Explorer DVR 8000TM User Manual

Explorer®  
Digital Video Recorder  
User’s Guide  
Get More Out of Your TV…  
Watch  
Your favorite shows anytime you want...on your schedule  
• Two programs (live or pre-recorded) at once with the PIP feature  
Record  
• Two live programs at the same time  
• All future episodes of your favorite programs by performing  
a simple, one-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  
Recordings on  
Other TVs  
Use the Multi-Room® DVR* (MR-DVR) system to play back  
recordings on up to 4 TVs at the same time  
• Use parental controls to block play back of recordings in  
any room  
*The MR-DVR feature is only available on the 8300 MR-DVR models.  
 
Contents  
Manage Programs and Recordings........................................32  
Block Programs With Parental Control ....................................................................... 32  
Block Recordings With Parental Control .................................................................... 35  
Control the Viewing of Programs and Recordings in Your MR-DVR System............. 37  
Find Out How Much Recording Space Has Been Used ............................................. 40  
Maximize Your Storage Space .................................................................................... 40  
Automatically Erase Oldest Recordings ..................................................................... 41  
Copy Recordings From Your DVR to a VCR Tape...................................................... 42  
Change the Default Save Time Setting for Future Recordings .................................. 43  
Change the Save Time of a Recording You Have Saved ........................................... 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 Playing Back HD Programs ................. 51  
Get More Information or Assistance ......................................53  
Frequently Asked Questions ....................................................................................... 53  
Online Documentation or the Explorer eClub ............................................................. 53  
Customer Support ....................................................................................................... 53  
Index..........................................................................................54  
Quick Tips .......................................................... inside of back cover  
Explorer Screens................................................inside of back cover  
AllTouch® Remote Control................................ inside of foldout  
iv  
 
Explore Your Entertainment Options  
Explore Your Entertainment Options  
With the Explorer® Digital Video Recorder (DVR), you can explore TV in a way  
never possible before:  
• Record your favorite programs when you’re busy  
• Create your own personal video library by recording and storing your  
favorite programs  
• Watch your recordings anytime you want  
• Pause live TV for up to 1 hour without missing a minute  
• Use instant replay anytime you want on live TV or while playing back a  
recording  
• Share recordings with other Scientific-Atlanta digital set-tops in your  
MR-DVR system  
This guide describes how to use the following ExplorerDVRs  
• For standard-definition TVs (SDTVs): Explorer 8000, 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  
Up to 90 hours of non-HD programs  
Up to 20 hours of HD programs  
(based on a 160 GB capacity hard drive)  
8240, 8300, 8300MR  
Up to 50 hours of non-HD programs  
(based on an 80 GB capacity hard drive)  
8240HD, 8300HD,  
8300HD MR  
Up to 90 hours of non-HD programs  
Up to 20 hours of HD programs  
(based on a 160 GB capacity hard drive)  
*The total program hours that can be stored depends upon the format and data rate of  
the programming source, as well as the DVR hard drive storage capacity.  
1
 
Explore Your Entertainment Options  
Take Control of Live Programs  
Anytime you tune to a live program, the DVR begins buffering the program — that  
is, making a temporary recording of it — so you can:  
• Pause the live program for up to one hour  
• Rewind the program up to the point when you tuned to the channel  
• Fast-forward through the portion you have rewound  
• Instantly replay the last eight seconds of TV anytime you want  
• Save the buffered program to the DVR by recording it  
Buffered Programs  
The channel buffer automatically buffers the last hour of the 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 buffer.  
Turn off the DVR  
When you turn off the DVR, it erases everything from  
its buffer.  
Have the DVR record the program  
When you press Record , the DVR records  
the portion of the live program it has buffered, and begins  
recording the rest of the live program as it is broadcast.  
2
 
Get Started  
Get Started  
Getting started is easy. After unpacking your DVR equipment, follow these steps  
to set up your DVR.  
1. Determine the types of connections you need to make, based on your TV  
type (HDTV or SDTV) and home theater connection requirements.  
2. Connect the DVR to your TV based on the connection 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 using the Setup Wizard. See  
“Prepare the Explorer DVR to Work With Your TV” on page 6.  
3
 
