How do you send digital channels to a VCR?

I have a Samsung digital HDTV. It has its own built in Freeview receiver to receive Freeview TV channels.

It works very well - on its own. However, I have now bought a Samsung DVD/VHS recorder.

I now have a problem that neither manual seems to know anything about - in fact, it is almost as though Samsung have never come across my problem.

The fantastically obvious (to the point of being blatantly obvious) question is:

How do you connect the Freeview channels from the TV to the VCR? It's a completely obvious question - how could it not be?

A lot of HDTV's are sold with the fact that they have their own decoders for channels - great. However, a lot of VCR's only have terrestial TV tuners - ie, they don't have digital tuners.

Samsung, want me to connect the TV aerial to the video - I don't want to do that as the HDTV has the Freeview channels. I want the TV to send the Freeview channels to the VCR. I want to do this the opposite way Samsung want me to.

So, the question (in my opinion) is completely obvious - anyone know the answer? it has to be an obvious question - doesn't it?

They always want you to connect things arse about face. When the guy came here to install SkyPlus, he set the DVD recorder so that it can only ever be used to record stuff off the Sky Plus hd, which is pretty retarded. As soon as he left, I rewired the whole setup so that I can record from Sky Plus hd or direct from whatever the active tuner is showing.

I'd assume in your case that there's a scart out socket somewhere on the TV. It would seem pretty stupid to make a TV with Freeview built in but not let you record anything on freeview. But don't quote me on that because stupid is the norm these days. Then if there is and you can find it, that needs to go into the VCR's scart in, then put the video out into one of the TV's scart in's or component in or however you're going, and then you'll actually be able to see what you're playing back too.

It's kinda convoluted, which is why I've always avoided TV's with freeview built in.

Well, both the TV and the video have 2 Scarts each.

The manual for the DVD/VHS set is literally begging the TV aerial to go into it (it mentions it more than once).

Oooh, as I type - I notice a button on the video remote that says 'Input Sel' - I bet that is input selection. I bet I just need to set it to AV or something like that. However, I need to hope that the TV is sending a signal over the AV - plus, I have a feeling it will only send the current channel you are watching - I want to tune all the Freeview channels.

It is dawning on me that Samsung will want me to use a separate Freeview box and wire that to the video first

Buch of benders if you ask me.

If the TV has two scarts, they're probably both input.

Aye. One'll prolly be RGB input (good), the other AVI (crap).

I've brought this painful adventure to an end. I have just used a Freeview box to decipher the channels for the DVD/VCR.

That decoder has 2 Scarts so I can send Freeview to both the TV and the DVD/VHS at the same time.

I still think it is all a bunch of bentness though.