DirecTV HR22 User Manual

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DIRECTV PLUS® DVR

HD AND SD RECEIVERS

USER GUIDE

DIRECTV P LUS® DVR

HD AND SD R ECEIVERS

USER GUIDE

This DIRECTV Set Top Box meets ENERGY STAR guidelines.*

*May not apply to

older models.

Welcome to the DIRECTV Family!

Welcome to the DIRECTV Plus® DVR (Digital Video Recorder). Now that you’re plugged in, it’s time to start enjoying your access to over 265 channels of TV programming, including 65 channels of XM radio, plus an extensive Pay Per View selection and, if you connect your receiver to the Internet, access to DIRECTV on Demand where you can download from a library of thousands of shows via your home broadband service. This User Guide will take you step by step through everything from pushing the POWER button to recording your favorite programs.

Getting Connected

If a professional installed your DIRECTV® Receiver, you are ready to start watching TV. If your receiver was not professionally installed or you just added a surround sound system or other equipment, please see Chapter 3: Installation and Connections.

If you’re new to DVRs or just want to know the essentials, simply read the Chapter 1 Quick Start. If you want to become an expert, read Chapter 2 to get all the details.

• You must subscribe to DIRECTV DVR service in order to use the recording features.

• You must subscribe to the HD Access fee in order to be able to view the HD channels included in your programming package.

• DIRECTV hardware, programming, DVR service and HD Access fee available separately.

For information and pricing regarding programming, DVR service and HD Access fee, please visit directv.com.

IMP OR TA NT:

This user guide applies to Standard Deﬁnition (SD), as well as High Deﬁnition (HD) DVRs. Sections devoted exclusively to HD DVRs are marked with the HD ONLY icon and placed on a light blue background.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Viewing Live Television..............................................16

Program Guide .......................................................................16

Local Channels ........................................................................16

HD & SD Channels .................................................................17

Unsubscribed Channels ........................................................17

Mini Guide ................................................................................18

Channel Banner ......................................................................18

Interactive Channels ...............................................................19

Guide Banners .........................................................................21

Main Menu ..............................................................................21

Finding and Recording Programs ..............................23

Recording a Single Show .......................................................23

Recording an Entire Series .....................................................25

Searching for a Show ..............................................................26

Watching and Deleting your Recorded Shows .....................27

Program Guide Features and Options .........................30

Filtering the Guide ...................................................................30

Guide Options ..........................................................................31

Special Feature: Channel Program List .................................32

Live TV Features and Options ..................................33

Live TV Options .......................................................................33

Live Buffer ..............................................................................34

Recorded TV Special Features .................................35

Press and Hold Buttons ..........................................................35

Bookmarks .............................................................................35

Remote Recordings .................................................................36

CHAPTER 2: DET AILED INF ORMA TION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Using Your Remote Control.........................................12

Turning Equipment On and Off ................................................12

Navigation and Destination Buttons ........................................13

Short Cut Buttons ...................................................................13

DVR Control Buttons ............................................................14

The Progress Bar ...................................................................15

Safety & Care ..............................................................8

Welcome to the DIRECTV Family ..................................3

Pay Per View ............................................................................22

CHAPTER 1: QUICK ST ART

Main Menu - DIRECTV on Demand ..........................46

Finding DIRECTV on Demand Shows .....................................46

Downloading DIRECTV on Demand Shows .......................... 48

Checking the Download Queue ............................................. 48

Pausing Your Downloads ...................................................... 49

Playing Your Downloaded Shows ........................................ 49

Main Menu - Search for Shows ................. ................50

Search by Title .........................................................................50

Search by Person ................................................................... 51

Search by Channel ................................................................. 52

Search by Keyword ................................................................ 53

Recent Searches ................................................................. 54

Main Menu - Manage Recordings ............................55

To Do List .................................................................................55

VOD Queue ............................................................................ 56

Series Manager (Prioritizer) .................................................. 57

History .....................................................................................58

Purchases .............................................................................. 58

Manual Recording ................................................................. 58

Recording Defaults ............................................................... 59

Main Menu - My Playlist ...........................................40

My Playlist Tab .......................................................................40

Showcases Tab .......................................................................41

Playlist Options .......................................................................42

Managing My Playlist .............................................................43

Main Menu - Music, Photos & More ..........................60

Main Menu - Overview ...............................................38

Main Menu - Customer Care & Help .........................65

Customer Care .......................................................................65

Help Topics and FAQs .............................................................65

Main Menu - Caller ID & Messages ...........................63

Messages ................................................................................63

Caller ID ...................................................................................64

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings ...................66

Parental Controls ...................................................................66

Favorite Channels ..................................................................72

System Setup ..........................................................................73

Reset .......................................................................................79

CHAPTER 5: WARRANTY & O THER INF ORMA TION

Limited 90-Day Warranty ......................................106

Product Information .............................................109

DIRECTV Protection Plan .........................................110

FCC Customer Information ...................................112

Terms & Conditions for Use of Software .................116

CHAPTER 4: TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

CHAPTER 3: INST ALLA TION AND C ONNECTIONS

Installation .................................................................82

Your Phone Connection ...........................................................82

Connections for Auxiliary Equipment......................................82

Guided Setup ...........................................................................86

Activate Your DIRECTV® Service ..............................................86

Programming Your Remote Control ........................................87

Troubleshooting Tips ..................................................90

Resetting/Reauthorizing Your Receiver .................................90

System Software Updates .......................................................90

On-Screen Error Messages ....................................................91

DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems ....................... 92

Recorded TV Troubleshooting ................................... 99

Remote Control Problems ...................................... 103

Running the System Test ......................................... 104

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Receiver Front and Back Panels ...........................120

2. How to Network Your DVR ....................................124

3. About High Deﬁnition .........................................132

Index ...................................................................139

APPENDICES

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Safety & Care

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.

8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11) Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed by the manufacturer.

12) Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14) Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

Your DIRECTV Plus® DVR has been designed and manufactured to stringent quality and safety standards. You should, however, be aware of the following important precautions for safe and optimal use of the equipment. Meaning of symbols printed on the rear panel of the product:

This symbol indicates that there are important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying this unit.

This symbol indicates that dangerous voltage consisting a risk of electric shock is present within this unit.

Safety & Care

CAUTION: Avoid moisture to reduce the

risk of ﬁre or electric shock. The DIRECTV® Receiver should not be used near water (for example, kitchen sink, bathtub, pool, damp basement). Also, never spill liquid on the receiver, and do not place vases or other vessels containing liquid on top of it.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of ﬁre or

electric shock, do not expose this product to rain or moisture. The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects ﬁlled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

IMPORTANT: Be sure not to place your

DIRECTV® Receiver near anything WET or HOT! If this product is used at 240VAC, a suitable attachment plug should be used.

TIP: We highly recommend plugging the

DIRECTV Plus® DVR into a surge protector to prevent damage from ﬂuctuations in your power supply.

CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric

shock, do not remove cover (or back). No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel.

RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK DO NOT OPEN!

CAUTION

• Ensure proper ventilation — the vent slots on the DIRECTV® Receiver must be left uncovered to allow proper airﬂow to the unit.

Blocking the airﬂow to the unit could impair performance or damage your receiver and other components.

• Do not stack electronic components or other objects on top of the DIRECTV® Receiver. Also, do not stack the receiver on top of a

“hot component” such as an audio power ampliﬁer.

• Protect your components from power surges by connecting all the components before plugging any power cords into the wall

outlet. Use of a surge protector is also recommended.

• Don’t overload power outlets or extension cords, which can result in the risk of re or shock. It’s also important to use only the

type of power source indicated on the marking label or in this manual.

• Avoid audio hum or interference by inserting all cable plugs rmly into their jacks. Also, place Audio/Video (A/V) cables to the

sides of the TV back panel rather than down the middle once connected. Try not to coil any twin-lead cables and keep them away from A/V cables as much as possible.

• Never insert objects of any kind into any openings in the DIRECTV® Receiver (other than the DIRECTV® Access Card as detailed in

this manual).

• Place it on a at, hard surface — do not operate the DIRECTV® Receiver on a carpet or other padded surface.

• Always unplug your DIRECTV® Receiver before moving it.

• Always unplug the DIRECTV® Receiver, TV and other equipment before you connect or disconnect any cables.

• The only way to disconnect the DIRECTV® Receiver from the power supply is to remove the power cord. The DIRECTV® Receiver

unit must therefore be installed next to the power point which must be easily accessible.

• CAUTION: Electric Shock — never attempt to disassemble the DIRECTV® Receiver yourself; always take it to a qualiﬁed

service person when repair is required. Opening or removing covers may expose dangerous voltage or other risks, and incorrect reassembly can cause shock when receiver is subsequently used. Attempted self-repair may also void your warranty. Changes or modiﬁcations not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance (by the warranty or by the manufacturer) could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

• Do not drop your DIRECTV® Receiver and always move it with care.

• Have your DIRECTV® Receiver professionally serviced (do not attempt to service it yourself).

• Any changes or modications in construction of this device which are not expressly approved by the party responsible for

compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

• If you move your DIRECTV® Receiver between locations at different temperatures, allow it to reach room temperature before you

apply power to it.

• Do not pick up or otherwise move your DIRECTV® Receiver while it is connected to the AC power supply. If you want to move your

set-top box, ﬁrst disconnect it, then wait at least 30 seconds before continuing

• To reduce the risk of re, use only No. 26 AWG or better telecommunications line cord.

For your information: The identiﬁcation sticker can be located underneath or on the back of your receiver. The telecommunication network voltage used is the category number 3.

Note to Satellite Dish Installer

This reminder is provided to call your attention to articles 810 and 820 of the 2005 National Electrical Code. Refer to article 810, in particular 810-1 and 810-15, for required grounding of the metal structure of the dish antenna. Refer also to the 810-2 which, by reference to article 820, requires that the satellite dish coaxial cable shield be connected to the grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

USING Y OUR REMOTE CONTROL ..................................12

VIEWING LIVE TELEVISION ...........................................16

FINDING AND RECORDING PROGRAMS.........................23

CHAPTER 1 - QUICK ST ART

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Using Your Remote Control

Mode Switch

Note: Each time you press a button, a green light at the top of the remote ﬂashes. If the light ﬂashes several times for just one press, it means the batteries (size AA) are getting low and need to be replaced.

