Video Playback / Recording Devices

Ok, here's the skinny.

My mom has a sylvania tv/dvd/vcr combo and she is trying to hook her new magnavox dvd recorder.

 She's trying to make a copy of our family reunion dvd but we cannot get the dvd recorder to record from the dvd. Maybe she has her connections hooked up wrong. If so, would someone please assist me with step by step directions so that I can fix it for her.

I have an Emerson VCR that I have had for about 1 year.  It has started eating tapes.  When I put a tape in, the VCR will power down.  When I turn it back on and attempt to eject the tape, the tape will partially come out but I have to dislodge the internal tape which will be caught inside the VCR, then I have to wind the exposed internal tape back up.  Is this something simple that I can fix myself?  If not, how much will it cost to fix?

   I can not figure out how to get progressive scan off ,at least i think thats the problem. It has audio but no video.