How to Connect a Camera to a DirecTV DVR
By Jeff Grundy
If you have a DirectTV digital video recorder, you probably already use it to record episodes of your favorite TV shows and may even use it occasionally to record home movies from a DVD or VHS tape. However, many DirectTV DVRs allow you to record or stream to your TV the display from just about any device capable of playing video - as long as the device has a compatible video-out port. Consequently, if you have a digital camera or camcorder with an RCA or USB video-out port, you can connect the device to the DVR and record images or video from the camera or display them on your TV.
Step 1
Power off the camera, TV and DirectTV DVR.
Step 2
Connect one end of the RCA A/V cable to the "Audio Out" and "Video Out" ports on the camera. Plug the RCA plug into the matching colored ports on the camera. Connect the other end of the cable to the "Audio In" and "Video In" ports on the rear of the DirectTV DVR. If your camera does not have RCA ports, connect a mini USB-to-RCA adapter first, then connect the RCA A/V cable to the female RCA ports on the adapter and then the "Audio In" and "Video In" ports on the DVR.
Step 3
Power on the TV first, then the camera and DVR. Use the television remote to set the video source to the DirectTV DVR if needed. Use the DirectTV remote to set its video source to the port name to which you connected the camera.
Step 4
Set the camera mode selector switch to "Play," then begin playing video or displaying images on the device. Images or videos played on the camera display on the TV. Press the "Record" button on the DVR remote control to record images or video from the camera. If you record the images or video, the DVR stores the media on its internal hard drive.
References
Writer Bio
Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.