These two buttons turn your TV and DIRECTV® Receiver on or off together. If your DIRECTV® System was installed professionally, your

remote has already been programmed to operate your TV. If you need to reprogram the remote for a new TV or for any other reason, press MENU, choose Parental, Fav’s & Settings, then System Setup, then Remote, then Program Remote and follow the step by step instructions.

Use the POWER (PWR) button and Mode Switch to turn a single component on or off (for example a DVD player or surround sound

system). Simply slide the mode switch to the position that matches the component you want to control and then use the POWER button to turn it off or on. The mode switch must always be in the left-most position to control your DIRECTV® Receiver. If the mode switch is in a position that has not been programmed, or if you press a button that is not supported by that particular piece of equipment, an on-screen message will pop up to alert you.

This universal remote control is your touch point to the system, so we’ll start there.

Turning Equipment On and Off

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CHAPTER 1 - QUICK START

Shortcut hints

Using Your Remote Control

You already know how to use the buttons on the bottom half of the remote. The digit keys, volume, etc. work the same way they do on any other remote. These buttons in the middle of the remote are navigation and destination keys.

Press the GUIDE button to go to the program guide screen. Press the ACTIVE button to go to the DIRECTV Interactive services home page. Press the LIST button to go to your Playlist of shows you have recorded. Press EXIT to get out of any menu screen and return to live TV. Use the ARROW buttons and SELECT button to navigate though the guide or any menu screen. Press BACK to move back to the previous screen. (You can also use the LEFT ARROW button to step backward one column

at a time.) The MENU key takes you to the main menu where you go to access all of the features available in your system. Press INFO on any show to see information about that show.

You can move through all of the DIRECTV user screens using only the direction ARROW buttons and the SELECT button as appropriate. However, the RED, GREEN, YELLOW, and BLUE buttons on the remote are special short cuts that change function depending on which menu screen you are looking at. As you use the system look in the bottom right of particular

screens for hints that tell you which color button to use for a particular short cut. You’ll see several examples in this

chapter.

Navigation and Destination Buttons

Short Cut Buttons

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Starts the recorded video or paused live TV currently on screen. Hold this button down for slow motion.

Automatically records live TV. (One-touch record works on highlighted programs in the Guide and live TV). Press twice to record a series.

While watching recorded TV, pressing this stops playback, displays the recorded program info screen and inserts live TV in the top right.

Jumps the program you’re watching backwards 6 seconds and starts playing from that point. Holding down REPLAY jumps to the beginning of the program.

Jumps ahead in recorded or live-stored video by 30 seconds. Press multiple times to skip multiples of 30 seconds. Hold down to continue to the end of the program.

Freezes the action of any live or prerecorded television program. While paused, press FFWD or REW to move forward or backward frame by frame.

Fast-forwards recorded or live-stored video. Press up to four times to fast-forward at increasing speeds. Hold this button down to go to the next 15-minute tickmark. (Pressing play returns to normal play.)

Rewinds recorded or live-stored video. Press up to four times to rewind at increasing speeds. Hold this button down to go to the previous 15-minute tickmark. (Pressing play returns to normal play.)

PLAY/SLOW MOTION

PAUSE

FFWD

REW

RECORD

STOP

REPLAY

SKIP

Note:

If by chance you temporarily misplace your remote control or the batteries die, you’ll ﬁnd the essential buttons on the front panel of your DVR!

These are the DVR control buttons (Rewind, Fast Forward, etc.). They can also be used along with the mode switch to control a DVD player or other auxiliary equipment.

Here are the DVR functions:

DVR Control Buttons

Using Your Remote Control

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CHAPTER 1 - QUICK START

Football

12:30p

12:00p

12:09p

Football

12:30p

12:00p

12:09p

Using Your Remote Control

When you use the DVR control buttons, this quick reference bar appears at the bottom of the screen to show you where you are in the program and how far you can go forward or back. For live programs, the progress bar is green and the time shown is the time of day.

If you press the RECORD button during a live show, the progress bar turns orange and the orange record icon appears next to the title of the show.

The Progress Bar

The white line shows which portion of the program you are viewing.

The left end of the green bar shows how far back in time you can go.

The right end of the green bar shows how far ahead you can go.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

To see what’s showing, press the GUIDE button to bring up the on-screen program guide. The guide holds 14 days of programming information for

you. You can navigate in the guide three ways: use the ARROW buttons to move one cell at a time up/down/left/right; use the CHAN/PAGE button to scroll a whole page up or down; type in the channel number to go directly there. Look for the color-button hints at the bottom of the screen for short cuts (i.e. use the GREEN button to move ahead in time 12 hours, once there use the red key to come back 12 hours). If you press GUIDE twice, you’ll see a screen that lets you ﬁlter the guide. See Chapter 2 “Program Guide Features and Options”, “Filtering the Guide” for details.

Your DIRECTV-provided local channels can be found in the guide from channel numbers 2 through 69. If you live in one of the few places in the U.S. where DIRECTV does not provide local channels, you may be using the DIRECTV AM21 Off-Air Tuner to receive them. Please refer to that manual for information about those channels.

Program Guide

Local Channels

Look for shortcut hints here.

Viewing Live Television

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DIRECTV has a tremendous offering of HD channels and they are spread throughout the guide. To ﬁnd them, look for HD after the

channel call sign (i.e. STZHD or CNNHD) in the channel column of the guide and also look for HD after the program title in the guide. If you want to see only the HD version of a channel in the guide go to chapter 2, section Parental, Fav’s & Settings/Settings/Display for instructions on how to make that setting.

HD and SD Channels

Channels in the guide that are not part of your subscription package are shown grayed out. You can customize your guide to hide those channels.

See Chapter 2 “Program Guide Features and Options”, “ Customizing the Guide” for details.

Unsubscribed Channels

Viewing Live Television

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Once you are watching your show, if you want a quick look at what’s on next, press the BLUE button to bring up a one-line mini program guide. You can use it for the current channel or you can type in a new channel number to see what’s on there. Press SELECT on the new show if you want to go to that channel.

Mini-guide

One-line mini-guide

Once you see a current show in the guide that you want to watch, press SELECT and the receiver will tune to that channel. Then you will see a brief channel banner showing you the program name, channel number, date, time and other information. You can bring up the channel banner at any time by pressing the INFO button. The icons near the upper right give you more information about your show or your system such as whether a second audio language is available or if you have a system message waiting. Go to the inside of the back cover of this manual to get an explanation of all the icons. If your program has an alternate audio track,

press the GREEN button to hear it.

Channel Banner

Icons

Shortcut hints

Viewing Live Television

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Viewing Live Television

The DIRECTV ACTIVE® channel is the home of DIRECTV Interactive Service.

Press the ACTIVE button on your remote to get the latest weather, horoscopes, lottery results and more.

Interactive channels are unique because in addition to video and audio, they also contain a software application that lets you interact with what you see on the screen. When accessing these channels you will have to wait a few seconds for the software to download. The channel is ready to interact when the yellow highlight box appears. When you want to exit an interactive channel, simply press GUIDE and pick the channel you want to move to or you can type in the new channel number while in the interactive channel.

Interactive Channels

Take a look at the program guide from channel 100 to 115 to ﬁnd some of the other Interactive channels. The NewsMix and SportsMix channels let you see 8 of the hottest channels on one screen. Move the yellow highlight box around using the direction arrows on your remote to hear the audio associated with each channel. If you want to see one of the channels in

full-screen mode, simply move the yellow highlight box on top of it and press SELECT.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Viewing Live Television

The Game Lounge™ service contains memory and skill games that you can play on-screen using only your remote. There are free as well as

subscription-only games to play. If you are good enough, you will see your name on the leader board.

Interactive content like scores, statistics and other information are also provided along with some of our special sports and entertainment channels. Look for an on-screen popup that lets you know when

interactive content is available and follow the on-screen instructions to use the interactive features.

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Viewing Live Television

You don’t really need it to surf through live TV, but the Main Menu can take you anywhere in the system, except to the guide. We’ll talk about it a lot more in Chapter 2, but for now the most important places on the Main Menu are MyPlaylist (that lists your recorded shows), Search for Shows (where you can search for programs you’d like to record ), and Manage Recordings (where you go to adjust the recordings the DVR is set to make). Press MENU once to

see the Main Menu . Press MENU again (or EXIT) to make it go away.

Main Menu

Guide Banners

By the way, the next to last item in the Main Menu (Customer Care & Help) is where you can go to see a help video or use the Help glossary.

In the guide you will also notice from time to time a special row sandwiched between channels. We use these “banners” to post important messages, or helpful hints, or to alert you to new products or services. If you are interested, simply press SELECT on the banner and it will take you to that destination.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Viewing Live Television

You don’t have to go out for the best and biggest movies and special events! Recent hits and events like sports, comedy and more are available 24 hours a day on DIRECT V Pay Per View. You’ll ﬁnd them listed in the program guide starting around channel 120.

To buy a program, tune to it directly or press INFO on the highlighted program in the Guide. Select the Buy option and follow the on-screen instructions. As long as your receiver is connected to a land-based phone line, you can use your remote to order.

Pay Per View

Note: You can also order your DIRECTV Pay Per View movies and events on the Internet at directv.com or over the phone at 1-800-531-5000. Keep in mind, though, there is an additional ordering fee for purchases placed over the phone.

You can cancel your Pay Per View order for any reason as long as none of the program has been viewed. Your receiver will let you record Pay Per View programs before you buy them. You will only be charged if you watch them. If the program has already been recorded, press LIST, highlight the show and press the RED button to delete it. If the program is set to record in the future, press MENU, then select Manage Recordings, then To Do List. Highlight the program and press the RED button to delete it.

