Scientific Atlanta Explorer User Manual Download

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Get Started

Prepare the Explorer HD DVR to Work With Your TV

The Setup Wizard is a program that helps you set up your DVR to provide the best
picture quality that your TV supports. Based on the type of TV you have, the
Wizard allows you to select all picture formats supported by your SDTV or HDTV.

Note: If you are connecting an SD DVR to an SDTV, no setup is required.

Skip this

section and go to “Make the Most of Your Entertainment Options” on page 12.

For more information about how programs are formatted and displayed on an
HDTV, refer to the

Explorer HDTV Setup Wizard User’s Guide

, part number

4003114.

Important:

Any time that you change connections to use the component (PrPbY)

ports, you must run the Setup Wizard again to make sure your TV is receiving its
supported picture formats.

Start the Setup Wizard

To start the Setup Wizard, follow these steps:

Make sure that the DVR is powered

OFF

but still plugged into an active power outlet,
and properly connected to the TV. See
“Connect the Explorer DVR to Your TV” on
page 4.

Configure the TV to display the input where
the DVR is connected (see your TV user’s guide for more information).

Turn the TV

With the DVR powered

OFF

, press

Guide

and

Info

at the same time. The

Connection Set-up

screen appears.

The

TV Connection Set-up

screen toggles between an HD and SD mode

selection screen every 20 seconds until you make a selection.

Note:

The DVR front panel displays either

while the TV

Connection Set-up HD mode or SD mode screens display on the TV screen.

Choose one of the following options:

• To choose HD mode, press

on the remote

to start the setup.

• To choose SD mode, press

on the remote

to start the setup.

After selecting HD or SD mode, the

Setup

Options

screen appears.

Choose one of the following options:
• To choose the

Easy Setup

option, press

; then, go to the

Easy Setup

Instructions

on page 7.

• To choose the

Advanced Setup

option, press

; then, go to the

Advanced Setup Instructions

on page 7.

TV Connection Set-up

Press to use High Definition (HDTV) mode.

TV Connection Set-up

Press to use Standard Definition mode.

Setup Options

Press for Easy Setup: Used by most TV viewers

Press for Advanced Setup: Used by advanced TV viewers

Complete setup

Press the

Guide

and

Info

keys at the same time

Summary of Contents for Explorer

Page 1: ...time setup Watch Record Watch one program while recording another Watch two programs at once using the PIP feature and record one of them Watch two programs and record both of them Watch a pre recorded program while recording one or two other programs Play Back Use the Multi Room DVR MR DVR system to play back Recordings on recordings on up to 4 TVs at the same time Other TVs Use parental controls...

Page 2: ... or a Recording 16 Use Instant Replay 17 Rewind or Fast Forward a Live or Recorded Program 17 Use Slow Motion 19 Watch Action Frame by Frame 19 Catch Up With a Live TV Program 19 Watch Two Programs At Once 20 Turn PIP On and Off 20 Activate PIP From the Program Guide 20 Change the Channel of the PIP Screen 21 Move the Location of the PIP Screen 21 Swap the Main Screen and the PIP Screen 22 Record ...

Page 3: ...aved 44 Erase a Recording 44 Recording to a SATA Hard Disk Drive Optional 45 Find Answers to Frequently Asked Questions 47 Questions About the DVR 47 Questions About Controlling a Live Program or Recording 47 Questions About Watching Two Programs at Once 48 Questions About Recording and Playing Back Programs 48 Questions About the MR DVR Client Set Top 51 Questions About Watching Recording and Pla...

Page 4: ...00 Explorer 8240 Explorer 8300 Explorer 8300MR For high definition TVs HDTVs Explorer 8000HD Explorer 8240HD Explorer 8300HD Explorer 8300HD MR Note Some features described in this document are not available on all DVR models For more information contact your cable service provider Explorer Model Storage Capacity 8000 Up to 50 hours of non HD programs based on an 80 GB capacity hard drive 8000HD U...

Page 5: ...he channel that you are watching and continues to buffer it until you Watch the channel for longer than an hour After an hour the DVR removes the earlier minutes of the program from its buffer so that only the last hour is kept in the buffer Tune to another program When you change channels the DVR begins to buffer the program you have just tuned to It removes the program you were watching from the...

