Connecting DVD recorder to Series3

[gonzobe]

Help, I have a dual tuner S2 and an S3 and I am trying to install a Magnavox DVD recorder to the S3's serial output & audio jacks. I got nothing, nada, no sound nor video. I then tried composite and again, zip. I know the Magnavox recorder is connected to the TV correctly, I've tried a dvd as well as connecting the S2's coax cable out to recorder in to test TV connection. Have been searching threads for an answer. The S3 is connected to the TV with HDMI, and have found that HDCP is enabled in system info. Do I need to run guided setup again? I have seen info on threads that say all outputs are on, but then others that say HDMI/HDCP are and issue?

These are the components I am trying to connect:
Series3, motorola cable cards X2 - Comcast
Magnavox ZV450MW8 DVD/VHS Recorder
Sony Wega KV-36HS420

By the way, I am a newbie and posted this in the Home Media Forum, but I think I should have been here instead, sorry.

[JimSpence]

The series 3 forum may be of more help.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=51

Also, what do you mean by "S3's serial output"?
I'll try to help. Connect the red/white audio and yellow composite video outputs from the S3 to the inputs on the DVD recorder. Set the recorder to record from those inputs. If the S3's outputs are live then it should work. You can only record in SD.

[gonzobe]

Thank you, and I meant s-video, not serial, my bad. I did exactly as you suggested, both with the composite and then the s-video, no results, no sound, no pic. The recorder is live on it's three inputs, two s-video, one composite, I made sure that they were when I first turned the recorder on, and have since checked them after my failure to connect to the S3. How do I determine if the S3's outputs are live? I looked in sys info and could not find any reference to any output other than the HDMI.

[RonDawg]

Although this should *NOT* affect the composite (yellow jack) output, set your TiVo to Fixed 480i and see if you get a picture on the DVD recorder.

Also, try unplugging the HDMI cable and connecting the same composite out to the TV to see if you are getting a picture that way. If that works then leave the HDMI unplugged while putting the DVD recorder in between the TiVo and the TV. If you are getting a picture this way, but not when the HDMI is connected, then it's (once again) an HDMI issue and you should revert to Component connections instead.

[RonDawg]

Also, you mentioned that you tested that the DVD recorder works by connecting the S2's coax out to the recorder. What happens when you connect either the composite or s-video output jacks of the S2 to the same type of inputs on the recorder?

[SNJpage1]

Sounds like you are not selecting the correct input on the recorder. I dont have a ser 3 but the comcast HD dvr and I use the compsite out to the composite in which is line 1 on my DVD recorder.