Cisco Explorer 8000, Explorer 8000HD Getting Started Manual

1

Getting Started with the Explorer
8000 and 8000HD DVR

User Guide

2

Welcome!

With the Explorer® 8000™
Digital Video Recorder (DVR),
you can easily record your
favorite programs and then
play them back anytime. The
built-in DVR and Picture­In-Picture (PIP) features
give you complete control,
convenience, and choice
when watching TV. Use your
DVR to control the following
features...

Control live TV

The telephone is ringing and you do not want to miss any scenes of your
favorite live TV program. DVR lets you PAUSE the live program, or REWIND
and PLAY a portion of it again, or FAST-FORWARD it to catch up to live TV.

Sports fans can enjoy complete control by using INSTANT REPLAY, SLOW
MOTION, and FRAME ADVANCE AND REWIND to watch their favorite play
again.

Record TV programs without a VCR

RECORD and save your favorite TV programs to the DVR to watch later.

When two of your favorite TV programs are scheduled at the same time,
RECORD one program to the built-in recorder while watching the other!

Never miss your favorite programs that are scheduled at the same time.
Simply RECORD both programs at the same time. While recording both
programs, you can play back a third program you have already recorded.

RECORD a single episode or all episodes of your favorite TV programs.
RECORD one of your favorite TV programs and at the same time, access any

advanced application, such as video-on-demand (VOD).
Not sure if you have room to RECORD new programs? Checking your

available recording space is easy with the recording space used feature.

Watch two TV programs at the same time

PIP is built into the Explorer 8000 DVR, so you can watch two live programs
at the same time on any make or model TV that is connected to your DVR.

When something exciting occurs in the PIP program, you can easily swap the
PIP into the Main screen. Once that program is in the Main screen, you can
pause or record it.

When the PIP screen is covering a “must see” moment on the Main screen,
simply MOVE the PIP screen to a di erent corner of your TV screen.

Let’s Get Started!

"Design On A Dime"

Save: Until erased

Title

Options/Play Scheduled Recordings Preferences

Date Time

Recorded List

Length
World Soccer
Extreme Homes

Design On A Dime

Home Matters
Thirteen Days

Wed 11/10
Wed 11/10

Mon 11/15

Sun 11/14
Mon 11/8

4:10am

8:10pm

12:00pm

12:30pm

8:00pm

30min
50min

30min

30min

1hr 30min

3

Using Your Remote Control

Use the keys on the AllTouch Remote Control to access the DVR and PIP
features of your DVR.

This guide describes the keys used to access the DVR and PIP features.
For descriptions of the other key functions, refer to the user’s guide for your
remote control model:

• AT8400™ AllTouch Remote Control User’s Guide, part number 749219

• AT8550™ AllTouch Remote Control User’s Guide, part number 4006383

Important: Your remote control must be set to Cable Mode (CBL) to access
the DVR features.

AllTouch AT8400 Remote Control

T15486

Swaps PIP screen with

Main screen

Turns PIP feature on or off

Moves PIP screen

Displays the Program Guide

Displays a menu of services
or options (if offered by your

cable service provider)

Displays a list of your

recorded programs

Makes on-screen choices

Stops recording a program

or stops playback

Pauses the program you

are watching

Rewinds in 3 speeds

(Must be in Play mode)

Replays the last 8 seconds of

a program (Instant Replay)

Moves through on-screen

choices

Selects cable mode

Performs the selected action

Exits to full-screen TV

Dedicated PIP Keys

Selects PIP channels up
or down

Power on or off

Dedicated DVR Keys

Returns to live programming

Fast-forwards in 3 speeds
(Must be in Play mode)

Records a program

Resumes playing a paused
program (Press twice for
slow motion)

4

Preparing the Explorer 8000HD DVR to Work
With Your High-De nition TV

If you have an Explorer 8000HD DVR and an HDTV, and you are not using a
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connection, you may need to set up the DVR so
that it provides video to your HDTV in picture formats that your HDTV supports.
Otherwise, your picture quality may be less than optimal.

During installation, your cable service provider may have already selected an
appropriate picture format for you, or the factory setting of the DVR may be
compatible with your HDTV. In either of these instances, you should see a
picture when you turn on your HDTV and DVR.

