RCA pmn manual

S A TELLITE RECEIVER USER'S GUIDE[...]

Safety Informa tion Do not stack electronic components or other objects on top of the DSS ® Receiver . The slots on top of the 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 the DSS ® receiver on top of a “h[...]

T able of C ontents 1 First Things First ................................................... 3 What is the DSS ® System? ............................................................... 4 What’ s in the Box ............................................................................ 5 Using This Manual ............................................[...]

T able of C ontents 2 DSS ® is a registered trademark of DIRECTV , Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. StarSight-Licensed: The manufacture and sale of the television schedule feature of this product was licensed under one or more of the following patents of StarSight T elecast, Inc.; U.S. Patent Nos. 4,706,121; 4,977,455; 5,151,789; 5,335,277[...]

First Things First 3 Read the First Two Chapters The first two chapters of the manual introduce you to your DSS ® system, and show you how to use the on-scr een guides and menus. In First Things First , you’ll learn: • how to use this manual • how to use the menu system and guides • differ ent ways to connect the receiver to your TV • ho[...]

First Things First 4 Wha t is the DSS ® System? Y ou’ve purchased the DSS ® Digital Satellite System, so you already know a lot of the great things it of fers. Y ou know that the DSS ® system uses the latest satellite technology to deliver television programming to your home. And you know that the transmissions are digital, so the quality of t[...]

First Things First 5 Wha t ’ s in the Box The following items come with your DSS ® receiver: • Receiver (with access card inserted) • Remote Control • VCR Controller ON/OFF INFO ANTENNA MENU SELECT Receiver MUTE C H + V O L V O L C H - 1 2 3 6 5 4 7 8 9 0 INPUT ANTENNA GUIDE FETCH PLAY FORWARD REVERSE STOP PAUSE RECORD M E N U CLEAR INFO A[...]

First Things First 6 Using This Manu al There are a couple of conventions used in this manual that might help you read it. • W ords that appear in ALL CAPS indicate the name of a button. • The names of on-screen menu options are shown in italics . Import ant Note about This User’ s Manu al This manual assumes that your DSS ® system has been [...]

First Things First 7 The Point and Select Meth od Point and Select is the two-step method you use to navigate through the menu system and program guides. Once you know how to point and select, you can explore the menus to learn more about how your DSS ® system works. 1. Point Y ou point by pressing the arrow keys on the remote or front panel. Pres[...]

First Things First 8 Connecting Y our DSS ® Receiver to Y our T V During the satellite dish installation, the receiver may have been connected to your TV with just a coaxial cable for the system test. Depending on what components you have, another connection may provide better picture and audio quality . The following sections provide cable and co[...]

First Things First 9 Jacks and Cables S-Video Jack and Cable The S-Video jack provides the best picture quality for your DSS ® system. This jack is available on many TVs and is used in conjunction with audio cables to connect the DSS ® receiver to your TV . Remember also to connect the left and right audio cables because the S-Video jack carries [...]

First Things First 10 Connecti on A Best Picture and Sound Qu alit y T o use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF , audio/video, and S-Video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial, audio/video, and S-Video cables T o connect TV , VCR and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables as shown. 2. Connec[...]

First Things First 11 Connecti on B Very Goo d Picture and Sound Qu alit y T o use this connection you must have: • TV with separate RF and audio/video inputs (jacks) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial and audio/video cables T o connect TV , VCR and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables as shown. 2. Connect audio/video c[...]

First Things First 12 Connecti on C Good Picture and Sound Qu alit y T o use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input (jack) • VCR with RF and audio/video inputs • Coaxial and audio/video cables T o connect TV , VCR, and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables and audio/video cables as shown. T o receive DSS ® programming: ?[...]

First Things First 13 Connecti on D Good Picture and Sound Qu alit y T o use this connection you must have: • TV with RF input • Coaxial cables T o connect TV and antenna or cable box: 1. Connect coaxial cables as shown. T o receive DSS ® programming: • T une TV to channel 3 or 4 (depending on how you set the CH3/CH4 switch on the back of th[...]

