can you watch another tv station while recording? I know this unit has a tuner, but does it have a dvd/tv button like vcrs have a vcr/tv button that you can hit which will allow you to watch other tv stations using your tv remote while you're recording...
454404
For anyone who's interested, I am now able to record one channel on my dvd recorder while watching another channel on the same tv. I have Comcast On Demand (box sits on top of the tv; see my post above) and after talking to the Comcast guy, was informed that we were entitled to two more dta converter boxes free of charge from Comcast. I picked them up last week and hooked one of them up on the same tv that my Comcast On Demand box is used. I followed the directions linked below to hook it up. It was pretty easy. I only hooked up one of the dta boxes and used the cable from the unused one on that hookup. You may need to purchase additional coaxial cables. This didn't take too long to hook up once the box was activated. It's just a matter of following the directions and diagram. NOTE: If you decide to do this, connect the cable from the wall to the dta box, then connect the dta box to the tv, plug in the dta to an outlet THEN call Comcast (or whoever your cable company is) and have them activate the dta box. Once activiated, follow the directions linked below to hook everything up so you can watch one channel while recording on another. Seems ridiculous to me that you have to go to these lengths to do this but that's how digital technology works I guess. Good luck. http://hometheater.about.com/od/dvdrecorderfaqs/f/dvdrecgfaq3a.htm http://tv.about.com/od/frequentlyaskedquestions/a/watchrecorddtv.htm http://z.about.com/d/tv/1/0/y/2/watchrecordDTVbox.jpg (this is a close up of the diagram in the above link)
2092852
I have a dvr through directv. I'm thinking about getting this toshiba dvd recorder. Let me make sure I understand... If I have a show recorded on my dvr, I can then record it to a dvd in my dvd recorder? But while the dvr'ed show is being recorded to dvd, I cannot watch a different show? Is this correct?? Thank you anyone for your help. I have some shows that have been on my dvr for a long time now that I occasionally like to rewatch and would much rather have them on dvd so hopefully this toshiba dvd recorder is what I need.
1948790
What do you have to hookup in to to record from DVR? Do you hook dvr to dvd player only? Does Cable have to run thru the DVD player and tv? I've tried a couple times and nothing is recording. Also, how do you finalize if you are choosing record without setting it up.
932014
No it had to have a tuner it, so you can watch one cannel as you are recording another. Philips DVP3340V DVD VCR Combo had no build in tuner.
1043733
It locks you onto the channel when recording (Pause TV is a recording mode) because like most recorders, it does not have two channel tuners. You can switch back and forth between your TV tuner and Recorder tuner by running the RF Out of the Recorder to the TV's RF input, then use the Input select of your TV to select either the Recorder's input to the TV (from one of the Composite RCA or Component outputs of the recorder) or TV (RF coax output from the recorder. This works because the RF Output from the recorder is merely a pass-thru of it's RF Input, like a cable splitter).
932271
This recorder DOES NOT HAVE A TUNER making it more complicated to record. I was able to record direct from Over the Air with a TV with a digital tuner! If you do not have digital in included in your set, you would need a digital converter box that has both IN and OUT video/audio inouts. This recorder DOES have an HDMI input. This recorder DOES alow you to schedule recording, but you MUST know the times and CHANGE THE INPUT so the signal will go to the recorder. A bit complicated. It really is alot like when we recorded to our VCR's. BTW, be sure to get DVD+R or DVD-R to record. MOST cable stations are not recordable due to copyright protection. Good luck! This recorder DOES NOT HAVE A TUNER making it more complicated to record. I was able to record direct from Over the Air with a TV with a digital tuner! If you do not have digital in included in your set, you would need a digital converter box that has both IN and OUT video/audio inouts. This recorder DOES have an HDMI input. This recorder DOES alow you to schedule recording, but you MUST know the times and CHANGE THE INPUT so the signal will go to the recorder. A bit complicated. It really is alot like when we recorded to our VCR's. BTW, be sure to get DVD+R or DVD-R to record. MOST cable... » Read More This recorder DOES NOT HAVE A TUNER making it more complicated to record. I was able to record direct from Over the Air with a TV with a digital tuner! If you do not have digital in included in your set, you would need a digital converter box that has both IN and OUT video/audio inouts. This recorder DOES have an HDMI input. This recorder DOES alow you to schedule recording, but you MUST know the times and CHANGE THE INPUT so the signal will go to the recorder. A bit complicated. It really is alot like when we recorded to our VCR's. BTW, be sure to get DVD+R or DVD-R to record. MOST cable stations are not recordable due to copyright protection. Good luck! « Show Less
1682620
The short answer is no, because the unit only has one tuner. However, as digitalicecream states, if your TV has a tuner, you can use the TV tuner to watch programs while the unit is recording.