If your HDTV The HDTV displays Follow these steps to
supports: this when ON: setup the DVR:

A 1080i There are no steps to follow.
picture (Your HDTV uses the picture
format format that the DVR is
set to when it leaves the
factory.)

Optional: Although the
or DVR uses a format that
your HDTV supports, you
may  nd the picture quality
less than optimal when
viewing certain picture
formats. To enhance the
display of certain formats,
select additional picture
format settings. For details,
see “Selecting Picture
Formats With the Setup
Wizard” on page 5.

These picture A black screen Use the keys on the front of
formats: the DVR to select these

• 480i (standard formats. See the instructions
or wide) for “Selecting Compatible

• 480p (standard Picture Formats” on page 7.
or wide)

• 720p (wide only)

5

Selecting Picture Formats With the Setup Wizard

Setting up the DVR to support a variety of picture formats allows you to
toggle among the settings you have chosen while watching TV. You can
also select the setting that provides the best picture quality for the format
currently being broadcast.

Note: If your HDTV displays a black screen when you turn on the HDTV and
the DVR, you may need to select a compatible picture format for your HDTV.
Go to Selecting Compatible Picture Formats on page 7.

There are three ways you can select picture formats for your HDTV. The
8000HD Setup Wizard guides you through each one:

• The Quick Setup method, which automatically selects a setting according
to the screen type:

- For a standard-screen (4:3) HDTV, the Wizard selects 480i.

- For a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV, the Wizard selects 1080i.

• The Standard Setup method, which selects the settings 480i and 1080i.
You can then toggle between these two settings while watching TV.

• The Custom Setup method, which allows you to select any combination
of the following picture formats that the DVR supports:

- 480p (wide and standard)

- 480i (wide and standard)

- 720p (wide only)

- 1080i (wide only)

Setting Up Your Explorer 8000HD DVR With an HDTV

If you have an HDTV, use the component outputs to connect the DVR to
your HDTV. Refer to the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server User’s
Installation Guide (part number 4002771) for connection information.

Follow these steps to start the Setup Wizard.

1. Make sure that the Explorer DVR is O
and the HDTV is On.

2. On the Explorer DVR, press Guide and

Info at the same time. The TV Connection
Set-up screen appears, and the front.

panel LED displays either HD-1 or SD-1
This LED changes between HD-1 and
SD-1 every few seconds.

3. When the front panel LED displays HD-1,
press A. The Output Selection screen appears.

Press the Guide and Info

keys at the same time

T15487

6

4. Choose one of the following options:

• If you have a standard-screen (4:3)
HDTV, press A.

• If you have a wide-screen (16:9)
HDTV, press

B

.

5. Choose one of the following options:

• To choose the Quick Setup option
press

A

. Press to begin watching

television.

• To choose the Standard Setup option press B; then follow the on­screen instructions. When you  nish, press to exit the setup. Then
press to begin watching television.

• To choose the Custom Setup option, press ; then follow the on­screen instructions. When you  nish, press to exit the setup. Then
press to begin watching television.

Setting Up Your Explorer 8000HD DVR With an SDTV

If you have a standard-de nition TV (SDTV), use the composite outputs to
connect the DVR to your TV. Refer to the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment
Server User’s Installation Guide (part number 4002771) for connection
information.

Follow these steps to start the Setup Wizard.

1. Make sure that the Explorer DVR is O and the TV is On.

2. On the Explorer DVR, press Guide and Info at the same time. The TV
Connection Set-up screen appears, and the front panel LED displays
either HD-1 or SD-1. This LED changes between HD-1 and SD-1 every
few seconds.

3. When the front panel LED displays SD-1, press . Press to begin
watching television.

7

Selecting Compatible Picture Formats

If your HDTV displays a black screen when you turn it on, the DVR may not be
sending your HDTV a picture format that your HDTV supports. Follow these
steps to select picture format settings that your HDTV supports.

Note: Rather than selecting a single picture format setting, you may want to
select all settings that your HDTV supports. Setting up the DVR to support a
variety of picture formats allows you to toggle among the di erent settings
while viewing TV and select the setting that provides the best picture quality
for the format being broadcast.