Page 6: ...ion information described in Connect the Explorer DVR to Your TV on page 4 Note Your cable service provider may have already installed and connected the DVR for you If not follow the instructions on page 4 to make the appropriate connections 3 Prepare the remote control as described in Prepare the Remote Control to Work With Your TV and DVR on page 5 4 Configure the picture display for your TV usi...

Page 7: ...D DVR The DVI connector provides a digital video connection If your HDTV has a DVI connector and you have an 8300HD DVR you need an HDMI to DVI adaptor and you need to connect a separate audio connection Notes When using the HDMI connection with TVs that do not support Dolby Digital decoding additional configura tion steps are needed For more information see Important Note Regarding the HDMI Inter...

Page 8: ...put for a format supported by the television Because not all TVs support a Dolby Digital input the HDMI interface will automatically select a 2 channel stereo audio configura tion instead of Dolby Digital When the output is configured for 2 channel audio this configuration is carried over to the other digital audio outputs of the 8300HD This configuration prevents your Home Theater System or Dolby...

Page 9: ...figure the TV to display the input where the DVR is connected see your TV user s guide for more information 3 Turn the TV ON 4 With the DVR powered OFF press Guide and Info at the same time The TV Connection Set up screen appears 5 The TV Connection Set up screen toggles between an HD and SD mode selection screen every 20 seconds until you make a selection Note The DVR front panel displays either ...

Page 10: ...er s guide that came with your TV for information about supported display formats 3 Press Select to toggle between the Save and Remove options or press B to see how the next format looks on your TV screen Important If you see a black screen or if the picture quality is not optimal do not press Select Press B again to view the next screen format 4 After saving the picture formats press Exit The set...

Page 11: ...Press Settings The Quick Settings menu appears 2 Press Move Up or Move Down to select Picture Format 3 Press Move Right to select the picture format setting 4 Press Move Right again to display another picture format setting Each time you press Move Right another setting displays Note If you used the Setup Wizard to select picture format settings those that you selected are available here 5 Press S...

Page 12: ...4 Press Move Up or Move Down to display each option Note See the box on this page for an explanation of each option 5 Press A Accept to accept the option for the DVR Note The 8300 DVR front panel displays the selected option and scan rate For example if you selected Pass Through the 8300 DVR front panel displays AUTO and 1080i 6 Press Exit to return to normal viewing Display Formats for Digital So...

Page 13: ...g you to disconnect the HDMI connection and watch video output through the PrPbY component connectors For more details about these options see the table on the previous page If your HDTV uses a DVI or HDMI port Auto DVI HDMI appears here instead of Pass Through Important To realize the full benefit and functionality of the Pass Through feature your TV must be capable of handling all six TV display...

Page 14: ... the Borders options Light Medium or Dark 4 Press Move Up or Move Down to select the shade you want to apply to the bars Light Medium or Dark 5 Press A Accept so that the DVR accepts this setting The DVR displays the Set TV Borders option with your selection shown 6 To exit from this screen and return to live TV press Exit Caution When displayed for too long any fixed image such as station logos P...

Page 15: ...ready to begin watching and recording programs using your DVR In the following sections discover how you can Find out when programs are broadcast using the Program Guide Watch programs and pay per view events Control live TV and recordings Watch two programs at once with the PIP feature Record and play back programs Manage programs and recordings ...

Page 16: ...de appears and lists the next 7 days of programs 2 To close the guide press Guide or Exit The Program Guide closes and displays the program that was playing in the Quarter screen Program Guide Select a Program From the Program Guide 1 Press Guide The Program Guide appears and lists the next 7 days of programs 2 Press the Arrow keys to move through the program listings to select the program you wan...

Page 17: ...m by Channel Title or Theme The DVR automatically lists programs by channel number but you can change this and list programs by title or theme 1 Press Guide The Program Guide appears and lists the next 7 days of programs 2 Press A Browse By The Browse By area of the Program Guide displays the options Title Channel and Theme 3 Press Move Up or Move Down to select one of the following options Channe...

Page 18: ... of the following Future Program options To tune to the future program channel immediately choose the Tune channel number name immediately option To record the future program choose the Record program name option See Record Multiple Episodes of a Future Program on page 27 for instructions To set a reminder timer for the future program choose the Set Reminder Timer for program name option When sele...

