How to Connect a DVD/VCR Combo, VCR or Blu-ray Player to a Roku TV (Video)

Got a Roku TV and a DVD/VCR combo, VCR or Blu-ray player? Roku TV remotes don't have an Input button, so a player you just plugged in can seem to vanish. This guide shows which cable to use, how to connect a VCR or combo to a Roku TV with no AV jacks, how to find your player on the Roku home screen, and how to fix a stretched picture. Watch the video, or follow the written steps below. It works on Roku TVs from TCL, Hisense, onn, Philips, Westinghouse and Roku.

Video Chapters

  • 0:00 Intro
  • 0:21 Which cable your player needs
  • 0:43 Your Roku TV's jacks
  • 1:06 HDMI hookup (Blu-ray)
  • 1:23 VCR or combo with the AV-to-HDMI adapter
  • 1:55 Switching inputs on a Roku TV
  • 2:18 Adding a missing input tile
  • 2:32 Rename the tile and set Power On
  • 2:55 Picture size and sound fixes
  • 3:16 Quick fixes

Players and TVs This Guide Covers

  • Players: any DVD/VCR combo, VCR or Blu-ray player, including every model Teklinq sells.
  • TVs: Roku TVs from TCL, Hisense, onn, Philips, Westinghouse and Roku. Menu names can differ a little by brand and Roku software version.
  • Not covered: a Roku streaming stick or box plugged into a regular TV. That TV switches inputs with its own remote.

Step 1: Pick the Right Cable

Look at the back of your player. If it has an HDMI OUT port, like most Blu-ray players, use an HDMI cable. If it only has yellow, white and red jacks, like VCRs and DVD/VCR combos, use an AV cable. On a combo, use the jacks labeled OUT, so tapes and discs both come through.

Step 2: Check Your Roku TV's Jacks

Every Roku TV has HDMI ports, numbered HDMI 1, 2 and 3. Some also have an AV input: either three colored jacks, or one small round jack that needs the TV's own AV adapter cable. Many newer Roku TVs have no AV input at all. That's fine: use an AV-to-HDMI adapter (Step 4).

Step 3: Connect a Blu-ray Player with HDMI

Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the player's HDMI OUT and the other into an HDMI port on the TV. Note the number printed next to that port, for example HDMI 1. Then plug in the player's power cord.

Step 4: Connect a VCR or Combo with the AV-to-HDMI Adapter

  1. Plug the yellow, white and red plugs from the player's OUT jacks into the adapter's INPUT, matching the colors.
  2. Run the HDMI cable from the adapter to an HDMI port on the TV.
  3. Plug the adapter's USB cable into the wall plug or a USB port on the TV.

Teklinq VCRs and DVD/VCR combos come with the adapter in the box. If your TV does have AV jacks, skip the adapter and plug the colors straight in.

Step 5: Switch to Your Player (No Input Button Needed)

Press Home on the Roku remote. Find the tile named for the port you used, like HDMI 1 or AV, and press OK. On newer Roku home screens these tiles can sit in the Apps row, so scroll down if you don't see them. Turn the player on and the picture should appear.

Step 6: Add a Missing Input Tile

No tile for your port? Press Home and go to Settings > TV inputs. Under Inputs not used, pick the port your player is plugged into and choose Set up input. Go back Home and the new tile is there.

Step 7: Rename the Tile and Start on Your Player

Highlight the tile and press the star (✱) button. Choose Rename input and pick a name such as DVD player or Blu-ray player. The star button also lets you move the tile to the top of the list. To have the TV turn on straight to your player, go to Settings > System > Power > Power On and pick that input.

Step 8: Fix the Picture and Sound

If the picture looks stretched or cut off, play something, press the star button, open Picture settings and find Picture size. Choose Auto or Normal so older movies and tapes keep their shape. No sound on the AV input? Push the white and red plugs all the way in. Black-and-white picture? The yellow plug is in the wrong jack.

Troubleshooting

  • "No signal": make sure the player is on, you picked the right tile, and the adapter's USB power is plugged in.
  • Still nothing: try a different HDMI port and its matching tile.
  • Input tile missing: Settings > TV inputs > Inputs not used > Set up input.
  • Picture too wide: star button > Picture settings > Picture size > Normal.
  • Roku remote won't play or eject: the Roku remote runs the TV. Use the player's own remote for play, stop and eject.

Need your player's manual? Find it free on our User Manuals page. Model-by-model walkthroughs are on our Setup Videos page. Still stuck? Contact us or leave a comment on the video.

Shop

Teklinq is not affiliated with Roku, Inc. or any TV maker. Roku and Roku TV are trademarks of Roku, Inc.; other brand names belong to their respective owners.

Back to blog