First Things First 14 Connecting the VCR C ontroller In order for the DSS ® receiver and VCR to communicate, you need to attach the VCR Controller to the back of the receiver . 1. Plug the VCR Controller into the VCR CONTROL jack on the back of the DSS ® receiver . 2. Affix the other end to the remote sensor on your VCR. Loca ting the VCR’ s In[...]

First Things First 15 Selecting a VCR Type Y ou need to tell the DSS ® receiver which VCR brand you are using. 1. Press MENU•SELECT on the remote to bring up the Main menu. 2. Point to Options and press MENU•SELECT . 3. Point to System Options and press MENU•SELECT . 4. Point to Set VCR T ype and press MENU•SELECT . The Set VCR T ype scree[...]

First Things First 16 Interactive Setup If you self-installed your satellite dish antenna, you may have already used the interactive setup to find the dish pointing coordinates, acquire and fine-tune the signal, and run a system test. If you need to run the interactive setup again, select Options from the Main menu, then select Interactive Setup . [...]

Program Guides 17 ➣ First Things First Wha t is a Program Guide? A program guide is an on-scr een programming schedule. There ar e several types of guides, each presenting the schedule in a dif ferent format. Using the program guide is easy as long as you remember the Point and Select rule. Point to items on the screen by pr essing the arrow keys[...]

Program Guides 18 “Family” is one of five selectable Profiles Program titles and information Returns you to previous scr een Help gives you more information Sort the guide by: T opics, Movies, or Sports Sorts the current guide alphabetically by title Searches guide for specific information Displays more sorting options T akes you to the Main me[...]

Program Guides 19 Ana tom y of The Channel Banner Some of the items you select in the guides can also be selected in the channel banner . The channel banner appears whenever you tune to a channel, exit a guide, or press INFO on the remote. Use the arrow buttons and MENU•SELECT to choose an item. On-screen icons represent frequently used menu item[...]

Program Guides 20 Using the GUIDE Button Each press of the GUIDE button takes you to an alternate type of program guide. The Detail Guide The Detail Guide shows five channels in a time-and-channel format, with program information for the highlighted program. The Grid Guide The Grid Guide shows seven channels in a time-and-channel format. The SurfGu[...]

Program Guides 21 Tuning to a Program T o tune directly to a current program listed in the guide, point to the program and press MENU•SELECT . T o see information about a program in the guide, press INFO. The Program Details screen appears and gives you several options. Then, you can select: • View Channel to tune to that channel • Channel Gu[...]

Program Guides 22 The Channel Guide Displays a channel’ s programming schedule in a channel-by- channel format. The Logo Guide Displays channel logos for the current user’ s profile. The Attractions Guide Displays a list of channels that show coming attractions and special events information. Exiting A Pr ogram Guide There ar e thr ee ways to e[...]

Program Guides 23 Sorting the Guides Sorting the guide is a way of organizing the guide to show only the types of programs that interest you. There are several on- screen buttons that sort the guide in dif ferent ways. The Sorting buttons appear at the bottom of the Grid Guide and Detail Guide. T opics The T opics button sorts the guide according t[...]

Program Guides 24 Movies Select the Movies button to list movies only . After selecting Movies , the Movies button changes to a Movies Themes button. Select the Movies Themes button to sort the guide to list specific types of movies, such as comedies or musicals. Select a Movies Themes that interests you. Sports Select the Sports button to list spo[...]

Program Guides 25 AlphaSort AlphaSort lists in alphabetical order all the program titles in the current guide. Select the AlphaSort button to search for specific program titles that are in the current program guide. Use the arrow button to highlight a character , then press MENU•SELECT . For example, to search for the program, Auto Racing, the fi[...]

Program Guides 26 Scout The Scout button lets you assign “Scouts” to search the guide for very specific program information, such as actor’ s names or program descriptions. Select the Scout button to view the available scouts. Point to an available Scout , and select it. Select the Enter T ext button to set up the information the Scout will l[...]

