I am uncertain as to how I should be using a VCR as an ancillary device with my Digihome setup. The standard connection diagram in the handbook shows only a Scart connection between the VCR and the Digihome. No mention is made of actually using a VCR. Am I supposed to be able to record live to the VCR with this setup (ie “through” the Digihome box) or should I be using additional RF leads? At present I can record/playback to/from the VCR using such leads but without them I cannot seem to configure the AV settings to communicate between the VCR and the Digihome. Further to this can I copy a programme from the hard drive to the VCR?

Take the TV out scart and put it into you video. Then put the Video Scart (on your VCR) into the telly.
Then, eveything that shows up on you TV display (live or played back) will be recordable on your VCR.

I tried connecting the TV, VCR and PVR with scarts as shown in the manual but it stops the TV from showing anything.

Basically, why does the PVR have a dedicated VCR scart output and a separate setting in the OSD is you can't actually use it?

To be honest i'm not sure, but i can tell you what i do with my DVD recorder and Digihome if that's any use :

Take the Digihome TV SCART and put it into the DVD Recorder "in" SCART.

Then take the DVD Recorder SCART and put it into the TV IN Scart on my TV.

The TV is switched to the AV channel,so both the DVD and Digihome "daisychain" into it.

I, therefore, don't use the 2nd SCART on the back of my Digihome.

I didn't look at the manual when i set it up and it kind of worked for me.

Just plug the VCR into the VCR scart. The picture is routed out of both scarts. Additionally, when you press play on your VCR, the PVR detects this and routes the VCR signal out of the TV scart (even when the PVR is in standby).

I forgot to mention... if you update the firmware to the twin record version you get an archive feature which allows you to stack up a load of recordings and sequentially play them out of the VCR scart. This is useful for archiving your programmes to a VCR or DVDR

If I remove the scart that connects the VCR straight to the TV I should end up with this setup. I'll give it a go!

On my setup, if I plug the VCR into the VCR output on the PVR, I can only watch TV when the VCR is in standby. If it's powered on the PVR says Aux on its display and I just get whatever signal the VCR is outputting, which in most cases is nothing.

If the VCR output is indeed an output, why is the PVR treating it as an input only?

This sounds like your VCR is not behaving properly. The VCR's scart output contains a line which the VCR uses to signal connected equipment that it is outputing a signal. This should only be activated when playing a tape, not when it is just turned on. The digihome looks at this line to determine when to loop thru the signal to the TV scart.

This way the VCR scart can be considered to work in both directions. It works fine for me