I disconnected the component cables and didn't see any difference, however, when I tried to disconnect the cable from the STB (is that what you suggested?), I got no picture. There's a misinterpretation here because nothing is feeding the input into the box. I got an explanation from the box saying this is the channel but no picture because there was no connection.
I just got unlucky probaby with the choice of the television. I still haven't connected the old VCR to the television to troubleshoot. I tried but had issues so I'll need to bypass the STB. Also, my computer has an HDMI port to my surprise, so that's the next logical step. As I said, having only one television is a problem. Guess I will report back.
-Wendy