TV & Home Theater

[lackowitz]

I recently purchased a Samsung 40" LCD TV. We have DirecTV. I also have a Samsung DVD recorder/VCR unit that I believe is about to die.  I would like to get a DVD recorder (probably the Toshiba Model: DR430 SKU: 9789843), but I am unsure how to hook it up.  The DirecTV receiver has only 1 HDMI 'port' (an 'out' I believe).  The DVD recorders I've looked at either have no HDMI port or only 1 HDMI port.  What cables would be needed to attach the satellite receiver and the DVD recorder to the TV so that shows can be recorded? 

My current set-up runs an HDMI cable from the satellite receiver to the TV, runs red-white-yellow cables from the satellite receiver to the DVDR/VCR and runs red-white-yellow cables from the DVDR/VCR to the TV.  I think I should be able to do a similar set-up using only HDMI cables, but I don't seem to have enough HDMI ports on the satellite receiver and the DVDR/VCR.

[TechSavvyChick]

You would still have to hook up the new dvd recorder the same way you did the old dvd recorder. Do to regulations and copyright laws directv will not allow you to record hd tv shows to a separate unit using HDMI.

[lackowitz]

Would it make any difference in picture quality if I used an HDMI cable from the DVDR to the TV? I'm not really concerned with getting the recorded shows in HD.

[TechSavvyChick · Accepted solution]

Yes, that definitely will make a difference. Not so much as far as the shows that you have recorded but, if you were to watch a DVD in the player the quality will be much better.