Scientific Atlanta Explorer User Manual
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Scientific Atlanta Explorer User Manual

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Download this manual See also: User Manual, Installation Manual
Explorer
Digital Video Recorder
User's Guide
Get More Out of Your TV...
Watch
Record
Watch & Record • Watch one program while recording another
Play Back
Recordings on
Other TVs
®
• Your favorite shows anytime you want...on your schedule
• Pause live TV for up to 1 hour without missing a minute
• Two live programs at the same time
• All future episodes of your favorite programs by performing a simple,
one-time setup
• Watch two programs at once (using the PIP feature) and record
one of them
• Watch a pre-recorded program while recording one or two
other programs
• Use the Multi-Room
to 4 TVs at the same time
• Each room can either play back the same recording or different
recordings, and each room has individual control of the play back
*The Multi-Room DVR feature is only available on the Explorer
DVR models.
™
DVR* system to play back recordings on up
®
™
8300
Multi-Room

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Summary of Contents for Scientific Atlanta Explorer

  • Page 1 Other TVs • Each room can either play back the same recording or different recordings, and each room has individual control of the play back ® ™ *The Multi-Room DVR feature is only available on the Explorer 8300 Multi-Room DVR models.

  • Page 2: Alltouch Remote Control

    OUCH EMOTE ONTROL ® The AllTouch Remote Control includes specific keys that enable you to control your Explorer ® Digital Video Recorder (DVR). IMPORTANT! You must place the remote control in cable mode (press ) to access the DVR features.

  • Page 3: Safety First

    CATV I OTICE FOR NSTALLERS The servicing instructions in this notice are for use by qualified 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 qualified to do so. Note to System Installer (U.S.A.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Important Note Regarding the HDMI Interface on the 8300HD/8300HDC ..2 Connect External Devices to the DVR ............2 Prepare the Explorer HD DVR to Work With Your TV ......... 3 Start the Setup Wizard ..................3 Adjust Your HDTV Picture ................5 Adjust Your Picture Format Using Quick Settings ..........
  • Page 5 ELCOME ONTENTS ONTINUED PIP F SING THE EATURE Use Picture-In-Picture ................15 Turn PIP On and Off ..................15 Change the Channel of the PIP Screen ............15 Move the Location of the PIP Screen ..............15 Swap the Main Screen and the PIP Screen ............15 ECORD Record Programs ..................
  • Page 6 Questions About the Multi-Room DVR Client Set-Top ........32 Questions About HDTV Programs ..............33 Get More Information or Assistance ............34 Online Documentation or the Explorer eClub ..........34 Customer Support .................... 34 Index ......................36 Quick Tips ................... inside of back cover...

  • Page 7: Et Tarted

    For more information about connectivity requirements and connection diagrams, refer to the connection guide for your DVR model, the user’s guide for your TV, the Explorer eClub (see “Online Documentation or the Explorer eClub” on page 34), or contact your service provider.

  • Page 8: Important Note Regarding The Hdmi Interface On The 8300Hd/8300Hdc

    ONNECT THE XPLORER ONTINUED HDMI I MPORTANT EGARDING THE NTERFACE ON THE 8300HD/8300HDC The HDMI interface automatically configures the audio output for a format supported by the TV attached to the DVR through the HDMI connection. This automatic configuration is only performed the first time the DVR is connected through the HDMI interface to a compatible TV.

  • Page 9: Prepare The Explorer Hd Dvr To Work With Your Tv

    TV, refer to the user’s guide for your remote model. 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 1.
  • Page 10 HD DVR REPARE THE XPLORER ONTINUED ETUP NSTRUCTIONS Press to select the type of TV screen you have. The setup is complete. Standard or Widescreen Press to begin watching TV. Notes: Press if your TV has a standard screen (4:3) •...

  • Page 11: Adjust Your Hdtv Picture

    HDTV P DJUST ICTURE HDTV D ICTURE ORMATS AND ISPLAY The following table shows the relationship between the picture format method, the signal the DVR receives, and the format of the picture that displays on your TV screen. If you chose this picture And the DVR receives The HDTV displays the format method:...

  • Page 12: Adjust Your Picture Format Using Quick Settings

    TV. Changing the picture Press to accept the option for the DVR. format in General Settings: Note: The Explorer 8300 DVR (8300) front panel displays the selected option and scan ™ Set Picture Format to Fixed rate. For example, if you selected Pass-Through, the 8300 front panel displays AUTO.

  • Page 13: Set Parental Control

    ARENTAL ONTROL Notes: This section covers the basics for setting up parental control and blocking • programs. You can also use parental controls to block recordings on your DVR. For more information, see Block Recordings With Parental Control on page 9. If you do not want to configure parental control and blocking, skip this section •...

