Safety Information WARNING To reduce risk of fire or shock hazard, do not expose this receiver to rain or moisture. Cautions Note to Cable TV Installer: Note to Satellite Dish Installer: IMPORTANT NOTICE: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE WARNING COVER (OR BACK).
Table of Contents First Things First ... 3 What is the DSS ® System? ... 4 What’s in the Box ... 5 Using This Manual ... 6 The Point and Select Method ... 7 Connecting Your DSS ® Receiver to Your TV ... 8 Things to Know Before Connecting Components ...
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Table of Contents Locking a User’s Profile ... 44 Locking the System ... 44 Choosing Your Profile ... 45 Options ... 46 Look and Feel ... 47 System Options ... 48 Alternate Audio ... 49 Alternate Data ... 49 The Dish Pointing Menu ... 50 Using the On-Screen Signal Meter ...
First Things First First Things First Read the First Two Chapters The first two chapters of the manual introduce ® you to your DSS system, and show you how to use the on-screen guides and menus. In First Things First, you’ll learn: •...
First Things First What is the DSS ® You’ve purchased the DSS Digital Satellite System, so you already know a lot of the great things it offers. You know that the DSS ® system uses the latest satellite technology to deliver television programming to your home.
First Things First What’s in the Box The following items come with your DSS • Receiver (with access card inserted) • Remote Control • VCR Controller Receiver VCR Controller Installing Batteries In the Remote Control Follow these steps whenever you need to install or change the ®...
First Things First Using This Manual There are a couple of conventions used in this manual that might help you read it. • Words that appear in ALL CAPS indicate the name of a button. • The names of on-screen menu options are shown in italics. Important Note about This User’s Manual This manual assumes that your DSS...
First Things First The Point and Select Method Point and Select is the two-step method you use to navigate through the menu system and program guides. Once you know how to point and select, you can explore the menus to learn ®...
First Things First Connecting Your DSS Your TV During the satellite dish installation, the receiver may have been connected to your TV with just a coaxial cable for the system test. Depending on what components you have, another connection may provide better picture and audio quality. The following sections provide cable and connection information to help you decide what connection is best for you.
S-video jack carries only the picture signal, not the sound. Audio/Video Jacks and Cables (RCA-type) The audio/video jacks provide very good picture and stereo sound quality, and should be used if your TV has no S-Video jack.
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First Things First Connection A Best Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF, audio/video, and S-Video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial, audio/video, and S-Video cables To connect TV, VCR and antenna or cable box: 1.
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First Things First Connection B Very Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF and audio/video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial and audio/video cables To connect TV, VCR and antenna or cable box: 1.
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First Things First Connection C Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input (jack) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial and audio/video cables To connect TV, VCR, and antenna or cable box: 1.
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First Things First Connection D Good Picture and Sound Quality To use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input • Coaxial cables To connect TV and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables as shown. ® To receive DSS programming: •...
First Things First Connecting the VCR Controller ® In order for the DSS receiver and VCR to communicate, you need to attach the VCR Controller to the back of the receiver. 1. Plug the VCR Controller into the VCR CONTROL jack on the ®...
First Things First Selecting a VCR Type ® You need to tell the DSS receiver which VCR brand you are using. 1. Press MENU•SELECT on the remote to bring up the Main menu. 2. Point to Options and press MENU•SELECT. 3.
First Things First Interactive Setup If you self-installed your satellite dish, you may have already used the interactive setup to find the dish pointing coordinates, acquire and fine-tune the signal, and run a system test. If you need to run the interactive setup again, select Options from the Main menu, then select Interactive Setup.
Program Guides Program Guides What is a Program Guide? A program guide is an on-screen programming schedule. There are several types of guides, each presenting the schedule in a different format. Using the program guide is easy as long as you remember the Point and Select rule.
Program Guides Anatomy of a Program Guide The following diagram shows you the kind of information you will see in the program guides. “Family” is one of five selectable Profiles Returns you to previous screen Help gives you more information Sort the guide by: Topics, Movies, or Sports Scrolls through...
Program Guides Anatomy of The Channel Banner Some of the items you select in the guides can also be selected in the channel banner. Program titles and information Takes you to the Main menu Locks and unlocks the system Sorts the guide alphabetically by title The channel banner appears whenever you tune to a channel, exit a guide, or press INFO on the remote.