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Note:

You can record two shows at the same time with your DIRECTV DVR.

To record a show you are currently watching, simply press RECORD once. The progress bar will appear and turn orange and the circle R icon will appear next to the title to let you know your show is now being recorded.

You don’t have to be watching a show to record it. Simply ﬁnd it in the program guide and use the RECORD button as described above. The orange record icon appears to let you know that your show is being recorded or is scheduled to record.

From Live TV

From the Guide

Recording a Single Show

Finding and Recording Programs

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Finding and Recording Programs

CancelRecordSingleShow.jpg

Some live events and even a few T V shows run past their allotted time slot. Your DVR is very smart, but it sets up all recordings based on the start and stop times the broadcasters give us for the program guide. If

you are watching while recording and you think your show might go into the next time slot, press INFO on the remote, then select “More Info” and “Record Once” from the on-screen choices to see the recording options for that show. Once there you can change the stop time or any

other option. To save your changes select Update.

If your show is set to record in the future and you see it in the guide or To Do list, press INFO to bring up this screen. If you want change a recording option for that one show, select Record Once and choose whichever option or options you want to change. If you want to change a recording option for every show in a series, select Rec. Series and then choose the options you want to change.

If you press the RECORD button a second time on a single show (like a movie), an on-screen message will appear giving you the choice to Keep

Recording (in case you press RECORD accidentally), Stop and Keep (what you’ve recorded so far), or Stop and Delete (what you’ve recorded so far). This is an easy way to cancel a recording.

Changing a Record Option

Stopping an In-progress Recording

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Finding and Recording Programs

Recording an Entire Series

If the show you are currently watching is a series and not a single event (like a movie), simply press the RECORD button twice to automatically record every episode of the series. The RECORD icon is now a repeated circle R to

let you know that this is a series and not a single recording.

As mentioned above, you don’t have to be watching a series to record it. Simply ﬁnd it in the program guide and press the RECORD button twice to record all episodes of it.

If you press the RECORD button a third time on a series, an on-screen message will appear giving you the choice to Keep Recording, Stop and Keep,

or Stop and Delete.

If you are currently watching a series show and need to extend the recording time or change any other recording option, press INFO on the remote, then select More Info and then “Rec. Series” from the on-screen choices. If you see a series set to record in the future in the program guide or the To Do List, to change a record option press INFO and select “Rec.Series”. See middle image on page 24.

Stopping an In-progress Recording

From Live TV

From the Guide

Changing a Record Option

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Finding and Recording Programs

Searching for a Show

If you don’t see your show in the guide you can search for it as follows:

Press MENU and select Search for Shows. If you know the title, select Title.

Use the on-screen keypad to spell it out. Each letter you add reﬁnes the search and produces a list of titles on the right. If you want to record a show,

move the highlight to the show you want and press RECORD. See chapter 2 “Search for Shows” to get more details about this powerful search function.

When you see the show you want, move the highlight from the keypad to the list.

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Finding and Recording Programs

Watching and Deleting Your Recorded Shows

To see your list of recorded shows, press MENU and select My Playlist.

You can also go there directly by pressing LIST on the remote. Once there, use the arrow keys to highlight the correct show, press SELECT, then choose Play to start the show. Of course, you can use any of the DVR control buttons (like PAUSE, FFWD, SKIP, etc.) while watching your recorded show. If you press STOP, the show will stop, a menu of options will appear and the last channel viewed for live TV will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. You press EXIT or select Done to return to full-screen

live TV.

If you want to delete a show from your playlist, simply use the arrow keys to highlight the correct show and press the RED button to delete the show. You

will then be asked to conﬁrm the deletion.

Look for shortcut hints here.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

PROGRAM GUIDE FEA TURES AND OPTIONS ........................30

LIVE TV FEA TURES AND OPTIONS .........................................33

RECORDED TV SPECIAL FEA TURES....................................35

MAIN MENU

OVERVIEW .......................................................................38

MY PLA YLIST ...................................................................40

DIRECTV ON DEMAND ....................................................46

SEARCH FOR SHOWS ....................................................50

MANAGE RECORDINGS .................................................55

MUSIC, PHOTOS & MORE ................................................60

CALLER ID & MESSA GES ...............................................63

CUSTOMER CARE & HELP .............................................65

PARENT AL, FA V’S & SETTINGS .......................................66

CHAPTER 2 - DET AILED INF ORMA TION

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Program Guide Features and Options

In Chapter 1 you were told to press GUIDE once on the remote to bring up the program guide. That’s great if you know where you want to go or are just browsing the huge selection of DIRECT V channels. However, there may be times when you want to temporarily trim down the channels that are shown in the guide, ﬁltering them according to the type of program you are looking for. For example, you may want to see what’s on for Sports or Movies or News. In that case, press GUIDE twice to bring up

the guide ﬁlter.

You can also choose “HDT V Channels” to ﬁlter the guide to show

only HD channels.

Simply use the arrow keys to get to the ﬁlter you want, press SELECT, and the guide will then show only that type of channel. Look for the label in the bottom left of the guide to see how it is being ﬁltered. Since the ﬁltering is temporary, it only lasts as long as you keep the program guide up on the screen. The next time you come into the guide, it will not be ﬁltered.

Filtering the Guide

Look here to see how the guide is being ﬁltered.

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Customize the guide to show only the channels you want (or channels you get, for example). In that case, press GUIDE, use the color button hint at

the bottom of the screen and press the YELLOW button to bring up the guide options menu, select “Change Favorites List” and “Channels I Get” and now the program guide will only show the channels to which you subscribe. The bottom left corner of the program guide screen says “Ch’s I

Get” to tell you how the Guide is customized.

From the program guide screen, press the YELLOW button to bring up “Guide Options”.

Select “Sort Programs by Category”, then select a category to see a list of shows in chronological order that match your sort criterion.

Select “Jump to a Date & Time” to quickly go to a future date and time in the Guide.

To remove the “Channels I Get” customization, press GUIDE then the YELLOW button to bring up “Guide Options”, select “Change Favorites List” and select All Channels. You can also use “Change Favorites List” to create a completely

custom list of channels selecting each individual channel that you want to see in your program guide. Simply follow step by step screen instructions to create and name your custom channel list.

Program Guide Features and Options

Change Favorites List (Customizing the Guide)

Guide Options

Sort Programs by Category

Jump to a Date & Time

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

You can see all of the programs that are coming on a particular channel listed in chronological order. Press GUIDE, then move the highlight to the channel of interest and press INFO.

The receiver will then sort through the guide and give you two weeks of programs in chronological order for that channel. Use the ARROW buttons to navigate up or down the list or use the CHAN UP/DOWN button to page through the list. If desired, press RECORD once to record a single show or press RECORD twice to record the series. You can return to the guide by

selecting Done or pressing GUIDE or using the LEFT ARROW button.

Special feature: Channel Program List

Program Guide Features and Options

Highlight the channel

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Press SELECT on Change Favorites List to pick which list of channels shows up in your program guide. You can choose All Channels (some may not be in your programming package, so although you may see them in the guide you will not be able to tune to them), Channels I Get (only the channels in your programming package), or any of your self-created lists. You can also choose Edit Settings if you want to create a new list. See the Parental, Fav’s & Settings section near the end of this chapter for details.

While watching Live TV you can press the YELLOW button to bring up a list of options: View Previous Channels, Closed Captioning, Change Favorites List,

Audio Options.

Press SELECT on Closed Captioning to toggle it ON or OFF.

Press SELECT on “View previous channels” to see a short list of the channels you have watched previously. If you select a channel from this list the receiver will tune to that channel. This is an easy way to toggle between the channels you watch most often.

Change Favorites List

Live TV Options

Closed Captioning

View Previous Channels

Live TV Features and Options

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Audio Options

Speaker Icon

Live Buffer

Live TV Features and Options

Note:

You cannot fast forward during live TV until you pause or rewind a program.

Progress Bar

If the program you are watching is being broadcast with additional language audio tracks (such as Spanish), the “speaker” icon at the top-right is darkened. Select Audio Options and select the alternate language track you

want (not all shows have an alternate language track) or press the GREEN button to cycle through the available audio tracks.

The DIRECTV Plus® DVR saves programs to the hard drive instantly and continuously, while you watch. This “live buffer” lets you pause, rewind, fast forward or “instant replay.” If you start watching a program late, even if it is not set to record, you can back up to the beginning (up to 90 minutes) using REWIND, as long as you haven’t changed channels since the program started. Simply press PL AY during a show to bring up the progress bar and see how far back in time you can go. If you change channels, you lose what is in the live buffer. If you want to ﬂip between two shows at the same time and not lose the ability to go back in time on either channel you can record them both and then use the PREV(ious) button on the remote to toggle between them.

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Bookmarks appear as notches in the progress bar.

Press and Hold Buttons

Bookmarks

Recorded TV Special Features

To move around quickly within your recorded show, press and hold the FA ST-F ORWAR D button to move to the next 15-minute tickmark. Once you

reach the tickmark, you must press PLAY button to continue. Likewise, you can back up to the previous 15-minute tickmark by pressing and holding the

REWIND button.

To get to the end of the show, press and hold the SKIP button. Press and hold the REPLAY button to return to the beginning of the program.

For shows you have already recorded, press PAUSE and then press the GREEN button to bookmark your favorite scene. You can then press and hold the FAST-FORWARD or REWIND buttons as appropriate to advance or return to that scene.

Delete a Bookmark by pressing the PAUSE button, then the DASH button (bottom left corner of the remote).

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Record to Receiver

Have you ever forgotten to set a recording and wish you could do it remotely from work or while on the go? Now you can with with DIRECTV’s DVR Scheduler. A brief description of the process is provided below, but go to directv.com/dvrscheduler for all the details.

Remote Recording

To schedule a recording from a PC go to directv.com/tvlistings to see an

on-line version of your program guide. Simply navigate through the guide to ﬁnd the show you want to record. After choosing the DVR receiver you want the recording to go to, select RECORD while indicating the priority of the recording you want to make. This will assist in resolving conﬂicts with recordings you already set on your DVR.