1. Find the picture formats that your HDTV supports. (If necessary, refer to
the user’s manual that came with your HDTV.)

2. If the DVR is o , press Cable

and then Power on the remote

control to turn it on.

3. On the front of the DVR, press and hold Select until the Message
Light blinks.

4. On the front of the DVR, press Vol – to indicate that you want to select
a picture format setting. The LED displays HdSr to indicate that you are in
the Picture Format mode for HDTV screens.

5. Use the following table to select settings that your HDTV supports.

Important: You have 20 seconds to begin selecting picture format

settings. After 20 seconds, HdSr disappears to indicate that the DVR is no
longer in the Picture Format mode. If this occurs, repeat this process by
starting at step3.

On the

To Select This DVR The DVR And Then
Picture Format: Press: Brie y Displays: Brie y Displays:

480i CH+ 480i SEt
720p VOL- 720p SEt
480p CH- 480p SEt
1080i VOL+ 1080i SEt
Note: The default picture format setting is 1080i.

6. To start watching TV, make sure the remote control is in Cable mode and

press Power .

8

Controlling Live TV

Control a Live Program You Are Watching

The Pause , Rewind , Fast-Forward , Play , Instant
Replay , and Live keys on the remote control are used to control

the live program in the Main screen.
For example, when you are watching your favorite live TV program and the

telephone rings, press Pause

to pause the program for up to 1 hour.

To reverse or advance one frame at a time, press Pause and then
repeatedly press Rewind or Fast-Forward . For example, to

advance three frames, press Pause and then press Fast-Forward
three times.

To resume watching your favorite program, press Play , and then press
Rewind or Fast-Forward to cycle through three di erent speeds
of rewind or fast-forward.

To replay the last 8 seconds of a live or recorded program, press Instant
Replay .

To see the action in slow motion, press Play from normal play mode.
Press Play again to resume normal play mode. From Pause mode,

press Pause or Play to resume the normal play mode.
If you have rewound or paused a live program, press Live at anytime to

catch up to the live TV program.
Note: You can use these same dedicated DVR keys to control the reduced

screen (also known as the quarter screen) in the Program Guide and in all
DVR screens.

Pause a Live Program

The paused status bar appears when you press Pause .
Note: All of the features for controlling live TV (such as Pause, Fast-Forward,

and Rewind) are also available when playing back recorded programs.

T15467

Pause

Design On A Dime 12:00 - 12:30pm

"Paused" Status Bar

Red Area of Bar Indicates

Missed Programming

Green Area of Bar

Indicates Stored or

Recorded Programming

Clear Area of Bar Indicates
Programming Not Aired Yet

Live Point of Programming

Triangle Indicates Your
Current Position in Program

9

Using the Program Guide

Find a Program to Watch

1. Press Guide . The Program

Guide appears and lists the next 7
days of programs.

2. Press the directional keys (

) to
move through the program listings
and highlight the program you want
to watch.

3. Press Select . If the program is
currently on, the Program Guide
closes and the program you selected appears in full-screen TV. If the
program is on in the future, a future program option screen appears.

Search for a Program by Channel, Title, or Theme

1. Press Guide . The Program Guide appears and lists the next 7 days of
programs.

2. Press Browse By A. The Browse By area of the Program Guide displays
the options Title, Channel, and Theme.

3. Press Move Up or Move Down to highlight one of the following
options:

• Channel, which lists programs numerically by channel number

• Title, which lists programs alphabetically by program title

• Theme, which lists programs by theme, such as adventure, comedy,
sports, or news

4. Press Select . The Browse By area of the Program Guide displays the
programs according to the option you selected.

Search for a Program by Date

1. Press Guide . The Program Guide appears and lists the next 7 days of
programs.

2. Press Date B. The Browse By area of the Program Guide displays the
next 7 dates.

3. Press Move Up or Move Down to highlight a date.

4. Press Select . The Program Guide displays the programs that will be
broadcast on that date.

Headline News

4:00-5:00pm

Up-to-the-minute coverage of the
latest events.

HDLN

36

DSC 34
CNN 35

HDLN 36

ESPN 37
TOON 38

Great Chefs
Inside Politics
' Headline News
Bikes, Blades & Boards
Yu-Gi-Oh!

