Question
We are having trouble trying to record Freeview to a video recorder. We have a Samsung TV with built-in Freeview, a Panasonic Video Recorder and a Philips Freeview box.
Would it be possible for you to provide step by step instructions as to how I can help set this up?
Submitted online by Linda Hair
Connecting a Freeview box to a Video Recorder
OK. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Connect the Freeview Box to the Video Recorder
Get a SCART lead and connect the lead from the output of the Freeview box to the SCART input on the video recorder
2. Connect the Freeview box to the TV aerial
A Freeview box needs a connection to a TV aerial to get a signal. Plug in a TV aerial feed to the ‘RF In’ or ‘Aerial In’ on the Freeview box
3. Connect the Video Recorder to the TV set
Assuming your video recorder has two SCART sockets, connect a second SCART lead from the output of the video recorder to a SCART input on the TV set
Recording and watching Freeview
To record Freeview onto video, you need to set the video recorder to record from the SCART. Typically, this will be a button on the remote control labelled “Line In” “AUX In” or “Ext In”. It may have an icon that looks like a TV set with an arrow pointing inwards. This indicates that you want to set the recorder so that it will record from the SCART feed (where the Freeview box is!)
To watch a recording, set the TV set so that it is able to view the output of the video recorder. You should have connected to the TV using SCART, and on the remote, just as with the above example, there will be an option on the remote to select “Line In”. It may have the same arrow icon
Video Recorder only has one SCART?
If your video recorder only has one SCART, then for step 3 above, instead of connecting the VCR to the TV using a SCART lead, you need to connect using a standard co-ax aerial extension lead. Take a lead from the video recorder RF out aerial socket to the TV aerial socket on the TV.
As you have removed the TV aerial lead from your TV set, you now need to plug this in to the video recorder TV aerial input, so that it “loops through” the VCR and into your TV set (for Freeview)
You will then need to tune the TV in to the video channel. If you don’t know how to do this, check your TV manual to see how to add or tune to an analogue TV signal.