Summary of Contents for Cisco Cisco Explorer 8450HDC
Page 1
User Guide Cisco Explorer 8540HDC DVR and 8550HDC DVR with Multi-Stream CableCARD Interface Explorer 8550HDC VOL- VOL+ POWER SELECT GUIDE INFO EXIT LIST L AUDIO IN R VIDEO IN...
Page 2
Notice to Installers The servicing instructions in this notice are for use by qualifi ed service personnel only. To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not perform any servicing other than that contained in the operating instructions, unless you are qualifi ed to do so. Note to System Installer For this apparatus, the coaxial cable shield/screen shall be grounded as close as practical to the point of entry of the cable...
Contents IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ...iv What’s in the Carton? ...vi Additional Equipment You Might Need ...vi Welcome ... 1 Safety First ... 1 Identify Your Set-Top ... 1 Front Panel Features ... 2 Back Panel Connectors ... 3 Connecting the Set-Top ... 4 Connections for an HDTV and VCR ...
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1) Read these instructions. 2) Keep these instructions. 3) Heed all warnings. 4) Follow all instructions. 5) Do not use this apparatus near water. 6) Clean only with dry cloth. 7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Page 5
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS, Protect the Product from Lightning In addition to disconnecting the AC power from the wall outlet, disconnect the signal inputs. Verify the Power Source from the On/Off Power Light When the on/off power light is not illuminated, the apparatus may still be connected to the power source.
EXIT LIST L AUDIO IN R VIDEO IN • 8450HDC and 8550HDC DVR with M-Card Additional Equipment You Might Need You might need some of the cables and adapters shown below for connecting the set-top to your home entertainment devices. See the connection information in the Connection Diagrams section for more information.
The Cisco Explorer 8450HDC and 8550HDC DVR Set-Tops with Multi-Stream CableCARD high-defi nition (HD) capability and broadband digital video services. Follow the instructions in this guide to install the 8450HDC and 8550HDC, to become familiar with the buttons on the front panel, and to access your cable services.
Note: This illustration may vary from the actual product. CAUTION: The DVR is equipped with a hard disk drive to store programs that you record and to allow you to rewind and pause live TV. Any time the DVR is powered on (power LED is illuminated) or a recording is in progress (the record LED is illuminated) the hard disk is in use.
Back Panel Connectors THIS DEVICE IS INTENDED TO BE ATTACHED TO A RECEIVER THAT IS NOT USED TO RECEIVE OVER-THE-AIR BROADCAST SIGNALS. CONNECTION OF THIS DEVICE IN ANY OTHER FASHION MAY CAUSE HARMFUL INTERFERENCE TO RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND IS IN VIOLATION OF THE FCC RULES, PART 15. SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, INC.
Connecting the Set-Top To connect your set-top to your entertainment devices, complete these steps. Determine if your TV is HD or SD and whether it is wide-screen (16:9) or standard-screen (4:3). See page 10 for more information. Make the connections for your TV and VCR as follows: •...
Connections for an HDTV and VCR To use the set-top with an HDTV, you must make one of the following connections to view the HD content. In addition, you can make connections to a digital or analog VCR to record to a VCR tape. Refer to your TV and VCR user guides and the cabling diagrams in this guide for more detailed connection information.
Connections for a Standard-Definition TV and VCR When using the set-top with an SDTV, you must make one of the following connections to view content. Some SDTVs may not have all these connections. In addition, you can make connections to a VCR to record to a VCR tape. Refer to your TV and VCR user guides and the cabling diagrams in this guide for more detailed information.
View Television Programming Access Services and Programs Access cable services and programs by pressing the following keys on the remote control: • Guide–Access the on-screen guide. The on-screen guide displays schedules of TV programs and other services available from your cable service provider, such as video-on-demand and pay-per-view programs. •...
Troubleshooting If the set-top does not perform as expected, the following tips may help. If you need further assistance, contact your service provider. No Picture • Verify that the M-Card module is installed. • Verify that the power to your TV is turned on. •...
