I have a Lite-On LVW1107 standalone DVD recorder and I am trying to record from the VCR on my TV/VCR combo set. Currently I have no problems recording from the television/satellite antenna itself, it instead records directly from the TV.

For example, let's say I am watching MTV on my satellite. Then I pop a tape in my VCR and play it. If I then record on my DVD-R machine, it will record MTV, not what is actually playing in the VCR/onscreen. I have tried various connections with the AV cables, but have not had any success.

NO recorder records directly from the TV.

Recorders have their own tuners. That's how they record, because a TV tuner is part of the recorder. That's why, for example, when you're setting up a timer recording you have to set the channel. The recorder has to tune its own TV tuner to the correct channel.

You could dump your TV out the window and the recorder would still do its job.

The problem is in your case the VCR and the TV are in one housing, and likely SHARE their tuner.

Of course. Because your satellite box is the source of the TV signal. It's feeding the signal into (apparently) your DVD recorder and from there into the TV.

Recorders don't work by magic.

Think of the various signals as water flowing in a river.

Which direction does the water/signal flow in?

Your TV is the final stop.

The TV doesn't feed its signal out to anything.

Your TV may have jacks on it that allow you to feed a signal IN, but my guess is that with it being a combo unit, its VCR can't feed anything OUT.

Again, TVs don't feed recorders.

Recorders feed TVs.

Since your VCR is part of your TV, it probably has no way to feed a signal into another unit...like your DVD recorder.

Naturally your DVD recorder is recording MTV...because that's what its source is tuned to.

As a last attempt, check the back of your TV/VCR.

Look to see if there are any Audio/Video jacks marked "out" or "output".

If there are NO output jacks anywhere on the TV, you're stuck.

You'll need a separate VCR to feed a video tape signal into your DVD recorder.