If you have a mix of HD and SD DVRs in your home, make sure not to pick an HD movie for your SD DVR. It will not record.

Step 1 is to register as a user on directv.com. Then do the following:

From a PC

Recorded TV Special Features

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Note:

Remote connections vary. In rare instances, scheduled recording(s) may not be recognized.

Recorded TV Special Features

From a Mobile Phone

To schedule a recording from a mobile phone use your Internet browser to go to m.directv.com. Sign in with your user name and password. For

mobile-generated recordings you will use a search engine to ﬁnd your program based on title or description. Pick your title from the search results and follow the step by step instructions to set the recording.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Overview

My Playlist

DIRECTV on Demand

Search for Shows

Manage Recordings

Displays the shows that have been recorded via satellite or DIRECTV on Demand (if the receiver is connected to the Internet). The shows are stored on the receiver’s hard drive and are ready for viewing.

This item leads to the DIRECTV on Demand home, channel 1000. Connect your DVR to your high-speed Internet service to gain access to thousands of free and Pay Per View titles that can be downloaded and viewed at your convenience. See Appendix 2 for instructions on how to network your DVR.

Finds shows by title, actor, or keyword that appear within the 14-day program guide and in DIRECTV on Demand (if the receiver is connected to the Internet). You can also search for channels here instead of browsing the entire Guide.

Contains status information about your past, present, and future recordings, lets you set which series has the highest priority in case of a recording conﬂict, and allows you to change the default recording settings that are used for all recordings.

Press MENU on the remote to bring up the main menu. It lists important destinations in your DIRECTV® System. They are summarized below and explained in more detail in the remainder of this chapter.

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Main Menu - Overview

Music, Photos & More

Is an optional item that will appear if you connect your DVR to your home computer network. See Appendix 2 for instructions on how to network your DVR.

Contains a log of the phone calls into your home (assuming you have a land line and Caller ID phone service) as well as DIRECTV® System messages to you.

Provides access to a help glossary and instructional video.

Lets you set Parental Control limits, choose Favorite Channels for a customized program guide, and choose settings for your TV, remote, and your entire DIRECTV® System.

Caller ID & Messages

Customer Care & Help

Parental, Fav’s & Settings

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - My Playlist

The My Playlist displays all programs that are recorded on the hard drive. To get to the My Playlist screen directly, press LIST on the remote. You can also press MENU and select “My Playlist.” Titles that you have not viewed

yet are shown in a bright white font, while titles that you have already viewed either partially or completely are a muted blue.

The time, date and channel of each recorded program are displayed to the right of the program title. Any icon identifying program status is displayed to the left of the program title (for example, a circle K for “Keep Until I Delete”).

Series programs appear in the list with a folder icon. For example, if you record a weekly comedy series, that series is shown in the list by its name, and the episodes for that series are saved in a group under that name. The number of new (not viewed) programs and total programs for each group are displayed to the right of the group name. You can press SELECT on the series name to display all the episodes that have been recorded. Programs recorded as the result of a Search are also saved under a group with a star icon next to it, where the name of the group is the Search name.

My Playlist Tab

See the inside back inside cover for a list of all the icons. Highlighting a program title displays the program description, just as in the Guide.

If you press SELECT or INFO on a program, an Info screen is displayed for the program that offers several actions including Play, Keep, Delete and others.

HD shows have the “HD” icon next to them.

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Main Menu - My Playlist

Playlist also contains some special programs that have been sent to you by DIRECT V located in the Showcases tab. Once in Playlist, use the GREEN

button to move over to the Showcases tab.

Those programs may include instructional videos on how to use your DVR, just-released Pay Per View movies, behind-the-scenes and video extras, extra content for DIRECTV sports subscriptions like NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ and NASCAR HotPass™, special offers, free events and more. Please note that you are only charged for PPV shows in Showcases if you watch them. By placing them in this group, DIRECTV is simply giving you immediate access to them at your convenience.

Showcases Tab

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Mark Programs to Delete

Sort Programs by Category

Change Order of Playlist

Press SELECT on this item to delete two or more programs at once. See the

details in the next section, “Managing My Playlist”.

Choose “High-Def” to sort exclusively for HD shows.

This is just a temporary ﬁlter for your list, so just press the left arrow or BACK to see your full Playlist again.

Once you start to record a lot of programs you can use this option to ﬁnd what you want faster. Select Sort Programs by Category and then choose whether you want to see your recorded Movies, Sports, etc.

Use this option to pick how you want to arrange the order of your recorded shows. You can go by date with the newest at the top (that’s the

factory default setting), the oldest at the top, alphabetically with As at the top, or Zs at the top, by expiration date with ﬁrst to expire at the top or last to expire at the top.

Main Menu - My Playlist

We’ve also added some options for you to arrange your Playlist. Once you are in My Playlist, press the YELLOW button to bring up the options screen and

select “Mark to delete programs”, “Sort programs by category”, “Change order of Playlist” or “Open/Close All”.

Playlist Options

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Open/Close All

Series programs are grouped in folders in your Playlist. Use this option to open all of your folders so you can see each episode without having to select each

series individually. You can also use this option to close them all.

Your DVR has lots of recording space for you to use, but eventually you may ﬁll up the hard drive. If that happens, the oldest shows (viewed or not) are automatically pushed out to make room for the new ones. If you have a show that you don’t want pushed out, go to My Playlist, select the show you want to keep and press the BLUE button. Then the show will be kept until you delete it. You may be tempted to make all of your recordings “Keep Until I Delete”, but note that eventually the hard drive may ﬁll up and new recordings won’t happen because there is no free space on the hard drive to record the new programs.

Managing My Playlist

Main Menu - My Playlist

Note that HD programs take up more disc space than SD. Thus,

you may want to record your favorite content in HD, while recording

other shows in SD to optimize your use of the available recording

capacity.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Instead of letting your DVR automatically manage your Playlist, there may be times when you want to do it yourself. In that case, simply go to My Playlist and use the RED button to delete individual recordings you no longer want. Don’t worry about pressing the RED button accidentally. You will always see a conﬁrmation message before you can delete anything.

Deleting Single Shows from My Playlist

Main Menu - My Playlist

You will see all of your recorded shows with check boxes next to them. Select the boxes to delete as many as you want at one time, select “Continue” and “Delete Marked” and you are done.

If you would like to delete a large number of recordings at once, go to My Playlist press the YELLOW key to bring up the options screen and select “Mark programs to delete”.

Deleting Multiple Shows from My Playlist

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Main Menu - My Playlist

The My Playlist screen displays a Disk Space bar that shows the approximate amount of space available on your disk at any given time.

The Disk Space bar shows programs you have designated “Keep Until I Delete” in dark blue, programs subject to expiration or automatic deletion in light blue, and the remaining unused disk space that is available for recording in black.

Disk Space Bar

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Banner

1. Press MENU, select DIRECTV on Demand, or

2. Enter the number 1000 while in the program guide screen and press the SELECT button, or

3. Select the DIRECT V on Demand “banner” while in the program guide.

DIRECTV on Demand is a great new service that provides access to thousands of movie and TV titles that you can download and watch anytime you wish. The majority are free, but we also offer a full selection of the best Pay Per View movies. This service is available to all DVR subscribers that

connect their DVR to a broadband Internet connection via the Ethernet connector on the back of the unit. See Appendix 2 for the installation

instructions. Once connected you can get to the main page of DIRECT V on Demand in three ways:

Main Menu - DIRECTV on Demand

Finding DIRECTV on Demand Shows

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Main Menu - DIRECTV on Demand

Channel 1000 is the home page from which you can access any of the DIRECTV on Demand titles.

Once there you can sort the listings by category (Movies, Kids and

Family, TV Series, etc.) and sub-category (Movies – Action, Animation, Biography, etc.).

A large number of our program providers also have home pages of their own for Video on Demand content. Those channels will all be located in

the 1000s since they simply add a 1 in front of the usual DIRECTV channel number. For example, DIRECTV original programming is shown on channel 101. The 101’s DIRECTV on Demand channel is 1101.

Check out your favorite programmer on Demand home page to get special programs, see previews of exciting new shows, or catch episodes you may have missed.

You can also choose “High-Def” to ﬁlter the DIRECT V on Demand

listing to see only HD titles.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - DIRECTV on Demand

To record DIRECT V on Demand programs simply browse channel 1000 or your favorite programmer on Demand page to ﬁnd a title you want to download. Select the title and you will see an information screen telling you about the program. Select “Add to Queue” and the program will be placed in

the download queue.

After adding the show to your queue, press the YELLOW button to see the entire queue of shows you have waiting to download. The top title is currently downloading and the ones below it are next in line. Highlight a show and press the RED button to delete it from the queue. Highlight a show and press the GREEN button to move it to the top of the queue.

Downloading DIRECTV on Demand Shows

Checking the Download Queue

Note: HD shows will take longer to download than SD shows.

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Pausing Your Downloads

Playing Your Downloaded Shows

Main Menu - DIRECTV on Demand

If your home network gets congested, you can always pause your DIRECTV on Demand downloads by pressing the YELLOW button in the VOD Queue page. Press the YELLOW button a second time to resume the download.

Highlight a show and press the RED button to delete it from the queue.

To get to the VOD Queue page from Live TV, press MENU, select “Manage Recordings”, then select “VOD Queue”.

Once the program has started downloading, it will appear in your Playlist

since it is being saved on the hard drive like the rest of your recorded shows. The download rate depends completely on the speed of your broadband connection. If fast, you can start watching your show immediately while it is downloading. If the connection is slow or your home network is congested, you may start watching the show, but hit a pause while the recorder waits for the broadband connection to download more of the show. The color of the download progress bar indicates whether you will hit a pause. Green means that you will not hit a pause. Yellow means that you might. Red means that you will eventually hit a pause if you start watching now.

