Home audio & video: Tunerless equipment - how do they work?

The RIGHT answer.

In Feb 2007, a law was passed saying anything with a tuner in it has to have an ATSC tuner. So every new model that comes out from now on (rather its a tv, vcr, dvd recorder, etc) MUST have an ATSC tuner for the digital channels or it can't have a tuner at all. ATSC tuners are a lot of money so SOME, NOT ALL!!!, companies chose to take it out of their new products.

the current line of sony, toshiba, and samsung dvd recorders and vcr's do NOT have a tuner in it. the current line of LG and Panasonic DO (i repeat, DO!) have an ATSC tuner in it. if recording/scheduling is an important thing for you rather its in a vcr or dvd....go with an LG or Panasonic to avoid headaches. you'll notice these models are usually $60 due to the fact that it has an ATSC tuner.

Tunerless VCR's AND dvd recorders DO record....but not from a tuner because it doesnt have one. it only records from an A/V (RCA, Red yellow white, composite, whatever you want to call it) input. so if you just want to record, plug in a cable box or sat box into it and record straight from it. if you have an antenna, you will need to buy a $180 SEPERATE ATSC TUNER. this is all good and done if you dont need to "schedule" your recordings.

the only way i can think of right now is to get something that will convert a coax signal to rca's and be able to schedule things. rf modulators dont work cause you can't schedule with it and it does the opposite. you can get a tivo and get raped with money charges, or try to find the old models from the internet somewhere.

the only other way i can think of right now, is hook up a seperate VCR into your tunerless vcr/dvd recorder. use the tuner on your vcr, use your vcr to change channels, put a dummie vhs tape into it, use your old vcr to schedule programs. connect the rca out from the vcr to the rca in to the dvd player. i am not sure, but you should be able to schedule your tunerless recorder to start recording from a rca input at a given time and date. and that will be your solution (kind of defeats the purpose, but it should work).

NOW BE CAREFUL! a visit to www.abtelectronics.com will list sony's new DVD-RW/VCR unit as having a coax input and output. a click on the pictures will clearly show it does not. DO NOT rely on the specs on a piece of paper...physically look at it and it'll tell you everything you need to know. its pretty much safe to say that anything with both a dvd and a vcr that is cheaper then $200 that is a CURRENT model will not have an atsc tuner. Good luck and be careful.