Hollywo

Pokemo

Travelers

Headline News
NFL's Greatest
Pokemon

Great Chefs
Early Prime

Yu-Gi-Oh!

4:00pm 4:30pm

36

Wed 6/18 4:02pm

5:00pm 5:3CHANNEL

WED 6/18

DateBrowse By

10

Recording TV Programs

Record a TV Program You Are Watching

1. Press Record .

2. While in the Con rm Recording
screen, choose your recording options
and press

A

. The Record Indicator is

lit on the front panel of the DVR.

3. To manually stop recording before the
scheduled time, press Stop and

then follow the on-screen choices.

Record a TV Program From the Program Guide

1. Press Guide .

2. Press the arrow keys to highlight a TV
program, and then press Record .

3. In the Con rm Recording screen,
choose your recording options and
press A. The recording program is
highlighted in red in the Program Guide.

Record Multiple Episodes of a TV Program

If you want to record all the episodes of a program you are watching, follow
these steps:

1. Press Record .

2. Choose One Episode or All Episodes.
Notice the information in the fourth
column changes, based on your
selection. Press A. If you selected All

Episodes from the third column, the All
Episode Recording Options screen

appears.

3. Choose one of the options on the
screen.

4. Press Select to save your settings.
Note: The “New  rst-run episodes
on this channel” option is subject to
availability in your area.

TUE 1/15

Channel 2 Action News

Tue 5:00-6:00pm

(60 min)

WSB

02

DateBrowse By

PBY_B 1915
DVR 1

WSB 2

WATL 3
WGNX 4

World View News
Recorded Programs List
Channel 2 Action News
Ricki Lake
Frasier

Simpso

Channel 2 Action News
Steve Harvey
Judge JudyFrasier

5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:3CHANNEL

Choose highlighted item

All Episode Recording Options

Cancel changes

Options

All episodes on this channel at any time

New first-run episodes on this channel

All episodes on this channel in this time slot

"Design On A Dime"

HGTV (Ch 238)
Thu: 11/13

START

Accept recording Cancel changes

RECORD

Confirm Recording

SAVE TIME

12:00pm

STOP

12:30pm One episode

All episodes

14 days

"Design On A Dime"

Tue: 11/13
Save: 14 days

START

Accept recording Cancel changes

RECORD

Confirm Recording

SAVE TIME

12:00pm

STOP

12:30pm All episodes

One episode

14 days

"Design On A Dime"

Tue: 11/13
Save: 14 days

11

Watching Your Recordings

Access and Play Back Your
Recorded Programs Anytime

1. Press List .

2. Use the arrow keys to choose the
program you want to play back.

3. Press Select

to display your

options.

"Design On A Dime"

Save: Until erased

Title

Options/Play Scheduled Recordings Preferences

Date Time

Recorded List

Length
World Soccer
Extreme Homes

Design On A Dime

Home Matters
Thirteen Days

Wed 11/10
Wed 11/10

Mon 11/15

Sun 11/14
Mon 11/8

4:10am

8:10pm

12:00pm

12:30pm

8:00pm

30min
50min

30min

30min

1hr 30min

TUE 1/15

Recorded Programs List

Tue 3:00-9:00pm

Programs you have recorded
for later viewing.

DVR

01

DateBrowse By

PBY_A 1914
PBY_B 1915

DVR 1

WSB 2
WATL 3

World Business News
World View News
Recorded Programs List
Channel 2 Action News
Ricki Lake Simpso

Channel 2 Action News
Steve Harvey

5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:3CHANNEL

Access and Play Back Your Recorded Programs
From the Program Guide

1. Press Guide .

2. Use the arrow keys to choose the
DVR channel.
Note: The DVR channel is a dedicated
channel that allows you to play back
your recorded programs.

3. Press Select to play back the
program.

Auto Erase is OFF.

Press if you want your oldest
recordings automatically erased to
make space for new ones.

Options

Scheduled Recordings

Preferences

Schedule a new Manual Recording
Sort Recorded List by time recorded

Turn ON Auto Erase

Recording space used
Change Save Time for future recordings

Recorded List

Recording Space Used:

Options

Scheduled Recordings

Preferences

Sort Recorded List by time recorded
Turn ON Auto Erase

Recording space used

Change Save Time for future recordings
Schedule a new Manual Recording

Recorded List

You currently have 10 recordings.

