The following assumes that you don't have a cable box and that your cable is connected directly to your television.

The cable service needs to be connected directly to your VCR which will allow your VCR to act as the tuner, so remove it from the television and connect it to the cable IN spot on the back of the VCR. Then connect the red/yellow/white connectors to the video/audio OUT section of your VCR and the video/audio IN of your television. Turn the VCR and the television on.

Put the VCR on channel 11 or any other broadcast channel. Using the television remote button for TV/Video, try each selection of DVD, Video 2, etc. until you see a clear picture and hear audio. Now, you know that your VCR is receiving a signal from the cable and you are able to view it on your television.

Using your VCR's remote, set up the VCR with the correct date, time, channel line-up, etc. using the instructions. I'm assuming that all of that will show up on your television screen when you press Menu on your VCR. Set up the desired recording channel and time, using the VCR instructions.

At this point, if you want to continue to watch television, you will use the VCR remote to change channels because the VCR is acting as your tuner. Remember to put the VCR on "program" or "record" or "timer" which is usually a specific button on the VCR remote before the program you want to record begins. Once you do that, you will not be able to watch any television.

There are ways to split the signal from your cable so that you feed both the VCR and the television at the same time which will allow you to watch television while you are recording. I've linked an article below that shows you how to do that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Splitter

Fun2BHere -- Thank you for explaining why our set up doesn't work. I remembered that in the 'old days' the TV played *through* the VCR. The maintenance man who was here for something else told me we could use the VCR with the front connections. Ah well... I can't physically do the re-routing into the back of this heavy TV.

We'll just have to wait to watch "Downton Abbey" when we get home; we are recording it on the DVR at home.

Thanks again. I was feeling senile when I couldn't make this work! (Not that I'm not - lol)

I'm not sure that this will work, but you can try it.

If you have a red/yellow/white video/audio OUT on the front of your television, you could attach the red/yellow/white cable from that to the red/yellow/white video/audio IN of your VCR, if you have one. I think, then, that you would set your VCR on channel three (or four). Your television would have to be on and set to the channel you want to record. Your VCR should be set to record channel 3 (or 4) for the requisite time.

To test, try recording five minutes or so, then switch the red/yellow/white cables to the configuration as described in paragraph two of my original reply, rewind the VCR, push play, and use the television remote TV/Video button to see if a playback shows up on one of the options (DVD, Video2, etc.)

If the test works, reverse the cables back to the positions described in paragraph two of this post.

Good luck!