Get Started  
Connect the Explorer DVR to Your TV  
The DVR family supports a number of connection options to support connections  
to older TVs, SDTVs with composite inputs, and HDTVs with component inputs  
or DVI/HDMI inputs. The following table describes the available DVR outputs,  
including when the output should be used.  
For more information about connectivity requirements and connection diagrams,  
refer to the connectivity guide for your DVR model:  
Connecting the Explorer® 8300Digital Video Recorder, part number 4003987  
Connecting the Explorer® 8300HDDigital Video Recorder, part number 4003986  
Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server User’s Installation Guide, part number  
4002771  
Explorer 8000HD Home Entertainment Server User’s Guide, part number 4001025  
Output Type  
HDMI  
Description  
Some HDTVs have an High-Definition Multimedia  
Interface (HDMI) or Digital Video Interface (DVI)  
connector. The HDMI connector provides both a digital  
video and audio connection. The HDMI connector is  
available only on the 8300HD DVR. The DVI connector  
is available only on the 8000HD DVR.  
or  
DVI  
DVI  
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 Interface on the  
8300HD DVR” on the next page.  
If you connect to an HDTV using the DVI or HDMI  
ports, you are automatically placed in “HD” mode.  
The PrPbY ports, or component outputs, can be used  
with either an HDTV or a non-HDTV with component  
inputs. If connecting to a TV using component  
outputs, you must use the Setup Wizard to select the  
output formats that your particular TV supports. See  
“Prepare the Explorer DVR to Work With Your TV” on  
page 6.  
Pr, Pb, Y  
Pr  
Pb  
Y
Note: If connected to an HDTV using the component  
or composite (Y output, only) outputs, the Setup  
Wizard prompts you to choose “HD” or “SD” mode.  
Y Output  
This connection is used for connecting to an SDTV.  
(on HD unit configured  
for SD operation)  
or TV Video Output  
This connection can be used for connecting to an  
SDTV.  
S-Video Out  
This connection can be used when connecting to an  
SDTV.  
Cable Out  
4
 
Get Started  
Important Note Regarding the HDMI Interface on the 8300HD DVR  
The HDMI interface will automatically configure the audio output 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 Digital decoder  
from providing the full Dolby Digital surround sound effect.  
On the 8300HD, you may override the automatic selection of audio by the HDMI  
interface by completing the following steps.  
1. Press Settings  
2. Press Move Up  
twice. The General Settings menu appears.  
or Move Down to select Audio: Digital Out.  
3. Press Move Right to select Dolby Digital. This setting will send Dolby  
Digital audio to the HDMI, DIGITAL AUDIO OUT, and OPTICAL AUDIO OUT  
connectors on the 8300HD.  
A
4. Press  
Accept to accept the option for the DVR.  
5. Press Exit  
to return to normal viewing.  
Note: If the TV (video/audio monitor) connected to the 8300HD using HDMI is  
not Dolby Digital capable, it may not produce audio through its speakers when  
the Audio: Digital Out setting on the 8300HD is set to Dolby Digital. You can  
either switch the Audio: Digital Out setting back to HDMI when you are not using  
the home theater or Dolby digital decoder, or you can connect the baseband  
audio outputs (OUT 1 Audio Left and Right) to the TV.  
Prepare the Remote Control  
to Work With Your TV and DVR  
Set up the remote control (remote) in two  
steps.  
To place the remote in Cable mode,  
press Cable . The Cable key  
blinks red when pressed to indicate  
that it is in Cable mode. When the  
remote is in Cable mode and you press  
Power  
, the green Power LED on  
1. Prepare it to work with the make and  
model of your TV. (For additional  
information on preparing the remote to  
work with your make and model of TV,  
refer to the guide that is included with  
your remote.)  
the front of the DVR turns on or off  
depending on the current status of the  
DVR.  
Note: Each time you press a key on  
the remote, one of the four mode keys  
(
,
,
, or ) blinks red to indicate  
the mode the remote is in.  
2. Place it in Cable mode as described  
in the picture at right.  
Note: Your cable service provider may  
have already placed the remote in Cable  
mode for you. You can verify this by  
Cable Key  
pressing the Power  
the DVR responds.  
key to see how  
Tip: To find a key on the remote, open the  
foldout on the back cover of this guide to  
see the illustration of the remote.  
5
 