19%

Managing Recording Space

How Much Recording Space Do
I Have?

1. Press List .

2. Press B to display the Preferences
screen, which displays the percentage
of recording space used.

Automatically Erasing Oldest
Recordings If Space Is Needed

Turning Auto Erase on will automatically
erase just enough of your oldest
recordings so there is enough space to
record your new programs.

Note: Any recordings that have a Save
Time of “Until I Erase” will not be
automatically erased.

1. Press List .

2. Press B to display the Preferences
screen.

3. Choose Turn ON Auto Erase.

12

Copy Recordings to a VCR Tape

The Copy to VCR feature lets you use your VCR as a back-up storage
device for the hard drive in your DVR. In other words, you can archive your
recordings to a VCR tape.

Verify that the OUT
2 (VCR) outputs are
connected to your
VCR. When you want to
archive a TV program to
VCR tape,  rst record
the program to your DVR.
Then, copy the program
from the DVR to your
VCR.

The program that you are copying appears in the PIP window. You can watch
or record another program or even change channels in the Main screen
without a ecting the copy in progress.

Warning: Avoid electric shock. Unplug all electronic devices

before connecting or disconnecting any device cables to the DVR.

LR

AUDIO

VIDEO

INPUT (AUX)

OUT 2
(VCR)

OUT 1

(TV)

CABLE

OUT

DIGITAL

AUDIO OUT

T15488

OUT TO

TV

IN FROM

ANTENNA

RIGHT

INOUT

LEFT

AUDIO

INOUT

VIDEO 1

INOUT

VCR

13

"Design On A Dime"

Save: Until Erased

Recorded Programs

Options/Play Scheduled Recordings Preferences

Date Time

Recorded List

Length
Friends
ER

Design On A Dime

Divine Design
NYPD Blues

Wed11/10
Thur11/11

Mon11/15

Tue 11/16
Wed11/17

8:30pm
9:00pm

12:00pm

9:00pm

10:00pm

30min

1hr 0min

30min

30min

1hr 0min

"Design On A Dime"

Recorded: Mon 11/15
12:00pm 30min
Save: Until Erased

Options

Choose highlighted item Recorded List

Recorded Program Options

Erase
Change save time

Copy to VCR

Play "Design On A Dime"
Block "Design On A Dime"

"Design On A Dime"

Recorded: Mon 11/15
12:00pm 30min
Save: Until Erased

Start copy Cancel copy

Copy to VCR

Connect VCR inputs to cable box outputs "OUT 2 (VCR)."

Place a blank tape in your VCR.

Set your VCR input to record from the cable box.

Press RECORD on your VCR.

Copy a Recording

1. Connect the VCR to the OUT 2 (VCR) connection on the back of the
Explorer DVR. See Set Up Connections on page 12 for more information.

2. Make sure that a tape is in your VCR
and that the VCR is set to record.

3. Press List

. The Recorded List

screen appears.

4. Press Move Up or Move Down

to highlight the recording you
want to copy to the VCR. Make sure to
select a program that is not currently
being recorded.

5. Press Select . The Recorded
Program Options screen appears.

6. Press Move Up to highlight “Copy
to VCR.”

7. Press Select . The Copy to VCR
screen appears.

8. Make sure your VCR is properly
connected to your DVR outputs, and
press Record on your VCR.

9. Press Start copy A. The recording
begins copying to VCR tape, and the
Recorded List displays and shows the
VCR symbol .

Note: You can watch the copying in

progress through the PIP.

14

Using Picture-In-Picture

Activate PIP on Your TV

While watching a program, press PIP On/O to
activate the PIP screen.

Notes:

• To pause or record the video in the PIP

screen, you must  rst swap it to the
Main screen.

• You can only use the dedicated DVR keys

(Pause, Rewind, Fast-Forward) to control the
program shown in the Main screen.

• To change the channel in the PIP screen,

use PIP CH+

and PIP CH- .

