I see, yardbird. My last TV ( A Sony 27" box) also had limited inputs, so at that time I was processing everything Audio and Video through my Sony receiver.
Yes, I would simply use a VCR input/output connection on your receiver to hook up the DVD recorder. Then all output from the receiver (no matter what other source you may be watching) should be available via the video2 output and recordable on the DVD. To watch your PVR tune the receiver to the PVR input. Hit record on the DVD recorder and it should start recording the PVR material. If you want to monitor what the DVD recorder is recording, you'll need a second video path from it. That could be to a second input on your TV (if it had a spare one) or to a completely different video monitor like a small LCD screen or cheap little TV parked nearby.
Good luck. The cable entangle behind my component rack is a nightmare. At some point this Christmas break I'm going to pull every cable and start over. I found some nice "Cable Zipper" that can be slipped over groups of cables. My hope is to end up with one "zipped" line to the TV with all the video sources in it, and two main "zipped" bundles running up and down my rack for inputs and outputs. I'm also going to sort my cables by length and quality, and use only the shortest "best" cable for each path if possible. If someone would invent an "easy" stripper/crimper tool to make quick RCA cables and Svideo cables, I'd make custom very short replacements for 90% of the cables I'm currently using. I'll put in a new power strip for the right side to add to the one now on the left side. Different devices have their power either on left or right, and having an outlet strip on each side will let me plug everything in without crossing the back.
