep; and I don't know if a DVD made in them would play in my DVD player (which would e on the boat).

So...I suspect there might be a digital VCR out there somewhere. If it's any good, that could solve my problem, but I do want to go with a DVDs if possible.

Jeff

[GB49]

Could you use a RF modulator to feed the TV into the VCR?

http://www.amazon.com/Modulator-Switch- ... 21&sr=1-10

http://www.radioshack.com/rf-modulator/ ... OSQoIzX9aQ

[Fastjeff]

Thanks. I have one of those "black boxes", but it's a pain to do it that way since I need to have a handful of remotes: The TV to see what's being set up, the VCR to program it (?? somehow since it doesn't "see" the digital channel) and this black box to send the signal to the VCR.

There's gotta be a better way!

Jeff

[GB49]

There is no remote with this box. This is not the digital converter box that everyone needed for their old TVs a few years ago during the analog to digital changeover.
This box just takes what is fed via RCA connectors (red, white & yellow) and dumps it into the coax connector which will feed your vcr. Just keep using the same remotes you have always used.

[Fastjeff]

Understood, but I can't program it to record something when I'm away (or whatever). And it still needs the TV's tuner for the signal to eventually get to my VCR to be recorded, right? That means the TV has to be turned to that channel the entire time the VCR is recording the program I want to watch later (so why bother?) What I need is, in essence, a digital VCR that can record anything, but... Ain't seen one of them animals yet!

Its a puzzlement!

Jeff