Watching a VHS tape

[ahoupper]

I have an old VCR, a Toshiba M-660 and have no DVR at all.  I just had FIOS installed and the tech said I could still record and watch VHS tapes.  I recorded something and just see snow.  I have it on channel 3 and tried hitting various keys which of course didn't help much.  Any thoughts?  The VCR appeared to be recording at the time it was supposed to.  Thanks!

[VZ_Frank]

Hello ahoupper,

Unfortunately you can't record a TV show on to a vcr with fios.  You will still be able to use your  vcr and watch programs that have already been recorded. 

[matcarl]

Of course you could use a VCR with Fios. You just can't use the VCR's tuner. You will only be able to record the channel that the box is tuned in to. You have to run composite lines from the DVR to your VCR and turn your VCR on to LIne 1 or Line 2.

[jmw1950]

You haven't identified the type of STB you have.

Depending upon the type of STB and your VCR, there are up to 3  different ways to connect the VCR to the STB.

If you have an Standard Definition STB, RF output is available on either channel 3 or channel 4.

You just have to run a coaxial cable from the RF out on the STB to Antenna input on the VCR. That's the good news.

The bad news is that of the available choices, this is the simplest, but also has the lowest picture quality. You then record from channel 3 or channel 4 on the VCR.

On both the SD and HD STB's, there is both composite video, and S-Video output available, and these outputs are active even if the TV is running via HDMI or component Video and receiving HD programming. You will need a couple of Y cables however because these boxes only have a single set of Audio output jacks, and you need to feed the audio to both the TV and the VCR, so you use the Y cable to split Right and Left Audio into two outputs.

For video you can either run a AV cable from the Video output on the STB, or an S-Video cable from the S-Video output on the back of the STB to the VCR (if your VCR has an S-Video input). On some VCR's, you have to tell the VCR in the setup menu that you plan to use S-Video instead of composite video.  S-Video will give you the best picture quality.

Once that is done, you record from Line 1, Line 2, or Front AV or Back AV depending upon which inputs your VCR has, and how they are labeled.

[ahoupper]

The STB is from Verizon, and is a Motorola, and says Dolby Digital down in the corner.  There is a number on it, QIP2500-3.  I got the most basic FIOS package, if that makes any difference.  I appreciate your detailed answer.  Would this info. mean the first option is still possible, given that if the picture was decent that would be fine.  I don't care about HD or anything like that.  Just wanted to tape a show if I wasn't home and watch it later.  Didn't realize it would be so difficult.  I suppose I can eventually get a DVR and maybe that would resolve the problem.  Any other comments on the above info.  appreciated!

[ahoupper]

And could you tell me what RF is?

[spacedebris]

RF is the coax (screw on style cable)

Easiest way of connecting the Verizon STB (2500) to the VCR is...

Coax (screw on cable) from back of verizon box (says "to tv/vcr")

to back of vcr (should say "in from ant")

Then a second coax from back of vcr (says "out to tv")

to TV.

Then to record you would set the vcr to record channel 3 and what ever the stb is set to will be recorded. The stb will have to be "ON" and tuned to the channel to be recorded. You can only record what you are watching. You cannot record one channel and watch another.