You can easily tell which shows in your Playlist came from DIRECTV on Demand by the “VOD” label next to the program title. “VOD” stands for

“Video on Demand”.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Search For Shows

Use the search engine to ﬁnd programs based on Title, Person, Channel or Keyword. This powerful tool ﬁnds all programs that match your criterion within the 14-day program guide as well as the DIRECTV on Demand service (if you have the broadband path connected) .

Here’s how it works:

Always start search by pressing MENU on the remote. Select Search for Shows and then select one of the following categories:

When you know the title you are searching for, enter it one letter at a time in the on-screen letter pad by highlighting the letter you want and pressing SELECT. (Note that you can choose Delete (DEL) to get rid of the last letter or Clear (CLR) to start over if you make a mistake.) You do not have to enter the initial article like “The” or “An”. Each time you enter a letter, the search becomes more precise. You don’t always have to enter the complete title. Just the ﬁrst few letters will usually get you close enough. Then you can move the highlight to the list on the right and scroll or page down until you see your title.

Because your title can appear on several channels, it may have a folder icon next to it. If the title is available from DIRECTV on Demand, it will have the VOD icon next to it.

Search by Title

Press SELECT on the show to bring up the recording information screen, select Record and then select Record It.

If it is in HD, it will have the HD icon next to it.

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PersonSearch_Spielberg_ Movies.jpg

Main Menu - Search For Shows

Use the letter pad to enter the ﬁrst few letters of the person’s last name. You will see a list on the right side of the screen showing you actors, actresses, and directors.

Select the name that you want and a list of show titles will appear. You can

then select individual titles to record or you can select Autorecord on the left to record every program that contains your person.

If your person’s name does not appear in the list, you might want to try the name in a Key word search (see page 53).

Search by Person

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Search For Shows

You can also type in the channel name to ﬁnd it instead of surﬁng through the large DIRECTV program guide.

Search by Channel

If you select your desired channel from the list on the right you will get a list of the shows scheduled on that channel.

Use the keypad to enter in the ﬁrst few letters of the channel name. In this case we typed in “BL” to ﬁnd Bloomberg.

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Main Menu - Search For Shows

You can use the key word search to ﬁnd programs that don’t ﬁt into the Title or Person search criteria. For example, if you are looking for a show about cats, use the word pad to spell out “cats”.

Search by Keyword

Simple words like “cats” can give you a lot of errant results, so try to pick good keywords to get the best results. In some cases you can enter a phrase (for example “Wild Cats”) , but it must be an exact match to the program guide information to appear in the search results. Usually, it is better to use single words.

In this case, you must write the complete word in order to obtain relevant results. Be aware that the search engine looks through show

titles and descriptions for the keyword as a separate word and even as a part of a word. Thus, you can see in the example that Catskills

Mountains (Cats) was returned by the search even though it wasn’t what the user was after.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

This handy feature lets you go back to a list of your 25 most recent searches in case you want to update a search you used previously.

Recent Searches

Main Menu - Search For Shows

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To Do List

Main Menu - Manage Recordings

“Manage Recordings” is where you go to ﬁnd the status of your past, present and future recordings. Press MENU and select “Manage Recordings” to see the following sections:

“To Do List” contains all of the satellite-delivered recordings your DVR is set to make in the future. The icons next to the titles indicate whether

the recording is a single event, or part of a series, or an autorecord based on a person or keyword search. The list is ordered by time with the next recordings at the top and the furthest in the future at the bottom. You can use this screen to make sure your recordings are properly scheduled or to delete future scheduled recordings you no longer want to record.

Deleting single shows is easy, simply highlight the show you want to delete and press the RED button on the remote. A conﬁrmation message will

appear before you can delete the show.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Manage Recordings

If you want to delete an entire series from the To Do List, select the show, select Rec. Series, and select Cancel All.

“ VOD Queue” contains any DIRECTV on Demand titles that are in the queue waiting to be downloaded to the hard drive. See the DIRECTV on Demand section earlier in this chapter for details.

VOD Queue

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Main Menu - Manage Recordings

“Series Manager” contains the prioritized list of all your series to be recorded. If there is a series recording conﬂict and the receiver must choose which show to record, it uses this list to determine the priority. As you set up series recordings, the most recent series goes to the bottom of the list in last priority. You can change the order of the priority at any time by selecting Series Manager, selecting the show you want to move, moving the highlight to the right, and then using the arrow keys to promote or demote the series.

There are a couple of color key short cuts on this screen as well. Use the

RED button to delete an entire series. Use the GREEN button to move a highlighted show to the top of the list in one press!

You can also adjust the recording options used for a particular series from this screen. Simply select the series you want and change the recording options as you desire.

Series Manager (or Prioritizer)

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Manage Recordings

Provides status information for ever y recording made, including those that were cancelled or deleted. If you think something should have been recorded, but wasn’t, check here to look for an explanation.

Provides status information for all Pay Per View programs that were bought and the date and time they were viewed.

Almost all of your recordings can be done automatically by your DVR, but there may be times when you want to set up a completely manual recording. In that case, select Manual Rec. and enter all of the options as you wish including whether you want this to be a one-time or recurring recording (i.e. every Tuesday), channel, day and date, start time and duration. You can schedule a manual recording up to 14 days in advance.

History

Purchases

Manual Recording

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Main Menu - Manage Recordings

Recording Defaults

This is where you can set the recording options you want the receiver to use every time it does a recording. We have selected defaults at the factor y that work best in the vast majority of cases, but you may want to change them to your personal preferences.

When recording a series show you have the option of recording ﬁrst runs only, or repeats only, or both.

And you can decide whether to keep only one episode, two, three, four, ﬁve, ten or all. Keep in mind the disc space you have available if you select “Keep at Most: All” for a show that appears many times in the guide. You may ﬁnd it to be a disc space hog.

The Keep Until option lets you keep a recording until you delete it or until the disc is full, in which case the DVR can delete it automatically if the disc ﬁlls up. A recording that is labeled “Keep Until I Delete” will never be deleted until you do it manually. Be aware that if all of your recordings are labeled that way and the disc ﬁlls up, no new recordings can be placed on the disc until you manually delete some of your “Keep Until I Delete” recordings.

Finally, you may want to adjust the start and stop times of your recordings to ensure you don’t miss a thing. Keep in mind that starting early and ending late on all of your recordings may create more recording conﬂicts than if you started and stopped on-time (according to the program guide schedule). If you ﬁnd that one of your series runs habitually late, it would be better to adjust that particular series via the Series Manager screen rather than set the recording defaults (that would affect all of your DVR recordings) to stop late.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Music, Photos and More

(Optional menu item, only seen if your DVR is connected to your home network, see explanation below).

Your DIRECTV Plus® DVR can be connected to a media server on your home network to show photos and play music and videos that you have saved on your PC. You must have at least one PC running a media server (e.g. TVersity, Windows Media Player, Intel VIIV) in your network for this service to work. The setup is similar to that used for the DIRECTV on Demand service. See Appendix 2 for details on how to connect our DVR to your home network.

Please visit directv.com/mediashare and the related Technical Forum for help and hints from other DIRECTV subscribers that have used this new feature we call Media Share.

Once your DVR is properly connected to the media server on your home network, a new item will appear in the main menu: “Music, Photos and More”. When selected, the DIRECTV Media Share screen will display.

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Main Menu - Music, Photos and More

Select Music to go to the Music submenu. Access music by Artist, Album, Song and even Playlists! You can also select your favorite XM Music Channel.

Your favorite music will play as you watch your T V or view photos from your PC.

Once the desired songs are selected from the Music submenu, the song’s information will display on the Progress bar.

If you want to view photos, go to the Photos submenu. Select Browse and you can see several photos at once!

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Music, Photos and More

You can listen to music and display photos at the same time.

Pressing the YELLOW button on your remote control toggles control between music and photos or video.

Pressing the STOP button while in music control stops the music from playing and the audio from the current channel is then heard.

Pressing the STOP button while in photo control stops the display of photos and displays the video from the current channel.

Host a party and show your friends your favorite digital photos on the big screen!

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Main Menu - Caller ID & Messages

DIRECTV sends messages to you via satellite for important news items or special promotions. We also summarize important software changes or new features that we download to your receiver. When you have a new message in your folder the dark message icon will appear in the channel banner of any program you are watching.

Simply press MENU, select Caller ID & Messages, then Messages to see your DIRECTV messages. You will have the option to keep or delete the message.

Messages

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Caller ID & Messages

This section allows you to conﬁgure and review your Caller ID (if you have that phone service and your receiver is connected to the phone line). Set up your receiver to display Caller ID by selecting Caller ID & Messages from the main menu, then Caller ID, then navigate over to the Notiﬁcation tab (or press the GREEN button for the shortcut), and select Notices: ON.

When the Notiﬁcation option is on, you’ll see a notice on your TV screen whenever a call comes in. You can review your 25 most recent calls in the call log at any time. Highlight and select a name to delete that listing from your log.

Caller ID

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Main Menu - Customer Care & Help

Press MENU and select Customer Care & Help to access an instructional video or a list of Help topics and FAQs that explain how to use your DVR.

Press SELECT on a folder to open it and press SELECT on the topic of your choice. If you want to go to the FAQ tab, press the GREEN button.

To access the written Help Topics and FAQs, press MENU, then select “Customer Care & Help”, then select “Help Topics”.

Select “Customer Care” to go to the instructional video channel.

Customer Care

Help Topics and FAQs

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Parental Controls

Selecting Parental, Fav’s & Settings in the Main Menu displays a submenu of items that lets you customize and adjust your DIRECTV viewing experience. You can choose Parental Controls to limit what ratings your children are allowed to watch, how much they can spend for Pay Per View shows or even what hours they can watch DIRECT V programming. Choose Favorites to set up your own personal list of favorite channels and then use it in the program guide for a more customized experience. Select System Setup to adjust and conﬁgure how you want your TV and DIRECTV® System to work together.

Parental Controls enables parents to place certain restrictions on just who’s watching what, and require a passcode to view restricted programming. Whether it’s for mature content, spending amounts, or even the number of hours of T V watching allowed, you’re always able to keep limitations where you want them for the whole family.

