If anyone could help I would be extremely grateful (I'm not very digitally minded!)

My mum received a Phillips DVDR3480 for christmas to replace her broken VCR. However, when I tried to set it up, well I completely failed. I am trying to connect the DVD Recorder to a freeview box so that the freeview can be recorded. I *attempted* to follow all of the instructions in the set-up guide, but they were not that helpful!

I have currently got it set up as follows:

Scart 1 - Freeview Video/DVD SCART Out to DVD-R
Scart 2 - DVD to TV In

The aerial is going into the freeview box and out to the TV, as it was set up to record freeview on the VCR. (The aerial does not currently go into or out of the DVD-R).

However, the DVD-R is not able to find the freeview box when it searches, so it is not able to record.

Could anyone suggest how to sort this out and get it recording. Thanks in advance.

P.S. The DVD-R is playing normal DVDs fine and without problems.

I don't have your model of Philips DVDR, but I'd usually set it up as Freeview SCART OUT -> DVDR SCART IN and DVDR SCART OUT -> TV SCART IN, which sounds about what you've done. However, not all models of "intermediate" boxes will actually pass through the external signal coming in via SCART IN through to the box's SCART OUT, especially if you put the intermediate box (the DVDR in your case) into standby mode.

With this SCART -> SCART -> SCART setup, you *don't * tune in the TV using its UHF search. Instead, you switch your TV into AV1 (or AV2, depending on which SCART you plugged it into) using the remote. As I said, you may need the DVD recorder in "ON" mode permanently for the Freeview signal to be passed through. You will also probably need to put the DVD recorder's source into AV1 as well (or wherever the Freeview box is plugged into) though that may not be necessary. Remember that the SCART-fed signal coming from the Freeview box has already been decoded (usually into RGB) and you don't "tune" it in - it's either there in its entirety or it's not.

It sounds like you're using an RF cable passthrough from the Freeview box straight to the TV as well, which is one way of doing it, but that will tend to a) only get you analogue channels [unless your TV set has Freeview too] and b) won't be great quality if it is analogue.

When it comes to recording, your Philips DVD-R will need to be able to record from SCART (AV1 or whatever) - usually that's a "SOURCE" option somewhere on the remote when you set up a recording event. BTW, I should warn you that recording TV progs directly to DVD is an absolute pain in the backside (disc errors are common - e.g. scratches/fingerprints, it's slow to start/finish recording and editing afterwards can be quite slow too). I gave up on DVD-only recorders several years ago and now have got both HDD-only and HDD/DVD recorders - I rarely record to DVD now except for the odd show every few months that I might want to archive or give to a friend.

Oh and I recommend Verbatim DVD+RW discs - these are easily the best "mass market" DVD rewritables around. Cheaper brands tend to either not work at all or die fairly quickly after a few re-recordings. I use SVP to buy my blank discs - good prices and fast delivery.

There's a 'Source' button on the remote to select between the different recording sources.

DS

Probably a bit late now, but for anyone else reading this...

You need to have the output of the Freeview box going into the EXT2 socket of the 3480. Then as daves001 says, select that as the input for the recorder using the <SOURCE> button on the remote (it toggles through all the input options).

The TV is connected to the 3480 via the EXT1 SCART.

I've got a Phillips DVDR3480 too and am trying (for a few days now) to connect it to my Freeview box and telly without any success. I've tried a zillion different ways to connect the cables up but nothing is working. The DVD recorder keeps saying "Scart no signal".

I want a set-up where I can access my freeview channels and record from them too.

Can anyone help me with the set-up of all the different cables? I also tried selecting EXT2 as the input source for the recorder but it won't register it (I get a red cross saying that is not an available option.

I have a Hitachi freeview box and a Wharfedale telly. The telly has built-in freeview but I went and brought a separate box thinking that would be the answer to my problems - but sadly it wasn't

Thanks!

So is the connection sequence like this (using SCART cables all the way through):

Hitachi -> DVDR3480 (EXT2)... then DVDR3480 (EXT1) -> TV input

All sorted now... it was the aerial set-up causing a problem. It goes from the wall into Freeview. Form Freeview to DVD and from DVD to the telly.