Just wanted to post an update. I bought another Emerson VCR on ebay to replace the one that didn't work ... but when I hooked it up to the TV in my office (exactly the way I had had a WORKING VCR hooked up), I got the same bad screens.
I thought, "This cannot be happening again." I inadvertently switched the TV to channel 4, and lo and behold, there was the VCR's "menu" screen.
In my area it's channel 3 that is supposed to work, not channel 4, so I can't figure out why it worked (the setting on the back must have been channel 4, and I didn't check it before hooking the VCR up, but I thought you had to have it on the setting for the "right" channel in your area, so honestly I find this a bit confusing). I just kept it on channel 4 and was able to get the tuner and program it without a problem.
THEN, of course, I went back to the "bad" VCR and tried again ... and it worked this time. (I KNOW I tried switching the channel 3/4 button on the back of the "bad" VCR when I was trying things several days ago, but I didn't switch the TV channel at the same time, so I guess that's why it didn't work? Hmmm.)
Anyway, I emailed the seller that I got it to work (told him it was my fault, I felt pretty silly actually) and a check is going out to him today since he already refunded me (no Paypal fees that way!).
Happy ending!