Press MENU, SELECT Parental, Fav’s & Settings, select Parental Controls, then Edit Settings, and you’ll see the current status showing any restrictions. The system default is “unlocked” for all categories.

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

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Select Adult channels, then press SELECT again to completely remove those channels from the Program Guide. Pressing SELECT toggles between Show Adult and Hide Adult.

Adult Channels

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

Note:

You can also use the RED or GREEN buttons to move between the tabs (movies, TV, other)

Here you can set rating limits for Movies and TV:

Select Ratings.

Highlight the desired tab using the ARROW keys and press SE LECT.

Ratings

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

You can block viewing of a certain channel or channels using this menu. Select Chan Blocks in the left menu, then scroll down the channel list to select those you wish to block, or key in channel numbers for quicker access. Use Block All or Allow All to save time if you wish to affect a large number of channels.

Select the TV tab, then highlight and select the T V rating you desire. You can also set ratings for particular content (for example, Fantasy, Violence, Dialogue), each of which is described when highlighted.

To block programming that has no rating — such as news and sports — select

the Other tab.

Channel Blocks

-TV Programs

-Other Shows

Highlight and select the Movies tab, then set the overall rating limit you wish to impose. Brief descriptions of the ratings appear for your guidance.

-Movies

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Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

From the left menu, select Spending, then set your preferred spending limit for any single Pay Per View purchase. Simply key in the amount using the numbers on your remote.

From the left menu, select Hours, then set your preferred hours during which TV can be viewed. You can set hours based on “school nights” and

weekend nights—Monday-Thursday, Friday-Saturday, and Sunday.

Limit Spending

Limit TV Viewing Hours

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Temporarily or permanently unlocking a restriction is easy. To temporarily unlock a particular program:

When any controls are currently activated, Unlock Now will appear if you try to tune to a restricted program.

Select Unlock Now and enter the password.

Let me in ...!

Once you’ve set the restrictions you want, choose Lock Now from the left menu. You’ll be directed to create a passcode (which you’ll want to make easy enough to remember, but hard enough that the little ones won’t guess it!). This passcode will be your entry to unlocking and adjusting limitations in the future. An on-screen message will appear whenever anyone tries to tune to a channel or program that has been restricted, or attempts to spend or watch beyond limitations set. He or she will not be allowed to proceed without the passcode. Using your passcode, you can easily override the limits.

Now, lock it

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

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Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

Making multiple entries aimed at guessing the passcode is discouraged by a time delay; each invalid passcode entered lengthens the delay for subsequent entry by one second. To change your passcode at any time:

Scroll down to Passcode and press SELECT.

Enter your old password, then enter a new one twice to conﬁrm.

Press MENU, then select Parental Fav’s & Settings, then select Parental Controls.

Various options for removing restrictions temporarily or permanently will appear. Select one and enter your password.

For more unlock options:

Press MENU, select Parental Controls, Fav’s & Settings, then Parental Controls, then Edit Settings.

Note:

If you forget your password, call 1-800-DIRECTV to reset it. You must be the registered account holder and have your account number.

Note:

If you have Parental Controls set and temporarily unlocked, turning the receiver off will turn the parental controls back on.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Select Favorites from the Menu /Parental, Fav’s & Settings. If you have not already created a Favorites list, the Setup Custom 1 and Setup Custom 2 options will be displayed.

Favorite Channels

Selecting a Favorites list makes it active and hides the display of all other channels in the guide. See the label in the bottom left of the program guide screen that reminds you which channel list you are currently using. To return to displaying all channels, press the YELLOW button while in the guide, select Favorites, and select the All Channels option.

Select the one you want, and follow the on-screen instructions to create and name your list. Once your list is created, if you press the YELLOW button while in the guide, the guide options menu will appear. Select Change Favorites List to pick the list you want to use in the guide.

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

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Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

From System Setup you can access the Info & Test, Satellite & Antenna Setup, Network Setup, Remote Setup, Audio Setup, Display Setup, Access Card and System Reset screens.

System Setup

The System Info option lets you view the current system information. Press SELECT on Info & Test. Use the arrow key to go to the right and then scroll down to read the information. The System Info page will bring up a technical information screen that can be of help during troubleshooting. The front tab gives system information.

Use the ARROW button to go all the way to the top of the System Info page and then use the Right arrow (or press GREEN button) to change tabs to the System Test screen. The System Test option lets you run a test on the tuner, access card, receiver ID and phone line. Select Run Test to check out your system.

Info & Test:

Note:

Running the System Test will interfere with live TV and any current recordings.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

This option is used by installers when your system is initially set up and you should not have to use it. However, you can come here to see the satellite signal strength your receiver is getting or to repeat the satellite setup procedure.

You can set up and test the connection of your DVR to the Internet here. See Appendix 2 for details.

Satellite & Antenna:

Network:

Use this option to set up your remote for your TV or auxiliary A/V equipment. Select “Program Remote” and follow the step by step instructions to set your remote to control your TV or other equipment A/V equipment like a DVD player or surround sound system. It is best to know the model number as well as the brand of the equipment. It will produce the best results when programming the remote.

Remote:

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Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

The Audio option in Setup lets you make lasting adjustments to settings such as your preferred audio language, how loud you want the sound effects on the receiver to be, and whether you want Dolby Digital output (for a surround sound system, for example). Not all TV programs deliver Dolby® Digital 5.1 channel signals. Look for the Dolby® Digital icon in the program description and Channel Banner.

To make temporary adjustments to your preferred audio language, use the Audio Options item from the Options menu in Live TV (or press GREEN from Live T V to cycle through the available audio tracks).

Audio:

If you have an optional RF remote, select IR/RF Setup to change your remote method of transmission from Infrared (IR) signals to Radio Frequency (RF). While IR transmission requires a clear line of sight to the front of the receiver, RF transmission lets your put your receiver inside a cabinet or behind solid doors and still be able to command it from up to 200 feet away. Select Receiver Mode if you want to use one remote to command more than one DIRECT V® Receiver.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

This important section allows you to customize how several pieces of important DIRECTV and system information are displayed on your T V. Choose the Preferences tab to set whether you want lists (i.e. the program guide and your Playlist) to display in smooth scrolling or in blocks as you page up and down. Set the channel banner time to determine how quickly the banner disappears after moving to a new channel. Choose your preferred on-screen text language.

Display:

Go to the Clock tab to set your time zone and whether you want the receiver to show Daylight Savings time or not.

Move to the Captioning tab by using the arrow keys (or pressing the GREEN button) and select your preferred options. You can customize how closed captioning appears, or whether it appears at all.

Choose whether you want the ﬁrst press of the GUIDE button to take you directly to the program guide or to go to the category ﬁlter ﬁrst. (No matter which one you choose, pressing GUIDE a second time shows you the other option.)

Choose whether you want the guide to show you HD channels and

their duplicate SD channels or to hide the SD duplicates.

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This section lets you optimize your HD DVR output to match the settings on your HDT V. You may want to refer to Appendix 3 which describes HD formats and resolution before making any adjustments here.

The Video tab lets you set Native mode ON or OFF. Native Mode looks at the digital aspect ratio and resolution of the program coming into the receiver and sets your TV to the same format on-the-ﬂy. For example, if your particular program is being broadcast in 4:3 aspect ratio and 720p resolution, your HD DVR tells the TV to show it in that same format. If the next program changes to 16:9 and 1080i, the receiver tells the T V to change to that format. You do not need to choose Native mode because your HD DVR will adjust and change the picture to ﬁt your TV as described in the following paragraphs. In fact, Native Mode slows down the response of your system to channel changes because the receiver and TV must communicate at every channel change before the video comes up on the screen. Therefore, the default position is OFF, but your can override it if you wish.

Choose the screen format you prefer for the instances when the broadcast does not exactly ﬁt your TV screen and the HD DVR will automatically size it. For example, when viewing very wide format movies you can choose to have letterbox bars on the top and bottom of the screen. This preserves the proportions of the images on the screen. Or you can choose to stretch the images vertically to ﬁll up the screen. If your HDTV is 4:3 aspect ratio, you may want to choose “crop” to cut off the content at the left and right side of the screen while preserving the proportion of the images that remain.

Choose the color of the bars you prefer when viewing an image in letterbox (or pillar) mode.

HDTV:

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

The TV ratio tab lets you deﬁne the aspect ratio of the TV you are

using with your receiver. Most HDTVs are 16:9.

The TV Resolutions tab lets you deﬁne what resolutions your TV can support, so that your HD DVR can pass the proper signal.

Note:

You can move between the tab screens by pressing the GREEN button.

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Reset

Main Menu - Parental, Fav’s & Settings

Note:

DIRECTV will provide new access cards and instructions when necessary.

Follow the on-screen directions to replace your access card. You will need your old and new access cards to complete this process.

Access Card:

From here you can restart the receiver, reset to factory defaults, or reset everything. Restarting the receiver is the same function as pressing the RED button behind the access card door on the front of the receiver. Restoring factory defaults erases all of your personal preference items and restores the receiver conﬁguration to how it was set at the factory. “Reset Everything” completely erases all of your recorded shows from the hard drive and starts over like a new receiver.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

- YOUR PHONE CONNECTION ............................................82

- CONNECTIONS FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT ................82

- GUIDED SETUP ...............................................................86

- ACTIV ATE Y OUR DIRECTV SERVICE ................................86

- PROGRAMMING Y OUR REMOTE CONTROL ....................87

CHAPTER 3 - INST ALLA TION AND C ONNECTIONS

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Installation and Connections

Your Phone Connection

Connections for Auxiliary Equipment

Tip:

To obtain the best picture quality, make sure the receiver is connected directly to the TV.

Note:

Never connect an IN to an IN or an OUT to an OUT. All A/V jacks and inputs are

color coded. Always match the color of the plug to the same color of the jack.

For the best user experience and system performance we highly recommend that your system be professionally installed. Call 1-800-DIRECTV to schedule an installation.