Page 19: ...ms that you are watching live the DVR remains in pause for up to 1 hour 2 Press Pause again or press Play to resume playing the program Status Bar The Status Bar appears whenever you pause rewind or fast forward a live or recorded program Tip Some TV programs display scrolling information across the bottom of the TV screen for example news and sports tickers The DVR on screen status bar and other ...

Page 20: ...in the box on the next page 1 Make sure that the program or recording is not in Pause mode If it is paused press Play 2 Rewind or fast forward the live program or recording by following these steps To Press Result Rewind Action reverses and the Status Bar appears in the Rewind position at the bottom of the screen The pointer on the Status Bar moves to the left as you rewind the program Note When y...

Page 21: ...Status screen remains displayed for more than 5 minutes the DVR begins playing the recording from the beginning to prevent screen burn in 3 To resume play at normal speed press Play The Status Bar indicates the Play mode and the program plays at normal speed Status Bar Speed Indicator Rewind or fast forward in any of three speeds The first press or increases the speed to 4 times normal speed The s...

Page 22: ...e action one frame at a time by following these steps To Move Action Press Result Back by one Each time you press Rewind second action moves backward by one second Forward by Each time you press Fast forward one second action moves forward by one second 3 To resume play at normal speed press Play Catch Up With a Live TV Program When you pause or rewind a live program the program continues to be br...

Page 23: ...e 1 While watching a program press PIP On Off The PIP screen appears within the full screen and a channel banner appears briefly under the PIP screen Note You hear the sound of only the program that is shown in the full screen 2 To turn off the PIP screen press PIP On Off again Notes If you press Info when the PIP feature is on a channel banner appears for both screens If either program is current...

Page 24: ...he channel of the PIP screen Pressing the main Channel Up or Channel Down key changes the channel of the program that is shown in the main TV screen Move the Location of the PIP Screen If the PIP screen blocks action in the main TV screen move the PIP screen by pressing PIP Move Possible Positions of the PIP Screen Each time you press PIP Move the PIP screen moves clockwise to the next corner of t...

Page 25: ...PIP feature on the recording does in the main TV screen not capture the PIP screen in the recording The recording shows only the program in the main TV screen Recording the program Press Info an information banner appears in the PIP or the main for both the PIP and main TV screens If a TV screen program is being recorded the Recording Now symbol appears in the channel banner The recording does not...

Page 26: ...options The Jungle Book Wed 6 11 7 00pm 2hr 0min Save 1 Day Choose Highlighted Item Recorded List Recorded Program Options Options Change Save Time Copy to VCR Play The Jungle Book Block The Jungle Book Erase From the Quarter screen you can use any of the main remote keys such as Pause Rewind Fast forward or Record From the main TV screen you can use any of the main remote keys such as Pause Rewin...

Page 27: ...her you record a program you are watching live or schedule a program to be recorded in the future you have three ways that you can select how long to save the recording Use the default Save Time setting Using the default Save Time setting is the quickest way to save recordings because you don t need to select the save time each time you record a program For details see the Save Time Setting box on...

Page 28: ...Time setting follow these steps 1 Press Record The Confirm Recording screen appears 2 Choose One Episode or All Episodes 3 Press A Accept recording The DVR records the program using the settings you selected Save Time Setting Record and Play Back Programs Selecting Save Time from the Confirm Recording screen saves a recording for the length of time you choose instead of saving it for 14 days which...

Page 29: ... Record LED turns on Record and Play Back Programs Record a Program From the Program Guide 1 Press Guide 2 Press the arrow keys to select a current or future TV program and then press Record 3 In the Confirm Recording screen choose your recording options and press A The recording program is highlighted in red in the Program Guide TUE 1 15 Channel 2 Action News Tue 5 00 6 00pm 60 min WSB 02 Date Br...

Page 30: ... program using the settings you selected Result After selecting your recording option the Program Guide appears and you may continue watching TV Are you recording All Episodes The All Episode Recording Options screen appears Go to step 5 5 Choose one of the following All Episode recording options New first run episodes on this channel All episodes on this channel at any time All episodes on this c...

