Mini Box Outputs

Yes, you can.  I do that.

However,  there are plenty of "gotchas" .

The minibox receives the channel selected on the Minibox remote and converts it to channel 3 or 4, depending upon the switch setting on the back of the box, so the VCR must be set for channel 3 or 4.  Select the desired channel using the minibox, channel 28, for example.

The HDMI port is also providing channel 28, so you cannot simultaneously record 28 on the VCR and watch channel 5 on the TV, for example. 

If you have  not set up the Mini Box, select the TV that will be used to monitor the output of the VCR, and enter it when asked.  Don't specify the VCR.   When the TV is selected, the channel (seen on the TV and volume are controlled by the Mini box and channel data is seen on the TV.  If you decide to enter VCR data, controls are more difficult to use, and subsequent setups require more work.

The mini box only receives the Starter and maybe some of the Basic and Economy channels.  I'm not clear regarding what channels are actually received.  For example, if you already have purchased the Premier package for the family room and intend to use the mini box in the bedroom, you don't have the premiere package available in the bedroom..

The composite video output (yellow, red, white) on my mini box is connected to the composite port on the TV, so I can setup the VCR and watch programs either directly through the HDMI cable or through the VCR and the composite video cable. The same  program is seen, but the picture is much better when the HDMI cable is used.

I'm not an expert, so would appreciate comments, especially if I'm wrong.

I should have mentioned that I sometimes use the same approach with my DVD recorder.  However, it also has a component video output port (red, blue, green),   which provides a better quality picture than the yellow composite video port.  The red, blue, and green ports are video only, so you still need the red and white audio ports.  If you have been with Cox for years, you probably have received a nice component video cable consisting of 5 cables side by side like a giant ribbon cable.  The DVD recorder provides a better picture than the VCR, and I think it is more reliable.  Actually, my daughter uses the VCR.  I much prefer my DVD recorder, (and DVR even more, but that is another story).

This cable is used between the DVD recorder and TV set.  A coax cable is still used for the input.

.