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Connecting the
TM
®
Explorer 8300HDC
Digital Video
Recorder
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Notice for CATV Installers CATV Installers Notice If you are a CATV installer, read the information in the box below. U.S. Patents U.S. Patents List A patent notice is affixed to this product. In addition, the product may also be covered by one or more of the following patents: 4,498,169; 4,636,852; 4,641,181; 4,651,208; 4,691,353; 4,692,919; 4,698,598; 4,719,642; 4,748,667; 4,829,569; 4,866,770; 4,885,775; 4,888,799; 4,890,319; 4,922,456; 4,922,532; 4,924,498; 4,965,534; 4,991,011; 5,003,384; 5
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Contents Important Safety Instructions ...............................................................................iv Welcome .............................................................................................................. 1 Safety First ........................................................................................................... 1 The Explorer eClub .............................................................................................. 1 Identify Your 8300H
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Do not overload electrical outlets, extension cords, or integral Heed Warnings convenience receptacles as this can result in a risk of fire or Adhere to all warnings on the product and in the operating electric shock. For products that require battery power or instructions. other sources to operate, refer to the operating instructions for that product. Read, Retain, and Follow Preventing Power Cord Damage These Instructions Arrange all power cords so that people or
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS, continued Protecting This Product From Foreign Checking Product Safety Objects and Water or Moisture Damage Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, the service technician must perform safety checks to determine that this product is in proper operating condition. WARNING: Avoid electric shock and fire hazard! Never push objects through the openings in Outdoor Grounding System this product. Foreign objects can cause electrical If this product con
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Welcome DVR makes it easy to watch TV on your terms. TM The Explorer® 8300HDC Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is the simple way to take control over your TV – and your life. You take control because DVR lets you decide what’s on TV and when. So there’s no more putting off the things you need to do, just because there’s a show on TV you want to watch. Just think what DVR can do for you: • Never miss a minute of your favorite movie or the big game. Simply pause the live action and play again when you
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What’s In The Carton? The DVR set-top carton contains the following items: • 8300 HDC DVR • Connection Guide • Power Cord • Component Video Cables (PrPbY/V) • Audio Left/Right Cable Additional Equipment You Might Need You might need some of the cables and adapters shown below for connecting the DVR to your home entertainment devices. See the connection information beginning on page 12 of this guide for more information. Check with your cable service provider for information about acquiring c
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What’s on the Front Panel? ® EXPLORER 8300HDC CH + GUIDE POWER VOL - VOL + INFO CH - SELECT EXIT LIST AUX INPUT LR AUDIO VIDEO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 T12141 1 Power Turns the 8300HDC on and off 2 Video and Connects to video and left/right (L/R) audio outputs of an external device Audio Input to deliver the audio and video to a TV or other device 3 List Displays the list of recorded programs 4 Exit Exits menus, the on-screen guide, and program information 5Info Displays a description of the s
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What’s on the Back Panel? 1 Cable In Connect the coaxial cable that delivers the signal from your cable service provider 2 Cable Out Connect a coaxial cable to send analog audio and video signals to a TV or VCR. These signals are standard-definition TV (SDTV) video and stereo audio 3 PrPbY/V Connect the 8300HDC (in HD mode) to the component video input (YPrPb) on the HDTV. When the 8300HDC is configured for SD mode, the Y/V portion of the component video output connects to the composite video in
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Connecting the 8300HDC To connect your 8300HDC to your entertainment devices, complete these steps. Determine if your TV is HD or SD and 16 4 whether it is wide or 3 screen (16:9) or 9 standard screen (4:3). See page 11 1 for more information. Make the connections for your TV and VCR as follows: • If you are using an HDTV, see page 6 and the connection diagrams at the end of this guide. • If you are using an SDTV, see page 7 and the connection diagrams at the end of this guide. 2 • If you want
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Connections for an HDTV and VCR To use the 8300HDC 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 archive recordings to a VCR tape. Refer to your TV and VCR users guides and the cabling diagrams in this guide for more detailed connection information. Note: The labeling on your 8300HDC may vary slightly. 8300HDC HDTV Required Connections to an HDTV (use one) Connections Connections Some HDTVs
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Connections for a Standard-Definition TV and VCR When using the 8300HDC 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 archive recordings to a VCR tape. Refer to your TV and VCR user guides and the cabling diagrams in this guide for more detailed information. Note: The labeling on your 8300HDC may vary slightly. 8300HDC SDTV Required Connections to an SDTV (use one) Con
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View and Record 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. • Arrows–Select a program in the schedule. • Info–Display a specific program description (either from the on-screen guide or while viewing
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Troubleshooting If the 8300HDC does not perform as expected, the following tips may help. If you need further assistance, contact your cable service provider. No Picture • Verify that the power to your TV is turned on. • Verify that your HDTV is in HD mode. If necessary, run the HD Setup Wizard to select HD mode. • If the 8300HDC is plugged into a wall switch, verify that the switch is in the ON position. • Verify that all cables are properly connected. • If your system includes a VCR or stereo,
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Frequently Asked Questions About HDTV 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. By using digital technology, there is no variation in picture and sound quality from the origination point until it is displayed on your television. You always receive a high-quality picture wit
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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 8300HDC 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. What is Aspect Ratio? An aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of the TV screen. The aspect ratios differ because the televis
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Connecting the 8300HDC to an HDTV with an HDMI Connector WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the 8300HDC. Required cables: • 1 HDMI-to-HDMI cable Important Notes Regarding the HDMI Interface on the 8300HDC The HDMI interface automatically configures the audio output for a format supported by the television. Because not all TVs support the Dolby® Digital input, the HDMI interface may automatically select a 2-chann
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Connecting the 8300HDC to an HDTV with a DVI Connector WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the 8300HDC. Required cables: • 1 HDMI-to-DVI or 1 HDMI-to-HDMI cable and 1 DVI adapter • 1 audio Left/Right cable Notes: • When you connect the HDMI connector to the DVI connector on your HDTV, you need an HDMI- to-DVI adaptor and a separate audio connection. • Digital content is encrypted with High-Bandwidth Content Prote
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Connecting the 8300HDC to an HDTV with Component Input (PrPbY/V) WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug all electronic devices before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the 8300HDC. Required cables: • 1 set component video cables (PrPbY/V) • 1 audio Left/Right cable 14
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Connecting the 8300HDC to a Home Theater System with Component Input (PrPbY/V) Required cables: • 3 sets component video cables (PrPbY/V) • 2 coaxial digital audio cables WARNING: Electric shock hazard! Unplug Back of Home Theater Receiver all electronic devices before DIGITAL TV/CABLE DVD VIDEO 1 COMPONENT VIDEO MONITOR AUDIO connecting or disconnecting any Y Y Y 1 device cables to the 8300HDC. S-VIDEO S-VIDEO S-VIDEO S-VIDEO PB PB PB S-VIDEO 2 OUT VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO PR PR PR 3 L L L L 1 2