Page 31: ...nnel the DVR displays a Channel Change Notice to let you know that you must stop a recording to change channels For details see Cancel a Recording That Is in Progress on page 30 Record and Play Back Programs Record a Pay Per View Event If your cable service provider allows you can record pay per view PPV events To record a PPV event follow these steps 1 Purchase the event and wait for it to begin ...

Page 32: ...You can even record one or two programs live while you play back any program you recorded earlier However you can play back only one recording at a time 1 If the Recorded List screen is not displayed press List The Recorded List screen appears 2 Press Move Up or Move Down to select the recording you want to watch 3 Press Select If you select the recording that you have most recently watched the re...

Page 33: ...ore recording options Headline News HDLN Ch 36 Record 1 Episode Save 1 Day Edit Recorded List Preferences Scheduled Recordings Scheduled Recordings Date Time Law Order SVU Headline News Dr Phil Wed Thu Fri 6 18 6 19 6 20 9 00 10 00pm 4 00 5 00pm 3 00 4 00pm Programs that are scheduled to be recorded appear in this list along with any programs that are currently being recorded Programs currently be...

Page 34: ...ters Power Save mode your TV displays a black screen Note Your cable service provider controls whether or not the automatic Power Save mode is activated on your set top At 1 10 a m the DVR displays a 5 minute warning banner indicating that the DVR is about to enter power save mode When the banner appears do one of the following To allow the DVR to enter Power Save mode do nothing when the warning ...

Page 35: ...n blocking on by turning on the Parental Control feature For details see Turning Parental Control On and Off on page 34 When programs are blocked in this manner they can be watched only after entering a 4 digit personal identification number PIN Selecting Programs To Be Blocked on the DVR You can program the DVR to block programs by channel rating time of day or any combination of these methods as...

Page 36: ...you want the block to start by following this process a First press Move Left or Move Right to select the one you want to change hours minutes and A M or P M b Then press Move Up or Move Down to change the setting Or if your cable service provider allows you may select a setting by pressing the numeric keys on your remote c Repeat this process to change each setting as necessary d When the correct...

Page 37: ...he Parental Control setting to ON or OFF The PIN Entry screen appears When Parental Control is on programs that you have selected for blocking can be viewed only by those who know your PIN When Parental Control is off programs that you have selected for blocking can be viewed by anyone 5 Press the numeric keys on the remote and enter your 4 digit PIN The PIN Entry screen disappears Manage Programs...

Page 38: ...rded List screen appears 2 Press Move Up or Move Down to select the recording you want to block 3 Press Select The Recorded Program Options screen appears 4 Press Move Down The option Block title of program is selected 5 Press Select The PIN Entry screen appears 6 Press the numeric keys to enter your 4 digit PIN The PIN Entry screen disappears and the Closed Lock symbol appears in the Information ...

Page 39: ...trol is off all recordings and programs can be viewed When you select Unblock title of program the Program PIN Entry screen appears Entering your 4 digit PIN in this screen turns off blocking only for this recording Other recordings and programs continue to be blocked Clear PIN Entry Cancel PIN Entry This program is blocked Enter your PIN to unblock Clear PIN Entry Cancel PIN Entry Enter your PIN ...

Page 40: ...urn Parental Controls ON or OFF Some key points to remember about Parental Controls For existing recordings on the MR DVR server any recording can be manually blocked by choosing the Block option when selecting it from the Recorded List Once manually blocked on the MR DVR server and as long as Parental Controls are activated on the client set top the same recording will be automatically blocked on...

Page 41: ...the pay per view PIN After you have selected a 4 digit number to use as a Parental Control PIN set up the PIN by following the steps on the next page See Setting or Changing the Parental Control PIN Press to record this program or press for more recording options Scheduled Recordings Preferences The Jungle Book Save Until I erase Friends ER The Jungle Book Divine Design NYPD Blues Wed Thur Mon Fri...

Page 42: ... press the numeric keys to enter 0000 the number of the factory set PIN The PIN Entry screen prompts you to enter your new PIN If you are changing your current PIN press the numeric keys to enter your current PIN The PIN Entry screen prompts you to enter a new PIN 7 Press the numeric keys to enter your new PIN The PIN Entry screen prompts you to re enter your new PIN for confirmation 8 Press the n...