Program Guides Using the GUIDE Button Each press of the GUIDE button takes you to an alternate type of program guide. The Detail Guide The Detail Guide shows five channels in a time-and-channel format, with program information for the highlighted program. The Grid Guide The Grid Guide shows seven channels in a time-and-channel format.
Program Guides Tuning to a Program To tune directly to a current program listed in the guide, point to the program and press MENU•SELECT. To see information about a program in the guide, press INFO. The Program Details screen appears and gives you several options.
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Program Guides The Channel Guide Displays a channel’s programming schedule in a channel-by- channel format. The Logo Guide Displays channel logos for the current user’s profile. The Attractions Guide Displays a list of channels that show coming attractions and special events information. You can point to any program and tune to that channel, get more information, or set a timer to...
Program Guides Sorting the Guides Sorting the guide is a way of organizing the guide to show only the types of programs that interest you. There are several on- screen buttons that sort the guide in different ways. The Sorting buttons appear at the bottom of the Grid Guide and Detail Guide.
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Program Guides Movies Select the Movies button to list movies only. After selecting Movies, the Movies button changes to a Movies Themes button. Select the Movies Themes button to sort the guide to list specific types of movies, such as comedies or musicals. Select a Movies Themes that interests you.
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Program Guides AlphaSort AlphaSort lists in alphabetical order all the program titles in the current guide. Select the AlphaSort button to search for specific program titles that are in the current program guide. Use the arrow button to highlight a character, then press MENU•SELECT. AlphaSort button For example, to search for the program, Auto Racing, the first letter you should enter is “A”.
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Program Guides Scout The Scout button lets you assign “Scouts” to search the guide for very specific program information, such as actor’s names or program descriptions. Select the Scout button to view the available scouts. Point to an available Scout, and select it. Select the Enter Text button to set up the information the Scout will look for in the program guide.
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Program Guides Other Guides The Other Guides button lets you sort the guide by different variables, such as future times, user profile channel lists, and channel groups. You can then choose a guide format to view the program information. Select the Other Guides button. You can select multiple sort parameters.
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Program Guides The other buttons Exit Exits the guide and returns you to normal viewing on the current channel. Press MENU•SELECT to continue. Help Brings up additional information about the guide. Press MENU•SELECT to continue. Down Arrow The arrow button allows you to scroll down through other channels in the guide.
The Menu System The Menu System What’s a Menu? The DSS ® menu is a list of choices, just like a menu in a restaurant. And, just as a restaurant menu is divided into sections such as appetizers, entrees, and desserts, the on-screen menus are also separated into sections to help you find the information you need.
The Menu System Using the Menu System To bring up the Main menu, press MENU•SELECT on the remote. Use point and select to choose an item from the Main menu. To use the menu system, you need to know the Point and Select rule.
The Menu System Menu Descriptions This section briefly describes each of the available Main menu options. More information about each menu and its features is included later in this chapter. Program Guide Shows the on-screen programming schedules. Mailbox Use to read mail messages from your program providers. Purchases Use to review or cancel upcoming purchases, and to review past purchases.
The Menu System The Program Guide Selecting Program Guide brings up your default program guide: the Detail Guide, the Grid Guide or SurfGuide. Anatomy of a Program Guide The following diagram shows you the kind of information you will see in the Detail Guide and Grid Guide. “Family”...
The Menu System The Mailbox The mailbox shows you messages that are sent—or “mailed”— from your program providers. For example, you may receive a message calling your attention to a new service. How to tell when you have mail There are two ways to tell if you have mail, depending on whether the DSS ®...
The Menu System Pay-Per-View Programs Pay-per-view programs (PPV) are programs that you purchase— like a movie ticket—on an event-by-event basis. For instance, there might be a specific channel that runs nothing but previews for movies. After previewing the movie, you can purchase it or find out more details about it.
However, your program provider may offer PPV programs that are coded so that you cannot record them. You need to connect your phone line to your satellite receiver to be able to order PPV programs using the on-screen menus.
The Menu System Using the Attractions Guide Your program providers may offer future programming events not currently listed in your Program guide. These events are called “coming attractions,” and can be previewed in the Attractions Guide. 1. Press the GUIDE button until the Detail Guide or Grid Guide appears on-screen.
The Menu System Using the Purchases Menu The Purchases menu allows you to review upcoming and past purchases. The Purchases menu shows you upcoming or past purchases, and spending limits. The list of purchases may be longer than one screen; use the down arrow keys to see more items.