Connecting your receiver to a land-based telephone line saves you money because it allows you to purchase Pay Per View movies and special events without calling DIRECTV to order. It is required for sports package subscriptions and is also used to enhance the interactive features available on our interactive channels. The receiver uses a toll-free number once a month for a few minutes’ duration and is designed not to interfere with your regular phone service. You will need an RJ11-type modulator jack (the most common type of phone jack). If you disconnect the phone line, the receiver will not allow you to purchase PPV programs and some features of our interactive channels will be limited.

Do not connect your receiver to a digital PBX phone system — doing so may permanently damage your equipment and void your warranty.

The following instructions apply if you are upgrading to a new TV or adding a surround sound system, DVD player/burner or VCR some time after your professional installation. Due to restrictions imposed by copyright holders, certain programming may include content protection measures that may restrict viewing or recording with certain consumer electronics equipment attached to the receiver. Please contact the manufacturer of such equipment for additional information.

Not all cables come with your digital satellite receiver; you may need to purchase additional cables depending on your setup.

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Installation and Connections

All of the video and audio outputs on your receiver offer good quality. When adding new equipment, try to use the receiver video and audio output connectors in the following order to achieve the highest picture and sound quality throughout your audio/video system.

WARNING:

Do not connect your receiver (or any other equipment such as a TV or VCR) to the AC power supply until you have properly connected all the other cables.

- HDMI [High-Deﬁnition Multimedia Interface, one connector per receiver] provides the best digital video and digital audio in one connector.

- Component Video Output (YPbPr, one set per receiver) provides high-quality video, but does not provide audio. You will need to connect audio separately using the digital audio or RCA audio connectors.

- S-video (one connector per receiver) provides good video, but does not provide audio. You will need to connect audio separately using the digital audio or RCA audio connectors.

- RCA jacks (two sets per receiver) provide good video and usually come bundled with three cables for one video and two audio channels.

Video Connections

- HDMI [High-Deﬁnition Multimedia Interface] provides the best digital video and audio in one connector.

- Digital Audio Optical (one connector per receiver) provides excellent quality digital audio and is often used on newer surround sound and DVD equipment.

- Digital Audio Coax (one connector per receiver) provides high quality digital audio and is also found on newer surround sound and DVD equipment.

- RCA jacks provide good audio quality and are found on older auxiliary equipment.

Because there are so many makes and models of TVs and auxiliary equipment, it is impossible to fully describe all the possible connections between your receiver and that equipment. Please refer to your TV and auxiliary equipment manuals for all of the connection options speciﬁc to each make and model. The following images show examples of how your receiver may be connected. In these examples, we try to use the best video connection that is supported by the TV, the best audio that is supported by the surround sound, and the next best video/audio connections on the DVD player/burner or VCR.

Audio Connections

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

DIRECT V Plus® DVR

Television

Surround System

VCR/DVD player/burner

Installation and Connections

Here is an example using a TV that has an HDMI connector as the best video/audio input and a surround sound system that has a digital audio optical connector as the best audio input:

Here is an example using a TV that has component video connectors as the best video input with RCA audio connectors as the best audio input and a surround sound system that has a digital audio coax connector as the best audio input:

Example: TV with HDMI Connector

Example: TV with Component Video Connectors

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DIRECT V Plus® DVR

Television

Surround System

VCR/DVD player/

burner

VCR/DVD player/burner

Installation and Connections

Here is an example of a TV that has an S-video connector as the best video input and RCA audio connectors as the best audio input and a surround sound system with a digital audio optical connector as the best audio input:

Example: TV with S-Video Connector

Here is an example of a TV that has RCA connectors as the best audio/video inputs and a surround sound system with a digital audio coax connector as the best audio input:

Example: TV with RCA Connectors

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Installation and Connections

Guided Setup

Activate Your DIRECTV® Service

If your receiver was not professionally installed, you will need to follow the guided setup screens before starting DIRECTV Service.

Once all the setup processes are complete, all that’s left to do is activate your DIRECTV Service. Before you make the call, be sure to: Have on hand your service address, social security number and a valid major credit card. Note your access card and receiver ID numbers. (You may have written them down earlier in this chapter.) When you’re ready, just call 1-800-DIRECTV (1-800-347-3288) and pick the programming package that’s right for you and subscribe to DVR service.

Simply follow the on-screen directions to complete your setup functions. If you’ve installed your satellite dish and system yourself, you’ll

be guided though various functions for optimizing your signal and setup — including positioning your dish and a system test. After these

setup procedures are complete, you’ll see a message on-screen that says, “Acquiring Satellite Info,” as the receiver gathers information from the satellite for the on-screen program guide.

Next, you’ll be given the opportunity to program your remote to control other equipment such as your TV and/or DVD player. Just follow the screen instructions and you’ll be ready to watch in no time!

Make sure the MODE switch at the top of the remote control is set to DIRECTV, which is the far-left position.

Press PWR. The DIRECTV Plus® DVR will turn on. (Make sure your TV is also turned on!)

The ﬁrst screen will allow you to select a language. Using the arrow keys on the remote control, move to the language you prefer and press SELECT.

You will see a Welcome screen.

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Installation and Connections

You may have already programmed your remote control during Guided Setup, but if you didn’t, or you want to make changes, or you’ve acquired some new equipment, follow these instructions. You can program the DIRECTV Remote Control to operate your TV power, volume and mute, additional equipment such as a DVD, VCR, stereo, or second TV or DIRECTV® Receiver.

To reset the remote control and clear all but DIRECTV mode, follow these steps:

Once your remote is programmed to work with your TV, the VOL and MUTE key control the TV regardless of the MODE slide switch position. If you would like to change the VOL and MUTE to work with other audio equipment, such as a stereo, you can. When you program the remote for the audio equipment, on-screen instructions will direct you on how to do this.

Factory Defaults

Press MENU to display the on-screen Menu.

Highlight “Parental, Fav’s & Settings” and press SELECT.

Highlight “System Setup” and press SELECT.

Press SELECT on “Remote” in the left menu.

Follow the on-screen instructions to program your remote for your TV or additional equipment (AV1 and AV2).

Point the remote away from your DIRECTV® Receiver and components. Press and hold MUTE and SELECT until the light above the slide switch on the remote ﬂashes twice (about 5 seconds).

Enter 9-8-1. The light on the remote will ﬂash twice, indicating you have cleared AV1, AV2 and TV modes.

Programming Your Remote Control

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DVR USER GUIDE

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS ..................................................90

DIRECTV PLUS® DVR OR TV PROBLEMS ...........................92

RECORDED TV TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................99

REMOTE CONTROL PROBLEMS ........................................103

RUNNING THE SYSTEM TEST ..........................................104

CHAPTER 4 - TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Troubleshooting Tips

Many problems can be corrected by performing a simple reset of the DIRECTV® Plus DVR. If you experience frozen audio or video, blank screen, or the system won’t respond to front panel button or remote control, try one of these:

DIRECTV periodically sends system software updates to your receiver to improve performance and upgrade features and functions. These updates will occur automatically, usually at times when the receiver would likely be turned off. If your receiver is on when an update is sent, you will see an on-screen message and you may experience a disruption in reception for a few minutes. Your reception should return to normal after the update is complete. Your receiver must be plugged in to AC power to receive any updates. Running the System Test (later in this section) can also help you diagnose and solve many common problems.

- Press the RED RESET button behind the access card panel door on the front of the DIRECTV Plus® DVR, then wait for program guide information to be acquired.

- If the problems persist, try unplugging the power cord of the DIRECTV Plus® DVR for 15 seconds, then plug it in again.

- Try reauthorizing your receiver. From directv.com, click on Customer Service, Troubleshooting, On-Screen Messages, Please Call Customer Service, ext. 721. You will need to be logged into your account on directv.com to complete this process.

- Running the System Test (later in this section) can also help you diagnose and solve many common problems.

Resetting / Reauthorizing Your Receiver

System Software Updates

Reset Button

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There may be times when you see an on-screen error message similar to the one on the right. The top line of the message gives a brief description of the error, while the second line supplies an error code in parentheses. In this case, you would be trying to view a channel that you have not purchased or that is not in your programming package. If you want to resolve the error, call Customer Service at 1-800-DIRECTV and mention the error code number when prompted.

Troubleshooting Tips

On-Screen Error Messages

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Problem: Progress bar freezes while Acquiring Guide Data / Data From Satellite

Solution:

Possible Causes:

Solution:

Problem: Wrong picture, blue screen, snow or black/blank picture

- This may be normal. After ﬁve minutes, the screen saver is displayed. Press any key on the remote to see the progress bar again.

- May happen if your satellite dish isn’t adjusted properly.

While Acquiring Guide Data / Acquiring Data From Satellite message is on the screen, progress freezes during download.

- If Satellite Data Acquisition still does not move forward, press the RESET button behind the access panel door on the front of the DIRECTV Plus® DVR and wait for program guide information to be acquired.

Your TV displays incorrect picture, or you have a blue, black, snowy or blank screen.

- If you don’t see the signal you think you should be seeing, try using these buttons to toggle between the signals:

• Press the TV/VCR button on the VCR remote or on the VCR’s front panel.

• Press the INPUT button on the TV remote control to change video source.

- If problems persist, turn off all equipment that is connected to your TV, wait a few minutes, then turn the DIRECTV Plus® DVR back on.

- Check your connections and cables.

DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

- The DIRECTV Plus® DVR and most TVs and VCRs let you toggle between different video sources.

- Your TV may be on a different input source than what you are trying to view.

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DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

Possible Causes:

Solution:

Problem: Caller ID not working

Problem: DIRECTV Plus® DVR will not turn on

Caller ID information isn’t showing on your TV screen when phone calls come in.

Your receiver won’t turn on with either the remote or from the front panel.

- You don’t subscribe to Caller ID service through your local phone company.

- The Caller ID feature in your DIRECTV® Receiver is turned off. See “Caller ID & Messages” in Chapter 2.