Program Guides 27 Other Guides The Other Guides button lets you sort the guide by different variables, such as future times, user profile channel lists, and channel groups. Y ou can then choose a guide format to view the program information. Select the Other Guides button. Y ou can select multiple sort parameters. For example, you could sort the gu[...]

Program Guides 28 The other buttons Exit Exits the guide and returns you to normal viewing on the current channel. Press MENU•SELECT to continue. Help Brings up additional information about the guide. Press MENU•SELECT to continue. Down Arrow The arrow button allows you to scroll down through other channels in the guide. Point to the down arrow[...]

The Menu S ystem 29 ➣ First Things First Wha t ’ s a Menu? The DSS ® system menu is a list of choices, just like a menu in a restaurant. And, just as a r estaurant menu is divided into sections such as appetizers, entrees, and desserts, the on-scr een menus ar e also separated into sections to help you find the information you need. Don’ t F[...]

The Menu S ystem 30 Using the Menu S ystem T o bring up the Main menu, press MENU•SELECT on the remote. Use point and select to choose an item from the Main menu. T o use the menu system, you need to know the Point and Select rule. Use the arrows on the remote to point to an item on the screen, and then press MENU•SELECT to select it. Exit and [...]

The Menu S ystem 31 Menu Descriptions This section briefly describes each of the available Main menu options. More information about each menu and its features is included later in this chapter . Program Guide Shows the on-screen programming schedules. Mailbox Use to read mail messages from your program providers. Pur chases Use to review or cancel[...]

The Menu S ystem 32 “Family” is one of five selectable Profiles Program titles and information Returns you to previous scr een Help gives you more information Sort the guide by: T opics, Movies, or Sports Sorts the current guide alphabetically by title Searches guide for specific information Displays more sorting options T akes you to the Main [...]

The Menu S ystem 33 The Mailbo x The mailbox shows you messages that are sent—or “mailed”— from your program providers. For example, you may receive a message calling your attention to a new service. How to tell when y ou ha ve mail There are two ways to tell if you have mail, depending on whether the DSS ® receiver is turned on or of f. ?[...]

The Menu S ystem 34 P a y -Per-View Programs Pay-per-view programs (PPV) are pr ograms that you purchase— like a movie ticket—on an event-by-event basis. For instance, there might be a specific channel that runs nothing but previews for movies. After previewing the movie, you can purchase it or find out more details about it. PPV programs can a[...]

The Menu S ystem 35 Using the Program Guide for PPV Programs When you use the program guide to select a PPV program, the Program Details screen gives you a few more options. The Program Details screen gives you several options. Y ou can select: • View Channel to tune to that channel • Channel Guide to see a program lineup for that channel • R[...]

The Menu S ystem 36 Using the A ttractions Guide Y our program providers may of fer future programming events not currently listed in your Program guide. These events are called “coming attractions,” and can be previewed in the Attractions Guide. 1. Press the GUIDE button until the Detail Guide or Grid Guide appears on-screen. 2. Use the down a[...]

The Menu S ystem 37 Using the Purcha ses Menu The Purchases menu allows you to review upcoming and past purchases. The Purchases menu shows you upcoming or past purchases, and spending limits. The list of purchases may be longer than one screen; use the down arrow keys to see more items. The display also shows the title, channel, date, time, and co[...]

The Menu S ystem 38 Spending Limits Use the Spending Limit option to indicate a per-event spending limit for pay-per-view programs. 1. Point to Spending Limit , and press MENU•SELECT . Y ou can set a per-event spending limit for each Profile. 2. Use the digits on the remote or use the arrow keys to enter a single-program spending limit. After a s[...]

The Menu S ystem 39 Timers Fea ture The T imers feature allows you to preset your system to automatically tune to a particular channel at a predetermined time. T o use the Timers feature, select T imers from the Main menu to bring up the T imers scr een. Select a T imer (1-8) and then use the arrow keys to complete the on-screen sentence. When the [...]

The Menu S ystem 40 Schedule a Timer with the RECORD Button Y ou can schedule a recording directly from the guide. 1. With a program highlighted, press the RECORD button on the remote. The Program Details appears on-screen. 2. T o schedule a timer to record, select: • Record Program to set a timer to record the program • Buy and Record to purch[...]