1812743
Hi there K.........how did this unit turn out for you? I've had mine for a couple of years so far, and it plays DVD's great. I gave up on learning how to copy a tape to a disk, but that is the one feature I needed to rid myself of boxes of old VCR tapes. (See my posts dated 2/21/10.) James says I need a tuner, however the inst. book does not mention that. Thanks for the help, Jeanette
2084436
DVD recorders can record off the air programs only if they have a "tuner". The Toshiba DVR670 does have one, but the Toshiba DVR620, for example, does not. A recorder with a tuner can be programmed just like VCR's. DVD discs come in several "flavors" the most common being DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW. All of these are compatible with most recorders, the +RW and -RW ones can be "erased" and rewritten, while the +R and -R cannot.
2092858
I hope you read this post. I just ordered this dvd recorder for my husband for Christmas, (to go along with the hdtv and dvr service). I assumed that he would be able to record movies off the t.v. But on the box it has in little writing: an external tuner is required for taping movies off cable or sattelite. Do I need this, what is it, and where do i get it?
1316151
The television is simply a visual output device. The DVD recorder and the VCR can care less if a tv is hooked up. I've done many a VCR to DVD transfer. Once I made sure I had everything set right I hit play on the VCR and record on the DVD. Then I turned my tv off and went about my daily routine :)
707735
No, this unit does not have a TV tuner. It records off the output of a TV or DVR box.
678265
You can record with either the vcr or the dvd mode and you can record your vcr tapes onto dvd discs.. For months, I was using it for only vcr recording, and then decided to catch up with the times and bought some dvd-rw dics. I love the dvd recording now that I'm using it. The only down side, that I see is that you have to re-format the dvd discs before recording again and it takes a while to initialize when you insert the disc in the machine.
136462
I own the DVD/VCR player that you purchased. Yes you can record TV shows with it. That is one thing I made sure it could do.
363878
Yes. Press play on your VCR and press record. Like any recorder it can record the signal being displayed on the TV it is connected to.
130733
Yes. With an old-fashioned TV antenna hooked up to the unit, its built-in DTV tuner (like the one Congress, in their infinite wisdom, basically forced everyone to buy in order to be able to use their old TV's and VCR's at all) will pick up local TV stations, which you can then record on the unit. There's a timer function allowing you to record programs automatically (as you could with your old VCR). Additionally, it automatically records whatever you're watching from the time you turn it on, saving up to 6 hours. When you turn off the unit, that part all "disappears" -- UNLESS, you decide before you turn it off that you want to keep all or part of it. You just have to know from the instructions how to transfer that to the built-in hard drive. One disadvantage is that, unlike your typical old TV-and-VCR hookup, you CANNOT watch one program while at the same time recording another, since the unit has the only tuner that works... unless you have one of the newer TV's with a built-in DTV tuner, and you know how to hook up the two units to take advantage of that function. Or you can get extra units to simultaneously record (or watch) separate channels. I have 2 units both hooked up to the single antenna through a splitter, with a switch to select which one I want to watch through my single old-fashioned "functionless-tuner" 50-inch TV. I also have quite a nice old-fashioned TV antenna mounted outside. Rabbit ears will work, too. It depends on the strength of the local TV signals. And just to be extra clear, I do NOT have any type of cable or satellite TV service in my house. (IMHO, there are a million better uses for my money than that.) Nevertheless, it seems to me (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) you could probably manage to hook up any cable or satellite service to it and record or watch that, too.
2084428
I just bought this machine and am not sure how to record on VHS. The manual goes from hooking it up to programming the show. I need the inbetween. What happened to channel 3? So far I had to go in the menu on the TV and change it (source?) to VCR, then turn on VCR, plug in the show, then I had to go back in the menu and change the mode from VCR to TV. What a hassle. Is this right? Yesterday I talked to Toshiba and NOW they said taping OTA on VHS might not work. Can someone help me that actually has performed this task? I have Samsung HDTV, rooftop antenna, and no cable.