Do I need an IR Blaster?

27 Nov 2005 12:42 PM

backstreets

I am shopping for a DVD Recorder and am trying to determine how
important an IR Blaster is..........I am not sure what a IR Blaster
is.........my understanding is it allows the DVD Recorder to control
the cable box and switch channels

Very few DVD Recorders have an IR blaster..........as an alternatice
could you just split the cable and bybass the cable box and bring it
straight into the dvd recorder?

If this does not work can you buy and aftermarket IR Blaster and add it

to the DVD recorder?

Thanks for any input

Mark

28 Nov 2005 12:09 AM

DeepOne

"backstreets" <mmcdo***@aol.com> wrote:

>I am shopping for a DVD Recorder and am trying to determine how
>important an IR Blaster is..........I am not sure what a IR Blaster
>is.........my understanding is it allows the DVD Recorder to control
>the cable box and switch channels

That's it. I don't think it's important (I have one but don't use
it).

>Very few DVD Recorders have an IR blaster..........as an alternatice
>could you just split the cable and bybass the cable box and bring it
>straight into the dvd recorder?

If you have analog cable available in your cable feed, then you can
plug the cable from the wall directly into your DVD recorder (then
connect the recorder's RF output to the cable box, or use a splitter
if you want). The recorder will then be able to tune into all of the
analog channels. The cable box should only be needed for channel
numbers higher than 125.

If your cable box has A/V outputs, you can connect those to one of the
Line inputs on your DVD recorder. When you want to record from a
channel that requires the cable box, you can program the cable box to
tune to the appropriate channel at the appropriate time, and you can
then program the DVD recorder to record from the Line input at that
time.

>If this does not work can you buy and aftermarket IR Blaster and add it
>
>to the DVD recorder?

I doubt it.