The Menu S ystem 41 Profiles When you select Profiles from the Main menu, the first screen you see is the User Profiles control panel. In addition to the Family profile, you can create as many as four dif ferent profiles that can be easily accessed by using the WHO button on the remote control. Y ou can personalize how the profile looks on-screen b[...]

The Menu S ystem 42 Add or Delete All Channels Y ou might be able to save time when creating a channel list by using the Add All Chans option or the Delete All Chans option to either add all channels or delete all channels before removing or adding individual channels. Also, program providers may make additional channels available. T o prevent new [...]

The Menu S ystem 43 Viewing Hours Use the Viewing Hours option to limit the total amount of time, as well as the viewing hours a user can watch programming. 1. Point to Viewing Hours , and press MENU•SELECT . Y ou can limit viewing seven days a week. 2. Use the digits on the remote or point to the + or – and press MENU•SELECT to complete the [...]

The Menu S ystem 44 Locking a User’ s Profile Each user can be assigned a personal password to lock his or her profile. When a password is assigned, the user must enter the password before he or she can view programs using that profile. Profile passwords do no allow access to, or editing of the profile limits. Y ou must enter the system password [...]

The Menu S ystem 45 Unlocking the System When the system is unlocked, the channel, spending, viewing, and ratings limits, that you have set are no longer in ef fect. 1. Point to Unlock System and press MENU•SELECT . 2. Point to Y es and press MENU•SELECT to confirm that you want to unlock the system. Session Unlock If your system is locked and [...]

The Menu S ystem 46 Options The Options menu lets you set up personal preferences for the look and feel of the system as well as how some of the features work. The Options menu lets you change how the system works. The following sections explain your options when changing your personal preferences. Follow the on-screen instructions to make changes [...]

The Menu S ystem 47 About DSS Select About DSS from the Options menu to choose from a list of on-line Help topics. Point and select to find out about the specific parts of the DSS ® system, then use the right arrow key to continue through each of the Help screens or press MENU•SELECT to return to the Help menu. Program Guide shows a screen-by-sc[...]

The Menu S ystem 48 System Opti ons System T est The System T est display screen is accessed through the Options menu, and allows you to initiate diagnostic procedures on the DSS ® system. Y ou should use this feature to get your Access Card number , or when your receiver doesn’ t seem to be working correctly . There are four separate tests: sig[...]

The Menu S ystem 49 Picture Size The Picture size display scr een allows you to choose between a standard TV screen and a Cinema option. A standard TV screen has an aspect ratio of 4:3; the Cinema option has an aspect ratio of 16:9. Data Port Let’ s you choose whether the low speed data port is used for low speed data or communicating with the Ho[...]

The Menu S ystem 50 The Dish Pointing Menu Screen Follow these steps to obtain your dish pointing coordinates: 1. T urn on your television and satellite receiver . 2. T une your television to the satellite receiver’ s output channel. 3. Press MENU•SELECT on the remote or front panel to bring up the Main menu. 4. Use the arrows to highlight the [...]

The Menu S ystem 51 Using the On-Screen Signal Meter The signal strength meter is used to determine whether or not you are receiving the satellite signal, and it also indicates the strength of the satellite signal. Follow these steps to bring up the on-screen signal meter: 1. T urn on your television and satellite receiver . 2. T une your televisio[...]

The Menu S ystem 52 T o control devices, you must connect a Home Control Data Interface to the receiver and a remote module to the device you want to control. The Home Control Data Interface connects to the LOW SPEED DA T A port on the back of the receiver . Once connected, you must tell the receiver to use this port for Home Control. These devices[...]

The Menu S ystem 53 On-screen icons ar e an easy way to understand the timers. indicates the timer is set. indicates the timer is suspended. 4. Use the arrow buttons and MENU•SELECT to select the house and module codes that match the device’ s remote module and label the module. Select Save Setup to complete the setup. Device Contr ol Once the [...]

The Menu S ystem 54 Fet ch Menu The Fetch menu is a list of favorite menu items that you define. Press the FETCH button on the remote. The Fetch menu appears. Y ou can select up to eight menu items to appear in this menu. The Fetch menu is a convenient way to call up frequently used menu items. Customize the Fet ch Menu T o add an item to the Fetch[...]

Reference 55 How It All Works Although the DSS ® system is simple to use, there ar e a number of parts in the system. Don’ t be overwhelmed. This section explains how these dif ferent parts work together to bring a pictur e to your screen. Wha t ’ s It For? This section also describes the controls located on the front and back of the r eceiver[...]

Reference 56 Uplink Center Authorization Center Satellite Satellite Dish Antenna P arts of the DSS ® S ystem One way to understand the DSS ® system is to look at the different parts of the system—from the studio down to the DSS ® receiver and remote control in your living room. World View These parts make up the DSS ® system “big picture.?[...]

Reference 57 Home View These parts are inside of or attached to your house. DSS ® Satellite Dish Antenna Picks up the satellite’ s coded program information and relays it to your DSS ® receiver . (Y our satellite dish may be installed in different locations on or ar ound your house. The satellite dish antenna must, however , be pointed in a sou[...]

Reference 58 Controls and Butt ons This part of the Reference sections discusses the controls and buttons located on the receiver and the remote control. Front P anel Controls ON/OFF T urns the DSS ® receiver’ s power on or off. INFO Brings up the on-screen channel banner . ANTENNA Switches the source of the video signal from satellite signals t[...]

Reference 59 OUT TO TV IN FROM ANT S-VIDEO VIDEO R L AUDIO SATELLITE IN PHONE JACK CH 4 CH 3 VCR CONTROL LOW SPEED DATA Back P anel Controls OUT TO TV Use to connect the DSS ® receiver to your TV . However , if your TV has audio/video jacks, you should use those jacks to get better picture and sound quality . IN FROM ANT Use to connect an off-air [...]

Reference 60 MUTE C H + V O L V O L C H - 1 2 3 6 5 4 7 8 9 0 INPUT ANTENNA GUIDE FETCH PLA Y FORW ARD REVERSE STOP P AUSE RECORD M E N U CLEAR INFO AL T . AUD WHO GO BACK DSS 2 AUX DSS 1 VCR TV POWER S E L E C T Remote Contro l Buttons POWER T urns the device you are controlling on or off. TV T ells the remote to control the TV . VCR T ells the re[...]

Reference 61 VOL UP/DOWN Adjusts the audio volume. DIGIT KEYS (0 - 9) Use the digit keys to tune directly to a channel. If you are in the menu system, use the digit keys to enter numbers for the time, date, channel and passwords. INPUT In TV and VCR mode, press the INPUT button one or more times to toggle through the available video inputs. ANT Let[...]

Reference 62 After you program the r emote to control your VCR, r ecord your VCR code here for easy r eference. Programming the Remote to Control Y our T V T o determine whether your remote needs to be programmed, turn the TV on, point the remote at the TV , and press the TV button. Then press CHAN UP or DOWN to see whether the TV responds to the r[...]

Reference 63 Programming the Remote to C ontrol Other Devices The AUX button is a device button that can be programmed to control a second VCR, a cable box, or a laserdisc player . 1. T urn on the device to be programmed. 2. Look up your brand and its code number on code list on the following pages. 3. Press and hold the AUX button. 4. Enter the th[...]

Reference 64 Remote Codes TV Codes Laserdisc/DVD Player Codes RCA ....................................... 033, 037 RCA (DVD Player) ......................... 078 Pioneer .................................. 033,033 ProScan .................................. 033,037 A-Mark .......................................... 102 Admiral ........................[...]

Reference 65 VCR Codes Cable Box/Satellite Receiver Codes Admiral ................................. 006, 079 Aiwa .............................................. 015 Akai ....... 003, 017, 022, 023, 063, 066 Audio Dynamics ................... 014, 016 Bell & Howell ................................ 002 Broksonic ..................................[...]

Reference 66 Glossar y The following is a list of terms used in this manual. There is also a glossary contained within the About DSS menu of your DSS ® system. Access Card Identifies you to the DSS ® system service providers and is required for your DSS ® system to work. Do not remove the access card except when a new card has been issued to rep[...]

Reference 67 Mailbox Stores incoming electronic messages sent to you by your program providers. The Mailbox is accessed through the on-screen menu system. Main Menu The first list of choices in the DSS ® systemon-screen menus. Press the MENU button on the remote or front panel to bring up the Main menu. Past Purchases Detailed list of the programs[...]

Reference 68 Troubleshooting The DSS ® System T est allows you to run a basic diagnostics check on your DSS ® system. If you are experiencing any trouble with your system, run the system test. Make sure that • All connections—jacks, cables, etc. are correctly in place. See the section, Connecting Y our DSS ® Receiver , for more information. [...]

69 Appendix A: W arrant y Informa ti on Repair Help Thomson Consumer Electronics offers hardware repair service should you encounter any problems with your DSS ® system. Many problems can be diagnosed over the phone, or if necessary , a replacement unit can be shipped to you. Please have your DSS ® system model, serial number and date of pur chas[...]

70 Appendix A: W arranty Informa tion How you get service: • Call 1-800-679-4776 and have your unit’ s date of purchase and model/serial number ready . The model/serial number information is on the back of your receiver . • A representative will troubleshoot your problem over the phone. • If the representative determines that you should rec[...]

71 Appendix A: W arrant y Informa tion What your warranty does not cover: • Acts of God, such as but not limited to lightning damage. • Adjustment of customer controls. • Damage from misuse or neglect. • A unit that has been modified or incorporated into other products or is used for institutional or other commercial purposes. • Batteries[...]

72 - Appendix B: FC C Regula tions FCC Registration Information Y our DSS ® equipment is registered with the Federal Communications Commission and is in compliance with par ts 15B and 68, FCC Rules and Regulations. 1. Notification to the Local T elephone Company . On the bottom of this equipment is a label indicating among other information, the F[...]

73 RG-6 Coaxial Cable 12 feet D912 $12.95 25 feet D925 $15.95 50 feet D950 $21.95 75 feet D975 $29.95 100 feet D901 $35.95 S-V ideo Cable 12 feet D913 $12.95 W eatherproof “F” Connector (2) D905 $ 5.30 TVRO Bullet Amplifier D903 $24.95 Self-Installer’s Kit DKIT96 $69.95 Remote Control 232578 $40.45 Home Control Kit HCDSS10 $59.95 Lamp Module [...]

74 Appendix C: Ac cessories United States and Canada Orders T o place your order by phone, have your V isa, MasterCard or Discover Card ready and call the toll-free number listed below between 8AM and 10PM (EST) Monday through Friday or between 9AM and 5PM (EST) Saturday . Use this number only to place on order for accessory items listed on this or[...]

75 A About DSS 47 Access card 57 number 16 Accessories 73 All button 24 AlphaSort button 25 Alternative data 49 Attractions Guide 22 ,3 6 Audio Language 49 B Back panel controls 59 Batteries installing in the remote 5 Buttons 60 C Cancelling purchases 37 Channel banner anatomy 19 icons 19 Channel Guide 22 Channel lists 41 add channels 42 delete cha[...]

76 P Passwords 44 Pay-per-view programs 34 tuning to 34 Profiles channel lists 41 choosing 45 locking 44 menu 31, 41 ratings limits 42 spending limits 43 unlocking 45 viewing hours 43 Program guides 4, 17, 21 anatomy 18, 32 Attractions Guide 22 buttons 21 Channel Guide 22 default 20 Detail Guide 20 exiting 22 , 28 Grid Guide 20 help 28 Logo Guide 2[...]

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If your DSS ® system needs service, please contact your dealer or the nearest Servicenter from the yellow pages. Please do not send any products to the Indianapolis address listed in this manual or on the carton. This will only add delays in service for your product. 10330 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46290 ©1998 Thomson Consumer Electr[...]