  • Page 14: Program Rating Categories

    ARENTAL ONTROL , C ONTINUED URNING N AND ARENTAL ONTROL Using the remote, press to access Quick Settings. Press to select Turn ON Parental Control or Turn OFF Parental Control, respectively. Press to change the Parental Control setting. When prompted, enter your 4-digit PIN. Tip: Turning off the DVR and turning it back on by pressing the Power button on the DVR (or by pressing on the remote) is an easy way to turn on...

  • Page 15: Block Recordings With Parental Control

    LOCK ECORDINGS WITH ARENTAL ONTROL You can keep others from watching a recording by using the Block feature. This feature is useful if children also use the DVR and you do not want them to watch certain recordings. Note: To block a program that is scheduled to be recorded, block the program rating from the General Settings menu.

  • Page 16: Search For Programs Using The Program Guide

    EARCH FOR ROGRAMS SING THE ROGRAM UIDE ISPLAY THE ROGRAM UIDE Press to access the Program Guide. To close the guide, press . The Program Guide closes and displays the program that was playing in the Quarter screen. ROGRAM UIDE The Quarter screen The Information shows the program...

  • Page 17: Search For A Program By Date

    EARCH FOR ROGRAMS SING THE ROGRAM UIDE , C ONTINUED ROWSE PTIONS HDLN ROWSE HANNEL Headline News 4:00-5:00pm Channel lists programs numerically Up-to-the-minute coverage of events. by channel number. Wed 6/18 4:02pm CHANNEL 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm Great Chefs Great Chefs Travelers Inside Politics Early Prime...

  • Page 18: Select A Program From The Program Guide

    ELECT A ROGRAM FROM THE ROGRAM UIDE Press to access the Program Guide. Press to move through the program listings to select the program you want to watch. Press • If the program is currently on, the Program Guide closes and the program you selected appears in full-screen TV.

  • Page 19: Ecordings

    ONTROL ECORDINGS When you tune to a live program, the DVR begins buffering the program — that is, making a temporary recording of it — so that you can: • Pause the live program for up to one hour • Rewind the program up to the point when you tuned to the channel •...

  • Page 20: Use Instant Replay

    ONTROL ECORDINGS , C ONTINUED NSTANT EPLAY Press to watch the last 8 seconds of a live or recorded program again. Every additional press jumps back 8 more seconds. OTION While watching live TV or while playing a recording at normal speed, press once.

  • Page 21: Use Picture-In-Picture

    ICTURE ICTURE PIP O N AND The PIP feature can only be activated while you are watching TV in full screen mode. You must remove any on-screen menus and exit the program guide to turn the PIP feature on. When you turn on the PIP feature, you can watch two channels at once. One channel GOLF appears as a full-screen image;...

  • Page 22: Record Programs

    ECORD ROGRAMS Feel free to do the following without affecting the DVR recording: • Continue to watch the channel while the recording is being made. • Pause, fast-forward, or rewind the program. • Change channels (only if you are recording one program). •...

  • Page 23: Record Two Live Programs At Once

    ECORD ROGRAMS , C ONTINUED ECORD ROGRAMS AT Press to record the show that you are watching, and then press Channel Change Notice You are now recording "The Jungle Book" Press to change to the other recording Tune to the second show you want to record, press , and then press Stop Recording Cancel...

  • Page 24: Atch Ecordings

    ATCH ECORDINGS Note: If you see Blocked Title instead of the title of a program, you are hiding the display of blocked program titles (a parental control function). See “Hiding or Viewing Blocked Program Titles” on page 7 for more information. ISPLAY A IST OF ECORDED...

  • Page 25: Cancel Recordings

    ANCEL ECORDINGS ANCEL A CHEDULED ECORDING You can cancel a scheduled recording at any time. Press Confirm Cancel Press to access the Scheduled Recordings screen. "Design On A Dime" HGTV (Ch 238) Press to select the recording you want to cancel. Mon: 11/15 8:00-8:30pm Record: All episodes, first run Save: All episodes...

  • Page 26: Check Recording Space

    Disk Drive [Optional]” on page 24.) Note: SATA connectivity is only available on the 8300 DVRs. DVR? OURS OF ROGRAMS TORE ON Explorer Model *Storage Capacity 8000 Up to 50 hours of digital non-HD programs (based on an 80 GB capacity hard drive) 8000HD...

  • Page 27: Save Recordings

    ECORDINGS Whether 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.

  • Page 28: Erase Recordings

    RASE ECORDINGS UTOMATICALLY RASE LDEST ECORDINGS To ensure that there is enough storage space for new recordings, turn on the Auto Erase feature. When Auto Erase is on, oldest recordings are automatically erased one by one until there is enough space to record your new programs. Note: Recordings with save times of “Until I Erase”...

  • Page 29: Copy Recordings From Your Dvr To A Vcr Tape

    VCR T ECORDINGS FROM TO A The Copy to VCR feature lets you copy recordings from your DVR to a VCR tape. WARNING: Avoid electric shock. Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the DVR. CABLE OUT 1 OUT 2...

