How do I convert coaxial to rca?

The Dish Receiver has RCA outputs downstairs. Why not hook directly to it and not from the "extension" television? If you are just trying to time-shift shows - upgrade the receiver to a PVR unit, or one of the Hopper/Joey units so you have access to the HD recorded content from the main receiver? You are also trying to use a standard def recorder in a HD world. This is going to continue to be frustrating to you until you stop trying to use the 70 year old standard def systems. It's over. Let it go.

So the Dish Network receiver is connected to a tv downstairs, and is also sending an analog signal (with all channels?) upstairs via coaxial, right? It would probably be easier if you put the dvd recorder downstairs and connected the Dish receiver to it using rca. If you can't do that, you'll need an external analog tuner. A vcr would work if you have one. Most dvd recorders have tuners built in but you have the type that doesn't, unfortunately. You'd connect the coaxial cable to the tuner/vcr and output rca a/v to the dvd recorder. If the Dish receiver is sending all channels along this cable you'd set the recording channel with the tuner/vcr. You can send a second coaxial cable from the tuner/vcr to the tv and use the tv to change watching channels (record one channel while watching another). If the Dish receiver only sends one channel along the coaxial, you can still use a tuner/vcr but you'd have to change channels with the receiver (which may be difficult if it's an infrared remote) and you can't record one channel while you watch another. This is the more more common situation nowadays. Sorry if I'm not reading your set-up right. You may need to add more details.