# Can I use the 921 8VSB input for live video?



## tecman (Dec 18, 2004)

I am trying to set up my 921 to display live video from surveillance cameras on the property using the 8VSB input. The cameras video receiver outputs to channels 3 or 4. When I do an analog scan it finds channel 3 but when I select from the program guide there is no picture. The cameras work fine when input to a TV tuned to channel 3. 

Tech support at Dish thought this was possible but understandably could not offer much help. What do you think? Can this be done?


----------



## Allen Noland (Apr 23, 2002)

As long as it will send an NTSC singal, you should be able to watch it on the 921 OTA input. Have your tried hooking it updirectly to your TV?


----------



## TVBob (Dec 19, 2003)

tecman said:


> I am trying to set up my 921 to display live video from surveillance cameras on the property using the 8VSB input. The cameras video receiver outputs to channels 3 or 4. When I do an analog scan it finds channel 3 but when I select from the program guide there is no picture.


First, make sure local satellite channel map-down is *disabled*: Menu 4-2-More, *Off-Air Antenna Locals* needs to be *checked*. Without this setting, your DVR-921 will not tune to any analog channels. Unless you check the box, selecting Channel 3 tunes to a satellite channel that maps to your local broadcast channel 3, but it's really a channel in the 8000 series. It just displays it as Channel 3 for convenience.

Second, even if you get this to work, the DVR-921 does not have any MPEG encoders in it, so unlike a ReplayTV or TiVo, it will not record or pause anything that starts out as an analog signal. It can only record digital satellite and terrestrial digital (ATSC) signals.

If your cameras are truly outputting an 8VSB _digital_ ATSC signal on Channel 3 (highly unlikely), then it might be possible, but you said you were doing an _analog_ scan so you're really searching for an analog NTSC signal (VHF channel 3).

The other option is to connect the composite (yellow) output of the surveillance cameras to the line input on the back of the DVR-921. Tuning to Channel 000 will display the analog signal on that input (useful for daisy-chaining an old VCR in some configurations). But again, no recording or pausing of the image will be possible, since it's analog, and old reports indicate the video quality may not be that good either.


----------



## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

I use the composite input for a security camera. Works pretty cool. Its an additional "Wow" factor when showing off HDTV. I turn to ch 0 and there's the kid's crib.


----------



## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

TVBOB, do you mean if the "tv off air locals" box is not checked you can still get digital OTA channels and just not analog? is that how some people seem to have OTA channel 7 and sat 7? I thought if i unchecked that box it would not use any OTA chans, i dont care about analog. Am i lost or???

I was afraid to try to uncheck it because i have timers set and didnt want the 921 to remove my timers if i unchecked that off air box.......

Thanks Jon


----------



## TVBob (Dec 19, 2003)

j5races said:


> TVBOB, do you mean if the "tv off air locals" box is not checked you can still get digital OTA channels and just not analog?


 Correct. Digital OTA will be still be there, listed as 007-01, 007-02 etc. And 007 or 007-00 will display the satellite channel that is equivalent to off-air local VHF channel 7 (assuming you're paying the monthly fee for digital locals). If you uncheck the box, only analog channels go away.


> is that how some people seem to have OTA channel 7 and sat 7? I thought if i unchecked that box it would not use any OTA chans, i dont care about analog. Am i lost or???


You're not the only one who is lost. Dish really needs to work on the wording of that checkbox, because it's very confusing. It should be two radio buttons (choose one or the other), like this:
I want Ch. 2-69 to display my local VHF/UHF analog stations via antenna
I want Ch. 2-69 to display my local digital stations from the satellite
Maybe someone else can word it better.


> I was afraid to try to uncheck it because i have timers set and didnt want the 921 to remove my timers if i unchecked that off air box.......


Since you can't set any timers for analog stations, un-checking this box should not affect any timers. When you un-check the box, your local (satellite) digital stations will be available in two places, as Channel 8220 and Channel 007, say, so any timers set for Ch. 8220 should still work. You'll also see some (possibly incorrect) Guide Data for your OTA digital channels.


----------



## tecman (Dec 18, 2004)

TVBob,

Followed your suggestion re: checking the box. It worked... however it also removed one set of local channels from the guide (as explained above). I still have local listings 7235-7238 but that is a little confussing. It looks like the choice is; confusing local listings with video camera or clear local listings w/o camera option. Works for me. 

Thanks for your help.


----------



## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

Thanks TvBOB now i have the local OTA digital chans and local sats. I never understood the check here for local... box. It really should be rephrased. I was afraid if i uncjecked it that my local OTA dig. chans would disappear and my timers for them as well. Now i can watch say sat 4 and record OTA HD 7 at the same time without having to llok up 8043 or whatever sat 7 was. Thanks a lot!!

Jon


----------



## homer1 (Dec 27, 2004)

" Tuning to Channel 000 will display the analog signal on that input ''

Thanks for the tip TVBob! I was wondering how to use that input, did'nt realize about setting it to 000.


----------



## Hoxxx (Jun 19, 2004)

homer1 said:


> " Tuning to Channel 000 will display the analog signal on that input ''
> 
> Thanks for the tip TVBob! I was wondering how to use that input, did'nt realize about setting it to 000.


I agree great info.


----------



## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

Here's another tip. Just press 0 and select and it will jump to ch 0. Saving you exactly one key press.


----------



## homer1 (Dec 27, 2004)

Oh yeah, I like that tip also!


----------



## jmurphy644 (May 19, 2003)

Something else you can do if your needs are more elaborate is to use a channel master device (I forget the model even though I have one) to take an Svid or composite analog signal as input and then output it as RF moduled on any channel that you want. Choose an unused local channel (I use 60) and then combine it with the antenna input. I hapen to combine mine on the output side of my 721 so that the those TVs can choose between watching the 721 (tune channel 03) and watching the DVD player downstairs (tune channel 60). If you use it on the input side you need to be a bit more careful about signal loss, but if you keep the cables short, use good connectors etc. you should be OK.

I'm sure some of you out there in dbstalk land use these things or similar ones to build your home distribution system for all sources.


----------

