How to Connect a TV to a DVD Player Without A/V Jacks

Last Updated: June 4, 2020

If you have an old TV but want to watch DVDs, you may have difficulty hooking up your DVD player. Most DVD players have a yellow RCA video output (called composite video) and an s-video output. Many older TVs just have a coaxial cable input.

Steps

1
Purchase an RF modulator and a connecting cable. This device will convert the output of your DVD player into a signal that can travel over the coaxial cable. Such cables can be found at Radio Shack or on eBay.
2
Hook the composite output of your DVD player to the RF modulator, and the RF modulator coaxial output to your TV.

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3
Select whether you want the image displayed on channel 3 or channel 4 on your TV.
4
Tune your TV to the chosen channel.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I hook up a basic DVD player to a smartTV?

Community Answer

Look for an HDMI plug port on both units. If none exist, look for an Svideo plug and an audio (earplug or headphone) jack and connect them both to the TV. If your DVD player has a coax cable connector, that can also be used.