Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

This wikiHow teaches you how to connect a VHS (Video Home System) tape player, also known as a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) player to the TV. Although VHS is now considered an outdated technology, you can still connect VHS tapes to most TVs using a coax cable or set of AV cables. If the video player does not support coax cable and the TV does not support AV cable, you can still use an RCA-to-HDMI adapter to connect using AV and HDMI cables.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Use coax cable

1. 

   Find coax cable ports on both TV and VHS tape player. The coax cable port is cylindrical in metal with a small hole in the middle, however if your TV is old then there may be small round holes in the back.
   • Both TV and VHS tape player must have a coax cable port for this method to apply.
   • If the TV or VCR player does not have a coax cable port, you can still use an AV cable to connect the video player.

2. 

   
   
   Make sure you have a coax cable. The coax cable has the same connectors — a hollow center metal cylinder with a plug — and usually has a ring at each end to secure the plug to the connection port.
   • If you don't have a coax cable, you can buy it online or from an electronics store.

3. 

   
   
   Turn off the TV and unplug it. This is to limit the risk of affecting the TV or yourself when connecting the VHS tape player.

4. 

   Plug one end of the coax cable into the coax cable port on the back of the VHS tape.
   • You can tighten the connection belt so that the end of the cable plugs tighter into the end of the VHS tape.
   • The bottom of the coax cable port on the top of the VHS tape usually has the word "TO TV".

5. 

   
   
   Plug the other end of the coax cable into the TV. Similarly, the end of the cable should be plugged directly into the back of the TV.
   • You must tighten the end of the cable if necessary.

6. 

   Connect the VCR terminal to the power supply. Plug the video player power cord into a power source (wall outlet or electrical outlet).
   • If the video player's power cable is detachable, first connect the power cable to the power port of the device.

7. 

   Plug in and turn on the TV. The video player may turn on at the same time; In this case, skip to the next step.

8. 

   Turn on the VCR. Click the "Power" button located at the top of the video.

9. 

   Switch the TV to channel 3 or 4. Press the "Channel +" or "Channel -" button on the TV or TV remote to switch to channel 3 or 4. The channel used may vary depending on the TV; After the blue screen of VCR appears, you can continue.
   • For some VCRs, you need to set up a channel on the VCR itself first before you can play the tape.
   • If you want to play VHS tape with VCR player, just insert the tape and press "Play" to start watching.
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Method 2 of 2: Use an AV cable

1. 

   Make sure you have an AV cable. AV cables are red, white, and yellow and are often used to connect older devices to the TV.
   • Red and white cables are for audio.
   • Gold cable for pictures.
   • If you don't have an AV cable, you can buy it online or go to an electronics store. AV cables are relatively cheap.

2. 

   Check the AV input on the TV. The red, white and yellow ports are usually located on the back of the TV, however on some older TVs these are located in the front panel of the TV.
   • If you find red and white inputs but you can't see a yellow port, look for a green port with "Video" on it. If the TV has one of these ports, you can still use an AV cable.
   • If the TV does not have an AV input, you will need to purchase an RCA-to-HDMI adapter (Not HDMI-to-RCA type) and HDMI cable.

3. 

   Turn off the TV and unplug it. This is to limit the risk of affecting the TV or yourself when connecting the VHS tape player.

4. 

   Plug the AV cable into the VCR end. Plug the white end of the cable into the white port, the red cable and the red port, and the yellow cable into the yellow port located on the back of the video player.
   • Some VCRs only support mono sound, which means there is only one red and white port behind the player. Just connect normally and leave the end of the cable unsupported.

5. 

   Plug the other end of the AV cable into the TV. Find the red, white, and yellow input port assembly, then plug the cable into the corresponding port.
   • Make sure all cable ends are in the same input area, row or column. The input area is usually numbered.
   • If you are using an RCA-to-HDMI adapter, proceed as follows: plug the AV cable into the colored port on the adapter, the other end plug into the HDMI port on the RCA adapter, and the other end into the HDMI port of the adapter. TV and plug the adapter's power cable into a power source (such as a wall outlet).

6. 

   Connect the VCR terminal to the power supply. Plug the video player power cord into a power source (wall outlet or electrical outlet).
   • If the video player's power cable is detachable, first plug the power cable into the power port of the device.

7. 

   Plug in and turn on the TV. The video player may turn on at the same time; In this case, skip to the next step.

8. 

   Turn on the VCR. Click the "Power" button located at the top of the video.

9. 

   Switch the TV's input if necessary. If the TV is not set up to use AV input, press the TV's "Input" or "Source" button until you reach the "AV" setting screen. Now you can use your video player.
   • If you want to play VHS tape with VCR player, just insert the tape and press "Play" to start watching.
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Advice

• If you use the receiver to control all of the TV's inputs, you can plug the VCR terminal into the receiver instead of the TV. Most receivers have HDMI and AV ports.
• Some TVs and VCR players support S-Video cables. The S-Video cable is of higher quality, used to replace the yellow AV (video) cable.

Warning

• Not all TVs are capable of supporting older video players. You should go online to check the list of supported TV hardware if you have any questions about buying a TV or VCR.