Page 43: ...e 44 or Copy Recordings From Your DVR to a VCR Tape on page 42 Turn on the Auto Erase feature This feature automatically erases the oldest recordings whenever additional space is needed to record a new program However this feature does not erase recordings that have a Save Time of Until I Erase These recordings remain until you decide to erase them For details see Automatically Erase Oldest Record...

Page 44: ...ears 2 Press B Preferences The Preferences screen appears 3 Press Move Up to select Turn ON Auto Erase 4 Press Select The Confirm Auto Erase On screen appears and displays the question Are you sure you want your oldest recordings automatically erased if space is needed 5 Press A The option now shows Turn OFF Auto Erase and the Information area displays the current status of the Auto Erase feature ...

Page 45: ...progress A Copying to VCR banner displays for 3 seconds when you turn the PIP feature on It is possible to record live TV directly to a VCR tape instead of your DVR by connecting the main OUT 1 outputs directly to the VCR inputs However we recommend that you use the method shown here to record programs to a VCR tape Copy a Recording to a VCR Tape 1 Connect the VCR to the OUT 2 connection on the ba...

Page 46: ...the recording to make space for other programs you want to record You can change this setting from 14 days to 1 2 or 7 days or to Until I Erase Important When you change the default Save Time setting it affects all future recordings not the currently recorded programs Use the following steps to change the default Save Time setting 1 If the Recorded List screen is not displayed press List The Recor...

Page 47: ...e time displays on the Recorded List screen Erase a Recording Erase a recording and permanently remove it from the DVR Erasing programs that you no longer want to watch creates space to record and store other programs If the DVR becomes full some programs may be partially saved or not saved at all 1 If the Recorded List screen is not displayed press List The Recorded List screen appears 2 Press Mo...

Page 48: ...e remove the drive and then reconnect the drive to a different DVR for playing back programs For instructions for connecting a SATA hard disk drive to the DVR refer to the connectivity guide for your DVR model Connecting the Explorer 8300 Digital Video Recorder part number 4003987 Connecting the Explorer 8300HD Digital Video Recorder part number 4003986 WARNING Avoid electric shock Unplug all elec...

Page 49: ...w the on screen instructions to format the SATA drive Close Attention The external recording device is not functioning properly Check to make sure the power and data cables are plugged in properly Yes Format Cancel Attention The external storage device appears to be corrupted Format this external storage device NOTE Existing recordings on this external storage device will be erased If you press Ca...

Page 50: ...or details I want to move the DVR to a new location How do I do this After disconnecting the DVR from your TV and other components reconnect it by following the instructions in your DVR installation guide If you can t find your copy of this guide log on to Scientific Atlanta s Explorer eClub Web site at www scientificatlanta com explorerclub It contains documentation on a number of topics includin...

Page 51: ...am even if you turn off the PIP feature What if my TV doesn t have the PIP feature That s no problem You can still use the PIP feature because the DVR provides the PIP feature not your TV Questions About Recording and Playing Back Programs If I ve been tuned to a program since it started do I have to rewind to the beginning to record the entire program No if you have been tuned to the program sinc...

Page 52: ... the DVR displays a Channel Change Notice to let you know that you must stop a recording to change channels For details see Cancel a Recording That Is in Progress on page 30 What happens if a sports event that I scheduled to record goes into over time The DVR cannot determine whether a live program will end at its scheduled time If there is a chance that the event you are recording may continue pa...

Page 53: ... front panel of your DVR to start watching TV again To prevent the DVR from entering Power Save mode simply press any key on your remote or any key on the front panel of the DVR when the warning banner appears The DVR does not attempt to enter Power Save mode again until another 2 hours of inactivity has passed I watched two 30 minute programs on the same channel but when I pressed Record the DVR ...

Page 54: ...ee Erase a Recording on page 44 or Copy Recordings From Your DVR to a VCR Tape on page 42 2 Turn Auto Erase On Your oldest recordings are erased automatically if space is needed For details see Automatically Erase Oldest Recordings on page 41 Questions About the MR DVR Client Set Top Can an MR DVR client set top record a program No Programs must be set up to record on the MR DVR server Why can t t...