Frequently Asked Questions What is Digital Television? Digital television (DTV) is a huge leap forward in television technology compared to analog television that has been widely available since the 1940s. DTV is delivered and displayed using digital encoding, similar to the way a PC operates.
Picture Formats What is the Difference Between a Standard-Screen and a Wide-Screen HDTV? The type of screen your HDTV has (wide-screen or standard-screen) determines how the set-top displays programs on the screen. The picture format for an HDTV is a combination of aspect ratio and screen resolution and is different for standard-screen and wide-screen HDTVs.
Connecting to an HDTV with an HDMI Connector WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the set-top. Required cables: • 1 HDMI-to-HDMI cable Explorer Set-top THIS DEVICE IS INTENDED TO BE ATTACHED TO A RECEIVER THAT IS NOT USED TO RECEIVE OVER-THE-AIR BROADCAST SIGNALS.
Connecting to an HDTV with a DVI Connector WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the set-top. Required cables: • 1 HDMI-to-DVI or 1 HDMI-to-HDMI cable and 1 DVI adapter • 1 audio Left/Right cable Explorer Set-top THIS DEVICE IS INTENDED TO BE ATTACHED TO A...
Connecting to an HDTV with Component Input (YPbPr) WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the set-top. Required cables: • 1 set component video cables (YPbPr) • 1 audio Left/Right cable Explorer Set-top THIS DEVICE IS INTENDED TO BE ATTACHED TO A RECEIVER THAT IS NOT USED TO RECEIVE OVER-THE-AIR...
Connecting to a Home Theater System with Component Input (YPbPr) WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the set-top. Required cables: • 3 sets component video cables (YPbPr) • 1 audio Left/Right cable •...
Connecting to a Stereo VCR and HDTV (optional) WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the set-top. Required cables: • 1 RF coaxial cable • 2 sets composite A/V cables Explorer Set-top THIS DEVICE IS INTENDED TO BE ATTACHED TO A RECEIVER THAT IS NOT USED TO RECEIVE OVER-THE-AIR BROADCAST SIGNALS.
Connecting the Set-Top in HD Mode to an SDTV with Component Input (YPbPr) WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the set-top. Required cables: • 1 set component video cables (YPbPr) •...
• If it is a new eSATA drive or one used on another device, you will be asked to format it. • If the drive is formatted and will work with this DVR, you will get a confi rmation that the drive is working.
Page 24
(Refer to www.sata-io.org for more information) • Drive Speed – 7200 RPM (5400 RPM without Multi-Room • Capacity – Only one eSATA drive can be connected to the DVR. The DVR does not support a separate port multiplier. • eSATA Drive Power –The eSATA drive should power on when plugged in and should not be controlled by a switch.
Index Outlet iv, v, 4 Power input Aspect ratio Back panel Burn-in of screen CableCARD vi, 1, 3, 8 Cables Cable Out, connector Compliance, FCC and Canadian EMI Component video connection. See YPbPr Composite 5, 6 Connectors See also Front panel; Back panel required for HDTV required for SDTV 5, 6...
Page 26
Index, continued Picture Doesn’t display Formats No color Ports. See Connectors Product information Programming, viewing Progressive scan rate Remote control 7, 10 RGB connector. See YPbPr S-Video vi, 3, 5, 6 Safety ii, iv-v Scan rates Screen burn-in resolution size SD mode SDTV Connections...
Any reproduction or distribution of this fi rmware, or any portion of it, without our express written consent is prohibited. Disclaimer Cisco Systems, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear in this guide. We reserve the right to change this guide at any time without notice.
Page 28
Box 465447 Lawrenceville, GA 30042 Cisco, Cisco Systems, the Cisco logo, the Cisco Systems logo, Scientifi c Atlanta, Explorer, and Multi-Room are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affi liates in the U.S. and certain other countries.