How to Hook Up a Magnavox DVD Player/Tuner-Free VCR Combo to a TV

DVD player/VCR combination units are useful, efficient devices, giving users the ability to play (and sometimes record) in both the VHS and DVD format without connecting two separate components. Some of these players feature a TV tuner for directly recording programs from TV channels, while others, such as the Magnavox DV225MG9 and DV220MW9, require connecting to another device with a tuner, such as a cable or satellite receiver box, for recording. Connecting such a device to your TV can be done with the proper cables.

Connect a set of composite RCA video/audio cables (three plugs: yellow for video, red and white for audio) from the composite "DVD/VCR Audio/Video Out" jack on the rear panel of the Magnavox VCR/DVD player to a matching composite input on your TV. With this connection, you can view from either the VCR or DVD side of the unit.

Connect another set of composite RCA cables from the composite output of a cable or satellite set-top receiver box to the "VCR Audio/Video In" composite input jack on the rear (or front, when available) of the Magnavox VCR/DVD player if you want to be able to record programming from that source onto VHS.

Connect a set of component video/audio cables (five plugs: red, blue and green for video, red and white for audio) from the "Component Video Out" and "DVD Audio Out" jacks on the rear of the Magnavox VCR/DVD player to a component input on the TV as well if your TV features this input and you wish to have the higher quality picture that component video delivers when viewing DVDs. Or, substitute an S-Video cable for the red, blue and green component video cables for a slightly better picture than with the composite RCA video cable.

Use the input settings on the TV to select either the chosen component (DVD only) or composite (DVD and VCR) input for viewing. To record with the VCR, press the "Input" button on the VCR/DVD remote control to select "L1" for the rear input or "L2" for the front input.