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Resolved Question

Splitter for digital TV + VCR + converter box

Feb 10, 2015 4:48AM PST

I have a Vizio digital TV w/HDMI cable.
I am still old-school, when it comes to movie format.
I need a splitter that accomodates the HDMI cable, plus the co-ax cables for the VCR and converter box.
I bought one yesterday, but it does not accomodate an HDMI cable, only 3 co-ax cables.
Is there such a thing??
Thanks.

Discussion is locked

hikergirl has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
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Clarification Request
All makes/models please
Feb 10, 2015 6:09AM PST

In order to be 100% certain of what you are working with, please provide all makes/models, including the converter box(es), etc. Knowing your cable or sat provider would help too.

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component models
Feb 10, 2015 8:12AM PST

TV - Vizio E 280i-B1
VCR - Toshiba, Model W525
Converter Box - Magnavox, Model TB110MW9

The VCR & Converter Box have the standard coax cables - round with pin
The TV has a vertical HDMI cable

I did not mention cable, because I use antenna.

If you are suggesting I use the cable connection on the TV, instead of HTMI, then I can do this without any further instruction. I have an extra coax cable for that.

I hope all this helps.

Best Answer

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I confused you
Feb 10, 2015 10:31PM PST

All I want to do is watch videos on the VCR, through the digital TV.
I do not need the converter box to watch TV, but I do to watch videos - the digital TV and analog VCR speak different languages.
If this is just a pipe dream of mine, just say so.

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(NT) So in short, connect the VCR to this TV's composite inputs.
Feb 10, 2015 10:55PM PST
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Bob is 100% correct if...
Feb 11, 2015 7:10AM PST

all you want to do is watch vcr tapes. Simple...yellow, red, and white (RCA type)cables.

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The jacks were connected...
Feb 12, 2015 2:16AM PST

...at the time I bought the TV. It was the first step in set-up.
Yesterday, I spent almost an hour with Vizio, on the phone.
I cannot reiterate what they told me, because nothing made sense.
In the end, I was told that, since I do not have a red/white/yellow jack, to use a second set of jacks and connect red to yellow - on VCR, and White to Green on TV.
The VCR plays but the screen shows "no signal".

I have tried unplugging the extra set of jacks and playing straight off the VCR to TV. Still "no signal", but VCR is playing.

I am giving up on this project. Thank you to everyone who has cleaned the cobwebs from their brains to get me into old-school mode.

Please consider this post "Closed"! Thanks.

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MANY TVs have a shared component/composite input.
Feb 12, 2015 2:39AM PST

The colors are not always yellow on the TV as we look over
http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/03/20/Vizio_E2VLE_series_35163431_12_610x458.jpg

I see they have the word COMPOSITE and lines to the Green, Red and White jacks.

Even if you get that right some TVs have the owner diving into a setup menu to select which signals are to be used on this shared set of jacks.

Sounds like you are very close to getting it working.

"White to Green on TV." sounds wrong. The composite output (the video signal) is usually Yellow but let's call it video for now. That goes to the green on the TV.
Bob

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You are 110% correct
Feb 12, 2015 6:20AM PST

A lot of the Vizios have the goofy shared video for composite (yellow) connection from another input.

To the OP> Don't give up yet(!) Calling Vizio for help is like calling the IRS and asking where your refund is (ROTFL). Pointless sometimes.

I would heed Bob's advice. Somewhere in the HDTV's input settings you can toggle to access the VCR signal output. And then there's the issue of any extraneous VCR setting, which isn't unheard of but unusual. Usually it's throw in the tape and hit play if you aren't using a dedicated channel (3/4) to play back the content on a specific TV (etc.).

Let us know what settings you are using so we can continue to troubleshoot. It shouldn't take long. I've dealt with enough Vizios to be able to share your pain Wink

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Don't give up,
Feb 12, 2015 2:44PM PST

you are too close now. The yellow (vcr) should be connected to the green (tv) and red to red and white to white. Now set the tv to component. Now you can watch your tapes. Have fun.

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That is so close but
Feb 12, 2015 11:16PM PST

On the last setup I set the input to composite. The TV had a component or composite choice in a setup menu. It was not automatic.
Bob

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So it does have a compsite selection.
Feb 13, 2015 12:45AM PST

You know..why is Vizio do this just to save a quarter by eliminating the yellow RCA jack. Just not logical in my view.

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Combining my logic w/what you are saying...
Feb 13, 2015 5:51AM PST

Oldartq & Bob:

1) Disconnect Antenna cable & attach coax from VCR to TV cable/antenna
2) If I am to do Yellow to Green on TV, is this with a 2nd set of jacks?? (I do not have yellow - never have. Must I have it now??)