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.  
Press the Guide and Info  
keys at the same time  
Start the Setup Wizard  
To start the Setup Wizard, follow these steps:  
1. 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.  
2. Configure 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 HD or SD while the TV  
Connection Set-up HD mode or SD mode screens display on the TV screen.  
TV Connection Set-up  
TV Connection Set-up  
Press  
to use Standard Definition mode.  
Press  
to use High Definition (HDTV) mode.  
6. Choose one of the following options:  
Setup Options  
B
To choose HD mode, press  
to start the setup.  
on the remote  
Press  
Press  
for Easy Setup: Used by most TV viewers  
To choose SD mode, press  
to start the setup.  
A
on the remote  
for Advanced Setup: Used by advanced TV viewers  
After selecting HD or SD mode, the Setup  
Options screen appears.  
Complete setup  
7. Choose one of the following options:  
To choose the Easy Setup option, press  
Instructions on page 7.  
A
; then, go to the Easy Setup  
B
To choose the Advanced Setup option, press ; then, go to the  
Advanced Setup Instructions on page 7.  
6
 
Get Started  
Easy Setup Instructions  
B
1. Press  
A
or  
to select the type of TV  
Standard or Widescreen  
screen you have. The setup is complete.  
2. Press Power to begin watching TV.  
Notes:  
Press  
Press  
if your TV has a standard screen (4:3)  
if your TV has a widescreen (16:9)  
If you pressed  
A
for the standard  
screen (4:3) TV setting, the TV is set  
to receive programming in 480i format  
on non-HD channels and 1080i  
format on HD channels.  
Restart setup  
Complete setup  
B
If you pressed  
for the widescreen (16:9) setting, the TV is set to only  
receive programming in 1080i format (even on non-HD channels).  
Tip: After you complete the setup, you can press  
to stretch or zoom the  
picture.  
3. You’re ready to begin using your DVR to watch and record programs. Go to  
“Make the Most of Your Entertainment Options” on page 12.  
Advanced Setup Instructions  
B
1. Press  
A
or  
to select the type of TV  
Standard or Widescreen  
screen you have.  
Press  
Press  
if your TV has a standard screen (4:3)  
if your TV has a widescreen (16:9)  
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to  
select your picture formats.  
Note: Refer to the user’s guide that  
came with your TV for information  
about supported display formats.  
Restart setup  
Complete setup  
3. Press Select  
to toggle between the  
B
Save and Remove options, or press  
your TV screen.  
to see how the next format looks on  
Important: If you see a black screen or if the picture quality is not  
B
optimal, do not press Select  
. Press  
again to view the next  
screen format.  
4. After saving the picture formats, press Exit  
5. Press Power to begin watching TV.  
. The setup is complete.  
Tip: After you complete the setup, you can press  
to stretch or zoom the  
picture.  
6. You’re ready to begin using your DVR to watch and record programs. Go to  
“Make the Most of Your Entertainment Options” on page 12.  
Note: If you need to make changes to your HDTV picture display, go to  
“Adjust Your HDTV Picture” on page 8.  
7
 
Get Started  
Adjust Your HDTV Picture  
After using the Setup Wizard, if you feel that your HDTV picture quality needs  
improvement, you can adjust the HDTV picture display using options within the  
Quick Settings and General Settings menus.  
If you do not need to make an adjustment to your picture quality, skip this section  
and go to “Making the Most of Your Entertainment Options” on page 12.  
Adjust Your Picture Format Using Quick Settings  
Because the picture quality of a program is affected by many factors, such as  
how the program was originally recorded and the method used to broadcast the  
program, you may find that displaying certain programs in a specific picture  
format provides the picture quality you prefer.  
Note: If your HDTV uses a composite, DVI, or HDMI port, it automatically selects  
the best picture format for the program you are watching. DVI ports, however,  
can choose only from the picture formats that your HDTV supports.  
Follow these steps to change the picture format.  
1. Press Settings  
2. Press Move Up  
. The Quick Settings menu appears.  
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 Select  
to view the picture with this setting.  
6. If necessary, repeat these steps to find a setting that you prefer.  
Quick Settings: Picture Format  
Quick Settings  
Highlight an option, then press SELECT.  
Only the picture format settings that  
Turn OFF Parental Control  
Picture Format  
you selected using the Setup Wizard  
are available for selection. For  
example, if you used the Setup  
Wizard’s Easy Setup method, only  
the settings 480i and 1080i are  
available for you to select.  
720p  
Picture Size  
Normal  
More Settings  
Return to TV  
Note: If Pass-Through or Auto DVI/  
HDMI are selected in the General  
Settings: Set Picture Format (see  
page 10), you cannot change the  
Picture Format in the Quick Settings  
menu. You can only stretch and  
zoom the picture with the # key on  
the remote or within Quick Settings.  
8
 