The Menu System Spending Limits Use the Spending Limit option to indicate a per-event spending limit for pay-per-view programs. 1. Point to Spending Limit, and press MENU•SELECT. You can set a per-event spending limit for each Profile. 2. Use the digits on the remote or use the arrow keys to enter a single-program spending limit.
The Menu System Timers Feature The Timers feature allows you to preset your system to automatically tune to a particular channel at a predetermined time. To use the Timers feature, select Timers from the Main menu to bring up the Timers screen. Select a Timer (1-8) and then use the arrow keys to complete the on-screen sentence.
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The Menu System Schedule a Timer with the RECORD Button You can schedule a recording directly from the guide. 1. With a program highlighted, press the RECORD button on the remote. The Program Details appears on-screen. 2. To schedule a timer to record, select: •...
The Menu System Profiles When you select Profiles from the Main menu, the first screen you see is the User Profiles control panel. In addition to the Family profile, you can create as many as four different profiles that can be easily accessed by using the WHO button on the remote control.
The Menu System Add or Delete All Channels You might be able to save time when creating a channel list by using the Add All Chans option or the Delete All Chans option to either add all channels or delete all channels before removing or adding individual channels.
The Menu System Viewing Hours Use the Viewing Hours option to limit the total amount of time, as well as the viewing hours a user can watch programming. 1. Point to Viewing Hours, and press MENU•SELECT. You can limit viewing seven days a week. 2.
The Menu System Locking a User’s Profile Each user can be assigned a personal password to lock his or her profile. When a password is assigned, the user must enter the password before he or she can view programs using that profile. Profile passwords do no allow access to, or editing of the profile limits.
The Menu System Unlocking the System When the system is unlocked, the channel, spending, viewing, and ratings limits, that you have set are no longer in effect. 1. Point to Unlock System and press MENU•SELECT. 2. Point to Yes and press MENU•SELECT to confirm that you want to unlock the system.
The Menu System Options The Options menu lets you set up personal preferences for the look and feel of the system as well as how some of the features work. The Options menu lets you change how the system works. The following sections explain your options when changing your personal preferences.
The Menu System About DSS Select About DSS from the Options menu to choose from a list of on-line Help topics. Point and select to find out about the specific parts of the DSS ® system, then use the right arrow key to continue through each of the Help screens or press MENU•SELECT to return to the Help menu.
The Menu System System Options System Test The System Test display screen is accessed through the Options menu, and allows you to initiate diagnostic procedures on the DSS ® system. You should use this feature to get your Access Card number, or when your receiver doesn’t seem to be working correctly.
The Menu System Picture Size The Picture size display screen allows you to choose between a standard TV screen and a Cinema option. A standard TV screen has an aspect ratio of 4:3; the Cinema option has an aspect ratio of 16:9. Data Port Let’s you choose whether the low speed data port is used for low speed data or communicating with the Home Control Base accessory.
Follow these steps to obtain your dish pointing coordinates: 1. Turn on your television and satellite receiver. 2. Tune your television to the satellite receiver’s output channel. 3. Press MENU•SELECT on the remote or front panel to bring up the Main menu.
Follow these steps to bring up the on-screen signal meter: 1. Turn on your television and satellite receiver. 2. Tune your television to the satellite receiver’s output channel. 3. Press MENU•SELECT on the remote or front panel to bring up the Main menu.
The Menu System Home Control Home Control lets you remotely control several lamps and appliances through your DSS you must connect a Home Control Data Interface to the receiver and a remote module to the device you want to control. These devices are available as accessories sold through your digital satellite dealer or the accessories order form at the back of this book.
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The Menu System 2. Select a device you would like to control. Keep track of devices by assigning a label. 3. Complete the on-screen sentence using the arrow buttons and MENU•SELECT. Press MENU•SELECT to scroll through the lists of appliances and locations. 4.
The Menu System Fetch Menu The Fetch menu is a list of favorite menu items that you define. Press the FETCH button on the remote. The Fetch menu appears. You can select up to eight menu items to appear in this menu. The Fetch menu is a convenient way to call up frequently used menu items.
Reference Reference How It All Works Although the DSS ® system is simple to use, there are a number of parts in the system. Don’t be overwhelmed. This section explains how these different parts work together to bring a picture to your screen. What’s It For? This section also describes the controls located on the front and back of the receiver.
Reference ® Parts of the DSS System One way to understand the DSS ® system is to look at the ® different parts of the system—from the studio down to the DSS receiver and remote control in your living room. Uplink Center Satellite Dish Antenna Satellite...