But, back to the origiinal posting: I would still need to use a splitter to include the converter box - because the TV speaks digital and the VCR speaks analog. Now that cannot be right! The converter box converts digital into analog so the TV would not be able to understand analog. OK, no comverter box.

I made a couple of pics, so you could see what I'm dealing with, but I don't find a place to attach them.

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I see the yellow plug on this Toshiba W325
Feb 13, 2015 6:03AM PST
http://www.use.com/Bdp7

There it is, front to the left.

Don't worry about it. Some folk are color blind so if you want I can edit it to put a box of the color of your choice around it.

As to your assertion that the TV speaks digital and needs the convertor box, that's not true as we look at the TV and find it's shared component/composite jacks.
Bob
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PS. If you can supply a direct link to the W325's manual
Feb 13, 2015 6:15AM PST
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I use the rear red/white plugs...
Feb 15, 2015 10:52AM PST

... but that really is irrelevant.
Do I really need the red/white/yellow jack? I have never needed the yellow before. If I do, then I'll look for them. I do not have trouble differentiating color.
So, you are saying that what Vizio told me (connecting the 2nd set of red/white to the yellow & green) is totally wrong and a red/white cannot substitute for yellow? For this new TV, the yellow is necessary for video?
And, sorry, I am unable to watch videos. For whatever reason, my computer doesn't have enough of something to run one.
Thank you.

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Ok, we don't know how many set of (red, wht, yel)...
Feb 15, 2015 3:30PM PST

jacks this vcr have but the one we will use is the OUTPUT jacks. So it will be red, whit,yel on the vcr connects red, whit, grn on the tv. and it's very important that yellow on the vcr connects to the green on the tv.

I might also add..the output jacks will most likely be in the back (if I were to bet on it). So look for the "output" jacks.

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You likely never needed the yellow because...
Feb 16, 2015 3:13AM PST

...you used the old fashioned 75ohm Coax to connect between VCR and CRT. That's how most of us used to to do it too, until later on when I had to integrate that with an AV receiver, etc.

Since no coax is being used with your VCR this time around, that's why you need to emply the composite 'yellow' video connector.

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Thank you for telling me why...
Feb 16, 2015 6:01AM PST

Pepe7, I did not need yellow with the CRT.
Oldartq, just for clarification, the rear of the VCR has Line 1 Input (recording) and Output (to TV for viewing); the front has Line 2 Input, for recording.
Pepe7, thank you for explaining why I now need a yellow composite connector but not with a CRT.
Since we are already iced in and the rest of the week is nothing but snow, I'll be watching a few movies. (I bought a red/white/yellow jack early this a.m.)
Thank you, everyone!

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Answer
Haven't found it yet. But why is that?
Feb 10, 2015 4:51AM PST

HDMI is an all new digital signal system and coax would be old analog so a conversion box would be required.

Why not plug the analog into the RCA jacks on the TV and the HDMI to HDMI sources?

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That tuner looks to be for your old TV.
Feb 10, 2015 8:29AM PST

Your new TV appears to have a cable/antenna input. You may be fine if you set the Converter Box - Magnavox, Model TB110MW9 aside for now.

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What I had been told
Feb 10, 2015 10:29PM PST

...was that I needed the converter box so the VCR and TV speak the same language.
Yes, this Vizio has cable/antenna input, but the antenna is not necessary to watch VHS tapes.
Are you suggesting I use the cable/antenna input and add an additional coax cable to the splitter I purchased? If so, then the problem becomes more difficult for me to understand.
The splitter I purchased has a TV input on the top, and 2 other inputs at the bottom, for VCR and Converter Box coax cables. I thought the HDMI was for the TV, not the cable input, which is why I don't understand how to use this splitter.
All this, just to be able to watch VHS tapes on this digital TV!
So, what do I do??

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Why not use the composite connection for the VCR?
Feb 10, 2015 10:35PM PST
http://www.vizio.com/e280ib1.html lists the inputs to this TV.

The Toshiba W525 VCR appears to have the usual composite (yellow) and other audio outputs.

I can't seem to find where you would need any splitter or such yet.

Maybe you haven't hooked up a lot of things over the years and that's why all the searching for HDMI cables and splitters?
Bob
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Answer
Here are the info I am picking up;
Feb 10, 2015 9:38AM PST

From Walmart, this unit has a built-in tuner but from Vizio and BB...they didn't say anything. But if you have a coax cable then just connect the antenna to the tv and see what happen. However, I am not sure about the hdmi and the converter box. Not sure what you wanted to accomplish.

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Answer
Bubkis
Jun 28, 2015 9:54PM PDT

I personally went through all these steps years ago and none of them worked. Am slowly replacing all my tapes.

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Answer
Sounds like the co-ax is connected to an antenna?
Jun 29, 2015 9:00AM PDT

So why you mention hdmi? Your tv don't have co-ax connection?