Get Started  
Adjust Your HD Picture Using General Settings  
You can adjust how your DVR displays pictures using the Picture Format and TV  
Borders General Settings menu options.  
Set Your Default Picture Format  
By automating picture adjustments, the DVR uses a method that you choose to  
automatically select the picture format that provides the best display possible.  
The methods that you can select from depend partly on the type of video  
connection your HDTV uses. (See the box on the next page for more details.)  
Follow these steps to select a method the DVR will use to display pictures.  
1. Press Settings  
2. Press Move Up  
twice. The General Settings menu appears.  
or Move Down to select Set: Picture Format.  
3. Press Move Right to select the picture format setting.  
4. Press Move Up or Move Down to display each option.  
Note: See the box on this page for an explanation of each option.  
A
5. Press  
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 Sources  
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.  
And the DVR receives  
this signal:  
The HDTV displays the  
picture in this format:  
If you chose this picture  
format method:  
The picture format you  
selected from the Quick  
Settings menu. (For details,  
see page 10.)  
Fixed  
1080i, 720p, 480i, 480p  
1080  
720p  
480i  
Pass-Through  
or  
1080  
720p  
480i  
Auto-DVI  
480p  
480p  
Upconvert 1  
Upconvert 2  
480i/480p  
480p  
720p/1080i  
1080i  
480p  
720p  
480i/480p  
720p/1080i  
9
 
Get Started  
General Settings: Set Picture Format  
Upconvert 1 and Upconvert 2 -  
When possible, the DVR tries to improve  
the display of a program by upconverting  
the program.  
Fixed - All programming is displayed using  
the picture format you last selected. This  
setting remains fixed until you select a new  
picture format from the Quick Settings  
menu. For details, see the previous page.  
Pass-Through or Auto DVI - Programming  
is automatically formatted with the picture  
format that provides the best display. If your  
HDTV uses a DVI port, select the Auto DVI  
option.  
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 modes (1080i, 720p, 480p  
widescreen, 480i widescreen, 480p standard, and 480i standard). If your TV handles  
less than six TV display modes, Pass-Through functionality will, in some cases,  
operate like the Upconvert-1 or Upconvert-2 functions. Refer to the user’s guide that  
came with your TV for information about supported display formats.  
If you determine that your TV is capable of handling the six display modes, then you  
must select all six picture formats using the Setup Wizard program. See “Advanced  
Setup Instructions” on page 7 of this guide.  
Important: Do not connect the HDMI (DVI) output to an HDTV that does not support  
High-Definition Copy Protection (HDCP). If you connect the HDMI (DVI) output cable  
to an HDTV that does not support HDCP, you cannot see any video output. A  
message appears instructing 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.  
10  
 
Get Started  
Change the Darkness of Bars Used in Picture Displays  
The DVR automatically adds bars to certain types of program formats to improve  
the picture’s display.  
If you decide to use these automatic settings to watch programs, you can  
change the darkness of the bars from Light (the default setting) to Medium or  
Dark. To change the darkness of the bars that the DVR uses, follow these steps:  
1. Press Settings  
twice. The General Settings menu appears.  
or Move Down to select the option  
2. Press Move Up  
Set: TV Borders.  
3. Press Move Right to display 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).  
A
5. Press  
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,  
Pillarbox bars, or Letterbox bars, can reduce the ability of HDTVs to display colors  
evenly across the screen. When this occurs, the image becomes permanently burned  
into the screen leaving a faint image of it on the screen. This occurrence is known as  
“burn in.” For ways to reduce the effects of burn in, refer to the user’s guide that came  
with your HDTV.  
11  
 
Get Started  
Make the Most of Your Entertainment Options  
After you connect the DVR to your TV, set up the remote, and run the Setup  
Wizard, you are 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  
12  
 

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