Page 55: ...played in a wide screen format What s wrong The program may not be an HD program Not all stations broadcast HD pro grams Because non HD programs do not use a wide format the picture does not fill the width of the screen To fill the space the DVR automatically places bars on the sides of non HD programs You can change this display to one that removes the bars and fills the screen with the picture F...

Page 56: ...questions For additional information about your DVR Scientific Atlanta invites you to join the Explorer eClub This online club provides news and information about the DVR Access the Explorer eClub on the Internet at the following Web address www scientificatlanta com explorerclub To join and access the Explorer eClub you need to enter the model number of your DVR and your email address Customer Su...

Page 57: ...programs 15 Default Save Time setting changing for future recordings 43 explanation of 25 recording with 25 Displaying Browse By options 14 channel banner 20 list of recordings 29 list of scheduled recordings 30 Parental Control setting 34 PIP screen 20 Program Guide 13 programs to block 32 Recorded List screen 29 Scheduled Recordings screen 30 E Erasing portions of a recording 49 recordings 41 44...

Page 58: ...bol 34 Overtime in sporting events and other programs recording of 49 P Padlock symbol See Lock symbols Parental Control feature blocking programs 32 blocking recordings 35 how to use 34 playing blocked recordings 36 turning on and off 34 37 watching blocked recordings 36 Pausing live programs 16 PIP screen 23 48 Quarter screen 23 48 recordings 16 Pay per view events recording 28 46 48 Picture in ...

Page 59: ...ng 23 48 PIP screen 23 rewinding 23 48 Quick Settings adjusting picture format 8 parental control on and off 34 37 R Recorded List screen displaying 29 Recording See also Recordings all episodes of a program 27 blocked programs or channels 49 changing channels 28 fast forwarding 17 from the PIP screen 48 future programs 27 high definition programs HDTV 1 24 impact on storage space 1 24 40 pausing ...

Page 60: ...out B inside of foldout C inside of foldout Cable CBL 5 Channel Down 18 Channel Up 18 Exit inside of back cover Fast forward 18 Favorites FAV inside of foldout Guide 13 15 Info 20 Instant Replay 17 Last 18 List 28 29 30 Live 19 Menu inside of foldout Mute inside of foldout non responsive keys 47 numeric keys inside of foldout Page Down inside of foldout Page Up inside of foldout Pause 16 PIP 20 23...

Page 61: ...sy setup 7 starting 6 Simultaneous recording 49 Slow motion 19 Speed indicator on Status Bar 18 Status Bar 16 18 Storage space allotment of in hours 1 24 HD programs 1 managing 40 Swap PIP and main TV screens 22 Support 53 T Troubleshooting loss of power 47 non responsive remote control keys 47 pay per view events 48 program partially recorded 51 SATA drive 45 46 TV connections and DVR 4 V VCR con...

Page 62: ...h single frames in reverse Press to record this program or press for more recording options The Jungle Book USA Ch 67 Record 1 Episode Save 1 Day Options Play Scheduled Recordings Preferences Recorded List Recorded Programs Date Time Length PGA Golf The Jungle Book Dr Phil Sun 6 15 Wed 6 18 Fri 6 13 2 30pm 7 00pm 3 10pm 1hr 30min 2hr 0min 50min The Information area displays information about the p...

Page 63: ...can even record two programs and play back a third If you have advanced features like video on demand use one of these features while you record a program Press to record this program or press for more recording options The Jungle Book USA Ch 67 Record 1 Episode Save 1 Day Options Play Scheduled Recordings Preferences Recorded List Recorded Programs Date Time Length PGA Golf The Jungle Book Dr Phi...

Page 64: ... s Guide part number 4006383 AllTouch AT8400 Remote Control T11349 Swaps PIP screen with Main screen Turns PIP feature on or off Moves PIP screen Displays the Program Guide Displays a menu of services or options if offered by your cable service provider Displays a list of your recorded programs Makes on screen choices Stops recording a program or stops playback Pauses the program you are watching ...

Page 65: ...re trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC All other trademarks shown are trademarks of their respective owners Product and service availability subject to change without notice Scientific Atlanta Inc 5030 Sugarloaf Parkway P O Box 465447 Lawrenceville GA 30042 www scientificatlanta com May 2005 Printed in United States of America 4003870 Rev B The built in digital video recorder...

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