Setting Up Your PVR For The First Time

Picking the location of your PVR

Make sure you setup the PVR in a space than has plenty of ventilation. Never place other equipment on top of the PVR over the cooling holes. You can place the PVR on top of other equipment.

Connecting the PVR to your TV

First, you need to connect an RF cable from the aerial to your PVR.

Next connect your PVR to your TV. The HD PVRs have several tpyes of connections that you can use with your TV. Depending on what connections your TV has, pick the one that has the best quality below.

As a general rule of thumb cable picture quality could be described (very subjectively) as:

  • HDMI 100% (HDMI outputs video and sound)
  • Component 100% (Red Green Blue (Video) Red White (Audio))
  • Composite 70% (Yellow (Video) Red White (Audio))
  • RF 60%

Turn on the TV and the PVR

The PVR will go through various phases while it is starting up. After all it is a computer and it will show various things on the front panel to let you know as it progresses. For example: Loading, and Run are two of the phases.

Configuring the settings on the PVR

What can be configured, and configuration options vary across models, and between different firmwares for the same model.

Scanning for channels

Unless the PVR has already been setup you will have no channels visible when the PVR starts. But you will see the Menus. Go to the Installation menu and select "Searching" and then select "Start Search…". This will get the PVR to start scanning for new channels. Once this completes you should be able to view different channels.

If the scan is not a complete success (duplicate LCN, missing LCN), the service list can be reset - Installation, System Recovery, Reset Service List. (This option is not in all firmware versions.)

Setting up the time, output quality, padding etc

In the Menu, select Settings, then Time. Make sure the mode is on Auto. In recent firmwares, Daylight Saving Time should also be set to on (the change to or from daylight saving is picked up from the TV signal). Next select Settings, A/V Output and for Video Format pick 1080i (or 1080p if you have a TRF-2100 or TF-T6000) if your TV supports it, or whatever the best resolution the TV supports. Alternatively you can select Auto. Select the appropriate options for Recording (padding), and playback (skip back time).

How to Network Your PVR

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