- You are using a wireless phone jack, which usually will not transmit Caller ID information.

- Remote batteries are dead.

- Receiver or power strip is not plugged in to a power source, or power cord is not plugged in to receiver.

- Wall outlet is dead.

- Contact your local phone company to subscribe to Caller ID service.

- Select Caller ID & Messages from the Main Menu to turn on your Caller ID notiﬁcations.

- Verify that your wireless phone jack transmits Caller ID information. If not, connect a standard phone cable to your receiver or replace your wireless phone jack.

Solution:

- Make sure the remote control mode switch is in the left-most position (DIRECTV mode), and press PWR (power key) or press POWER button on the front panel of the receiver

- Verify that the power cord is plugged into the DIRECTV Plus® DVR and the wall outlet.

- Check the outlet or power strip to make sure it is “live” by plugging in something else.

- Replace batteries in remote control.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

Possible Causes:

Solution:

Problem: DIRECTV Plus® DVR Turns off while playing

Your receiver turns off unexpectedly.

- Excessive heat may have caused the receiver to go into a standby state.

- Electronic protection circuit may have been activated due to a power surge.

- You may have blown a circuit breaker or be experiencing a power outage.

- Parental viewing limits may have been activated on your DIRECTV® Receiver.

- Ensure that your receiver has plenty of ventilation and that nothing is on top of the receiver.

- Wait 30 seconds for internal circuits to reset, then turn receiver back on.

- Check the circuit breakers in your home.

- Consider using a line conditioner or surge protector.

- Consult an electrician if the problem is frequent or severe, especially if other household appliances or electronics are affected.

- If parental limits are active, turn your DIRECTV® Receiver back on and enter your parental lock code at the prompt.

DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

- Be sure remote is pointed at remote sensor on receiver, and sensor is not blocked.

- Try plugging receiver into a different wall outlet.

- Unplug receiver for ﬁve minutes, and then plug it in again.

- Press TV POWER ON. Press it again, if needed.

- Check / reset power strip, if needed

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Possible Causes:

Solution:

Problem: DIRECTV Plus® DVR turns on or changes channels unexpectedly

Your receiver changes to a different channel without a remote control command.

- A scheduled recording may be about to begin, so the receiver is changing channels to record the show as requested.

- Your TV’s timer may have been activated.

- Check your To Do List to see if there are other scheduled recordings (press MENU, select Manage Recordings, then To Do list).

- Check your TV owner’s manual to turn off the TV’s timer.

DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

Solution:

Problem: Blank screen

There is nothing on your TV screen.

Possible Causes:

- Your TV and/or your receiver are not powered on.

- Your receiver may be hooked up to the TV incorrectly.

- You may be on the wrong video source for your DIRECTV® Receiver.

- You may be tuned to a channel that is not currently broadcasting, or that you don’t subscribe to.

- Check that DIRECTV Plus® DVR and TV are both powered on.

- Check the Installation and Connections (Chapter 3) section of this manual for instructions about connecting your receiver.

- Press the INPUT button on the TV remote control to change video source.

- Try another channel and see if you have live video.

- Press the POWER button on the front panel of the DIRECTV® Receiver.

- Press the red RESET button behind the door on the front panel of the receiver.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

Solution:

Problem: Temporary loss of the satellite signal, Searching for Satellite Signal, “frozen” picture, or picture breaks into blocks / pixels

The image on your screen is frozen, blocky, or you see a message that says Searching for Satellite Signal (x 771).

Possible Causes:

- Weather issues are usually temporary. Wait for the weather to clear and your signal should return to normal.

- If there are no weather problems in your area, reset your DIRECTV Plus® DVR using the red RESET button behind the door on the front of the receiver or by unplugging the receiver for 15 seconds and then plugging it back in.

- You can also check all the cable connections between your DIRECTV Plus® DVR and the satellite dish for loose or broken connections.

- If the problem is coming from the program source, wait for the broadcasting channel to resolve the issue.

- Purchase the PPV movie to continue watching the program.

- If there are obstructions blocking the dish’s clear view of the satellite, you should contact a professional to remove them or a DIRECTV installer at 1-800-531-5000 to relocate your dish.

- If your signal strength is lower than 70 (60 or lower on HD receivers) on most transponders in good weather, contact a professional installer to realign your dish or call us at 1-800-531-5000.

- Severe weather (rain, snow, hail etc.) may cause this issue.

- There may be an obstruction to your dish (debris, snow, ice, etc.) or a building or tree that blocks your line of sight to the satellite.

- There may be a problem with the cables running from your satellite dish to your DIRECTV® Receiver.

- If the picture is frozen, blocky, or pixels, there may be a problem with the transmission from the source.

- The ﬁve-minute free preview of a PPV movie may have expired.

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DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

Solution:

Problem: Partial programming loss/channels missing from the Guide/Channel is in the Guide but I can’t tune to it.

Problem: My video and audio are out of sync.

You have lost channels in your Program Guide, or are unable to use the guide to tune to a channel.

The audio track does not match the lip movements on the screen.

Possible Causes:

- The channels might be excluded from the Favorites list currently in use.

- Your satellite dish may be incorrectly conﬁgured.

- Your receiver information may need to be refreshed.

- Problem with how the program was produced or how it was sent to DIRECTV for broadcast.

- Your surround sound system may be out of synch, or may be set up incorrectly.

- To change your Favorites List, press GUIDE on the remote, then press the YELLOW button and select Change Favorites List, then All Channels. Or you can enter the channel number manually.

- To check the dish type set in your receiver’s preferences, press the MENU key on the remote control, then select Parental, Fav’s & Settings, then System Setup. In the next menu, select Sat & Ant, then Repeat Satellite Dish Setup. Follow the steps. From the Satellite Dish Type screen, make sure the proper dish type is selected (round, oval with a dual LNB or oval with a 5-LNB).

- To refresh your receiver information, go to directv.com, click on Customer Service, Troubleshooting, On-Screen Messages, Please Call Customer Service, ext. 721. You will need to be logged into your account on directv.com to complete this process.

DIRECTV PLUS

DVR USER GUIDE

DIRECTV Plus® DVR or TV Problems

Problem: No Audio with Picture

You can see a picture from your DIRECTV® Receiver, but there is no sound.

Possible Causes:

Solution:

- Change the channel on your DIRECTV® Receiver. This may re-synch the audio.

- Rewind the program for about 5 seconds, then fast forward to live programming.

- Try changing the cables from your surround sound system to your receiver. Refer to your surround sound system’s manual for assistance.

- If the issue continues, reset your DIRECTV Plus® DVR. Press the RESET button behind the access panel door on the front of the DIRECTV Plus® DVR. You can also press MENU, press SELECT on Parental, Fav’s & Settings, then select System Setup. Select the Reset item from the left menu and follow the on-screen instructions.

- If you have had sound from this receiver in the past, it is likely a setting has changed on the receiver or your TV.

- If this is a new setup and you have not had sound, check the cables between your TV and the receiver.

- Verify that your surround sound system is working, if applicable.

Solution:

- Verify “MUTE” button not activated.

- Raise or lower the volume. Did volume meter display on TV?

- Test sound on TV by changing the input to another source, such as a DVD player, game box, or antenna.

- If connected to stereo, make sure stereo is on and set to the correct mode.

- Verify audio cables are secure and connected correctly.

- If the issue continues, reset your DIRECTV Plus® DVR. Press the RESET button behind the access panel door on the front of the DIRECTV Plus® DVR. You can also press MENU, press SELECT Parental, Fav’s & Settings, then select System Setup. Select the Reset item from the left menu and follow the on-screen instructions.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

CHAPTER 4 - TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

Problem: A program I tried to record does not show up in the My Playlist screen.

Problem: I wanted to record a program, but I got an error message saying it conﬂicted with another scheduled record. What do I do?

You wanted to record a program to watch later, but it is not listed in your Playlist.

Your DIRECTV Plus® DVR can record up to two programs at once, or it can record one program while you watch another live program.

Solution:

- Someone else may have prevented the recording or erased the program after it recorded.

- The recording may have been cancelled due to a conﬂict with another program with higher priority in the Prioritizer.

- The program may have been blocked by Parental Locks.

- You may have deleted a Series Link recording. If you delete a Series Link by pressing RECORD on an episode in the Guide, you cancel the entire series, not just the highlighted episode.

- You tried to record three programs at the same time or tried to watch a live program while recording two others at the same time.

- There was an overlap in the programs you tried to record.

- To see if the program was recorded then deleted, press MENU, select Manage Recordings, then in the left menu, select History. You will see a list of recent programs with their recording status information. If the program was deleted, it cannot be recovered.

- If the recording was cancelled due to a Prioritizer conﬂict, record the program later.

- Check the Parental Locks on your receiver and TV. Adjust the content ratings, if necessary.

Possible Causes:

Recorded TV Troubleshooting

100

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DVR USER GUIDE

Solution:

- If you tried to record three programs at once, or watch a live TV program with two others recording, you will need to decide which recording to cancel.

- If the overlap is a couple of minutes (for example, some networks occasionally start programs at 8:59 instead of 9:00 p.m.), adjust your recording start and end times in the Recording Options. See Chapter 1, “Finding and Recording Programs”.

Recorded TV Troubleshooting

Problem: I recorded a program, and the recording got cut off just before the end, so I missed the last bit of the program.

Your recording stopped before the program or event ended.

Solution:

- The program you were trying to record may have started or ended early.

- If you were trying to record a sporting event, the event may have run over its allotted time.

- You may have had a recording conﬂict with a higher priority program.

- Someone may have manually ended the recording.

- Try setting the end time of the recording in the Record Options so the recording ends one or two minutes later (or more, if necessary). You may be able to record the same program again later in the week. Check the Program Guide for additional showings.

- For sporting events, you may want to extend the recording stop time 15 minutes or more to protect against overtime games.

- If you had a priority conﬂict, try adjusting your start and end times. You may need to choose a different time slot to record a program if the conﬂict continues.

Possible Causes:

DirecTV HR22 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual