How to Hook Up a VCR

Connecting a VCR to a television need not be a troublesome task. Think of the VCR as a component that is going between the television's antenna or cable system and the television.

Determine whether your television has an RF connection or an AV (audio-visual) connection. (If the television doesn't have an AV input terminal, then it has an RF connection. See your TV instruction manual if you can't tell from looking at the back of the TV.)

Disconnect the antenna cable or cable TV cable (coming from the wall) from the television.

Connect the television antenna cable or cable TV cable to the antenna-in jack on the rear of the VCR.

If the television has an RF connection, connect the RF cable to the TV-out jack on the rear of the VCR and the television's antenna terminal.

If the television uses an AV input terminal, connect an audio/video cable to the audio-out and video-out jacks on the rear of the VCR and to the AV-in jack on the television.

Set the television in video input mode or A/V input mode. Refer to the television instruction manual.

Set the VCR channel. (A switch on the rear of the VCR sets the VCR channel as channel 3 or 4.)

Plug the VCR power cord into an electrical outlet.