  • Page 30: Add Storage With A Sata Hard Disk Drive (Optional)

    SATA H TORAGE WITH A RIVE PTIONAL On the 8300-series DVRs, you can use a Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drive for increased recording capability. Contact your service provider for a list of approved hard drive models that you can use with the 8300s. IMPORTANT! You cannot choose between recording to the internal DVR hard drive or recording to the SATA drive.

  • Page 31: Troubleshooting The Sata Drive

    SATA H TORAGE WITH A RIVE PTIONAL ONTINUED SATA D ROUBLESHOOTING THE RIVE If you encounter problems when connecting or disconnecting your SATA hard disk drive, use the following warning banners to troubleshoot any drive issues. WARNING: Avoid electric shock. Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the DVR.

  • Page 32: Maximize The Life Of The Dvr

    AXIMIZE THE IFE OF WHEN To maximize the life of your DVR, you should turn Off the DVR when it is not in use. When the DVR is powered Off (and plugged into an active outlet), all scheduled recordings are performed automatically – and your recordings are protected. To turn off your DVR, simply press and then on your remote, or press...

  • Page 33: The Dvr And Your Multi-Room Dvr System

    HD recordings. • Not all Scientific Atlanta digital set-tops can be used as clients. For more information, contact your service provider. This section describes how you can set up your Multi-Room DVR system to restrict or block the viewing of certain programs and recordings to specific set-tops.
  • Page 34 DVR S ULTI YSTEM , C ONTINUED DVR C ARENTAL ONTROL ON ULTI LIENT After you have decided how to restrict viewing for the set-tops in your home, set up a Parental Control PIN for each client set-top. All of the set-tops in your system need a Parental Control PIN to view blocked programs.

  • Page 35: Frequently Asked Questions

    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, including installation and set up.

  • Page 36: Questions About Pip

    REQUENTLY SKED UESTIONS , C ONTINUED UESTIONS BOUT Q. If a program is being recorded in the PIP screen and I turn off the PIP feature, will this stop the recording? No. The DVR continues to record the program even if you turn off the PIP feature.
  • Page 37 REQUENTLY SKED UESTIONS , C ONTINUED Q. Can I erase part of a recording? No. The DVR erases the entire recording. Q. What happens if a sports event that I scheduled to record goes into overtime? The DVR cannot determine whether a live program will end at its scheduled time.

  • Page 38: Questions About The Multi-Room Dvr Client Set-Top

    If the recording is still listed in gray, the recording was made from a high-definition program and can only be played back on the 8300HD Multi- Room DVR server set-top. Note: As a future enhancement, the Explorer 3250HD client set-top will be able to playback HD recordings.

  • Page 39: Questions About Hdtv Programs

    REQUENTLY SKED UESTIONS , C ONTINUED HDTV P UESTIONS BOUT ROGRAMS Q. Are local TV stations broadcasting in HDTV? Many local TV stations and other programmers are transmitting digital signals. However, transmitting a digital signal does not mean transmitting an HDTV signal.

  • Page 40: Get More Information Or Assistance

    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. USTOMER UPPORT If you have questions after looking through the “Frequently Asked Questions”...
  • Page 41 OTES...

  • Page 42: Index

    HD picture Date, search programs audio output Default Save Time setting blocking programs changing for future recordings favorite channels explanation of Guide screen. See Explorer screens recording with single recording Displaying HDMI Interface 1, 2 Browse By options HDTV...
  • Page 43 NDEX Parental Control feature, continued Information area on Explorer screens, turning on and off inside of back cover watching blocked recordings Installation, instructions for Pausing Instant replay live programs PIP screen recordings Keys, nonresponsive Pay-per-view events, recording 17, 30 See also individual key names;...
  • Page 44 NDEX Programs Recording, continued scheduled blocking with Parental Control single programs fast-forwarding stopped finding 10-11 turning off TV live control two programs at once pausing two programs at once and watching ratings a live program 17, 30 recording 16-17, 19 video-on-demand removing blocking from watching...
  • Page 45 Viewing titles of blocked programs Safety iii Save Latest options Save Time setting, changing Watching recordings 9, 18 Saving recordings Web access to more information, Explorer eClub methods of Wizard, Setup permanently. See Copying recordings to VCR tape storage space Scheduled recordings canceling...
  • Page 46 OTES...

  • Page 47: Quick Tips

    XPLORER CREENS This illustration explains the format of a typical Explorer screen, showing where to look for key information and how selections are presented. Although each screen contains information and options that are specific to a particular task, most of the screens are very similar to the example screen shown here.
  • Page 48 3250HD, 8000, 8010HD, 8240, 8240HD, 8300, 8300HD, 8300HDC, AT8550, and Multi-Room are trademarks of Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. Scientific Atlanta, the Scientific Atlanta logo, AllTouch, and Explorer are registered trademarks of Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco trademark are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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