Activate PIP From the Program Guide

From the Program Guide, press Exit or Guide to close the Program
Guide, and then press

PIP On/O to activate PIP. You can only activate PIP from full-screen
video.

Swap the Main and PIP Screens

To swap the TV program that is in the PIP screen to
the Main screen, press PIP Swap .

Note: You will only hear the audio for
the program shown in the Main screen.

Move the PIP Screen

To move the PIP screen clockwise to a di erent
corner of the Main screen, press PIP Move . You

can move the PIP screen to any of the four corners
of the Main screen.

PIP

Screen

Main

Screen

PIP

Screen

Main

Screen

15

Use Power-Save Mode

To maximize the life of your DVR, you should power-down the DVR when it is
not in use. Simply press CBL and then press Power on your remote control,
or press Power on the front panel of the DVR. The Power light turns o , but
because the DVR still is plugged in, your scheduled recordings still occur.

Between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. every day,
your DVR will automatically enter Power-Save
mode. In Power-Save mode, the set-top is
powered-down, but all scheduled recordings
still occur. When the DVR enters Power-Save
mode, your TV displays a black screen.

At approximately 1:10 a.m., the DVR displays a
5-minute warning banner, which states that the
DVR is about to enter Power-Save mode. When
the banner appears, do one of the following:

• To allow the DVR to enter Power-Save mode, do nothing when the
warning banner appears. The DVR will automatically power-down. After
your DVR powers down, you must press CBL and then press Power on
your remote control, or press Power on the front panel of your DVR to
start watching TV again.

• To stop the DVR from entering Power-Save mode, simply press any key
on your remote control when the warning banner appears.

From 1:10 a.m. through 6:00 a.m., the DVR displays the warning banner
if you do not press a key on the remote control or the front panel within 2
hours.

Attention

Your DVR will automatically enter power-save mode in 5 minutes.

Press any remote key to continue watching TV.

16

Frequently Asked Questions

How far back can I rewind live TV? The length of time you can rewind live TV depends

on how long you have been tuned to a single channel. Each time you change channels, a
new copy is automatically stored to the built-in recorder. This copy saves up to the last 1
hour of programming. For example, if you have been watching the same channel for 15
minutes, you can rewind that 15 minutes of the program.

Can I record the quarter screen in the Program Guide or the DVR Recorded List?
Yes, you can record the quarter screen on all DVR screens by pressing Record

. You

can also record the quarter screen in the Program Guide. Press Exit to display the
video in full screen, and then press Record

.

Note: Pressing Record

while in the Program Guide will record the highlighted

program in the grid.
Can I record or pause the video in the PIP screen? Yes, but you must swap it to the

Main screen  rst. After pressing Record

and con rming the recording, you can swap
it back to the PIP screen and it will continue recording. You can also press PIP On/O
, and the video will continue to record.

If I’ve been tuned to a program since it started, do I have to rewind to the
beginning to record the entire program? No, if you have been tuned to the program

since its beginning, just press Record

from any point in the program to record the

entire program. Recording will automatically stop when the program ends.
How will I know the DVR is almost out of recording space? When you try to schedule

the next recording, a warning appears on the Con rm Recording screen. Also, you can
see what percentage of recording space you have used. Press List

and then press

B

for preferences.

Can you play back more than one recording? No, you cannot play back more than
one recording at a time.

What happens if my DVR loses power temporarily? Everything you have recorded is
saved, based on the save time you selected in the Con rm Recording screen. Your scheduled
recordings during the time the DVR lost power are the only recordings you may miss.

Do my Parental Controls in the Program Guide carry over to DVR recordings? Yes.
If you block programs by channel or rating in the General Settings menu, those settings
are carried over to DVR recordings. For example, if you decide to block all R-rated
programs in the General Settings menu, the R-rated programs will still be recorded, but
you cannot play them back until you enter the correct PIN.

How do I block or erase individual recordings in my recorded list or change the save
time for the recording? Highlight the recording on the Recorded List screen, and press
Select

on the remote control. An Options screen appears for the program you selected.

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Lawrenceville, GA 30042 www.cisco.com

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Third party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
© 2004, 2012 Cisco and/or its a liates. All rights reserved.
July 2012 Part Number 740246 Rev F