Reference Home View These parts are inside of or attached to your house. Satellite Dish DSS Receiver Telephone Jack ® Satellite Dish Picks up the satellite’s coded program information and relays it to your DSS dish may be installed in different locations on or around your house.
Reference Controls and Buttons This part of the Reference sections discusses the controls and buttons located on the receiver and the remote control. ON/OFF INFO MENU SELECT ANTENNA The Access Card door slides open so that you can replace the card when necessary. Front Panel Controls ON/OFF Turns the DSS ®...
Reference FROM S-VIDEO VIDEO AUDIO CH 4 CH 3 Back Panel Controls IN FROM ANT Use to connect an off-air antenna or cable TV signal to the DSS system. ® OUT TO TV Use to connect the DSS your TV has audio/video jacks, you should use those jacks to get better picture and sound quality.
Reference Remote Control Buttons POWER Turns the device you are controlling on or off. TV Tells the remote to control the TV. VCR Tells the remote to control the VCR. AUX Tells the remote to control an alternative device connected to your TV. DSS1/DSS2 Lets you control two DSS ®...
TVs, VCRs, and cable boxes. The remote is programmed to control most RCA, GE and ProScan TVs and VCRs. The remote needs to be programmed to control other manufacturers’ brands.
Reference Programming the Remote to Control Your TV To determine whether your remote needs to be programmed, turn the TV on, point the remote at the TV, and press the TV button. Then press CHAN UP or DOWN to see whether the TV responds to the remote commands.
Reference Programming the Remote to Control Other Devices The AUX button is a device button that can be programmed to control a second VCR, a cable box, or a laserdisc player. 1. Turn on the device to be programmed. 2. Look up your brand and its code number on code list on the following pages.
Reference Glossary The following is a list of terms used in this manual. There is also a glossary contained within the About DSS ® menu of your DSS system. Access Card Identifies you to the DSS ® service providers and is required for your DSS ®...
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Reference Mailbox Stores incoming electronic messages sent to you by your program providers. The Mailbox is accessed through the on-screen menu system. Main Menu The first list of choices in the DSS ® on-screen menu system. Press the MENU button on the remote or front panel to bring up the Main menu.
Reference Troubleshooting ® The DSS System Test allows you to run a basic diagnostics check on your DSS ® system. If you are experiencing any trouble with your system, run the system test. Make sure that • All connections—jacks, cables, etc. are correctly in place. See the section, Connecting Your DSS information.
For your protection, insure all shipments for full replacement value and use a reliable shipper. Thomson assumes no responsibility for warranty shipments from the customer to the factory if not shipped in the manner prescribed by Thomson. RCA DIGITAL SATELLITE SYSTEM LIMITED WARRANTY What your warranty covers: •...
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Appendix A: Warranty Information How you get service: • Call 1-800-679-4776 and have your unit’s date of purchase and model/serial number ready. The model/serial number information is on the back of your receiver. • A representative will troubleshoot your problem over the phone. •...
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Appendix A: Warranty Information What your warranty does not cover: • Acts of God, such as but not limited to lightning damage. • Adjustment of customer controls. • Damage from misuse or neglect. • A unit that has been modified or incorporated into other products or is used for institutional or other commercial purposes.
“How To Identify and Resolve Radio/TV Interference Problems”. This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Please specify stock number 004-000-00345-4 when ordering copies. ® satellite receiver with respect to the radio or television equipment that is ® equipment from ®...
Appendix C: Accessories RG-6 Coaxial Burial Cable with weatherproof “F” connectors Stereo Audio/Video Cable with gold RCA-type connectors Self-Installer’s Kit contains cable and hardware to install the dish and connect the system. Remote Control replaces POWER DSS 1 DSS 2...
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Appendix C: Accessories Charge your order on your VISA, MasterCard, or Discover Card by filling in below USE YOUR CREDIT CARD IMPORTANT: Copy complete account number from your VISA card My card expires: IMPORTANT: Copy complete account number from your MasterCard Copy Number My card above your...
Index About DSS 47 Access card 57 number 16 Accessories 73 All button 24 AlphaSort button 25 Alternative audio 49 Alternative data 49 Attractions Guide 22, 36 Back panel controls 59 Batteries installing in the remote 5 Buttons 60 Cancelling purchases 37 Channel banner anatomy 19 icons 19...
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If your DSS ® system needs service, please contact your dealer or the nearest Servicenter from the yellow pages. Please do not send any products to the Indianapolis address listed in this manual or on the carton. This will only add delays in service for your product.