HDTV User's Guide Changing Entertainment. Again. Find Inside: · Introduction ...........page 2 · Connections ...........page 7 · Remote ....................page 21 · Features ..................page 29 · Menu ........................page 41 · Troubleshooting ...page 53 rca.com rca.com Important Information WARNING To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this product to rain or moisture. CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN This symbol indicates that this product incorporates double insulation between hazardous mains voltage and user accessible parts. When servicing use only identical replacement parts. 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. This symbol indicates "dangerous voltage" inside the product that presents a risk of electric shock or personal injury. This symbol indicates important instructions accompanying the product. The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and that no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus. Refer to the identification/rating label located on the back panel of your product for its proper operating voltage. FCC Regulations state that unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment may void the user's authority to operate it. Caution: Using video games or any external accessory with fixed images for extended periods of time can cause them to be permanently imprinted on the picture tube (or projection TV picture tubes). ALSO, some network/ program logos, phone numbers, black borders (sides, top and bottom), etc. may cause similar damage. This damage is not covered by your warranty. Cable TV Installer: This reminder is provided to call your attention to Article 820-40 of the National Electrical Code (Section 54 of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1) which provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical. Warning: Do not use the Freeze feature for an extended period of time. This can cause the image to be permanently imprinted on the picture tube. Such damage is not covered by your warranty. Press any button to unfreeze the picture at any time. Product Registration Please fill out the product registration card (packed separately) and return it immediately. For US customers: Your RCA Consumer Electronics product may also be registered at www.rca.com/productregistration. Registering this product allows us to contact you if needed. Product Information Keep your sales receipt to obtain warranty parts and service and for proof of purchase. Attach it here and record the serial and model numbers in case you need them. These numbers are located on the product. Model No. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Serial No. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Purchase Date: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Dealer/Address/Phone: ______________________________________________________________________________ Important Information IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Read these instructions. Keep these instructions. Heed all warnings. Follow all instructions. Do not use this apparatus near water. Clean only with dry cloth. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat. 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 is 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. Even if the power indicator is off, the apparatus is still not fully disconnected from the power source. To disconnect the apparatus completely from the power source, take its power plug out of the wall outlet or power strip. The power plug must be easily accessible. 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. If an outside antenna is connected to the TV receiver, be sure the antenna system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built up static charges. In the U.S. Section 810-21 of the National Electrical Code and in Canada, Part 1 of the Canadian Electrical Code provides information with respect to proper grounding of the antenna system. See the figure on the right for details. Example of Antenna Grounding as per (NEC) National Electrical Code ANTENNA LEAD IN WIRE GROUND CLAMP ANTENNA DISCHARGE UNIT (NEC SECTION 810-20) GROUNDING CONDUCTORS (NEC SECTION 810-21) GROUND CLAMPS ELECTRIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT POWER SERV ICE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM (NEC ART 250, PART H) To assure adequate ventilation for this product, maintain a spacing of 4 inches from the top and sides of the TV receiver and 2 inches from the rear of the TV receiver and other surfaces. 1 Introduction Thank you for choosing RCA Congratulations on purchasing this RCA High Definition Television (HDTV). Your purchase decision represents an investment in a new generation of technology--HDTV. Even though this is a technologically advanced HDTV, it is the most user-friendly of its kind--with on-screen instructions that guide you through all of the TV's features. Connect the off-air antenna for digital television to this input jack. The best of both worlds Your HDTV has two tuners: one for regular, analog television and one for off-air digital television (ATSC). On your HDTV's back panel you'll see two inputs--one for cable TV or regular, off-air programming and one for off-air digital television. While you're watching TV, you can switch from one tuner to the other with the ANTENNA button on your remote. There are many off-air antennas you can use to receive off-air digital television. Find out which antenna will work best in your environment and where you should put your antenna for the best reception. For more information on antenna reception in different parts of the U.S., go to www.antennaweb.org. ANTENNA DIGITAL INPUT ANTENNA/ CABLE ANALOG INPUT AUDIO/VIDEO OUTPUT V FIXED AUDIO L R 1 2 CTORY ONLY VARIABLE AUDIO SUBWOOFER L R Connect cable TV or your off-air antenna for regular, analog TV to this input jack. What makes HDTV better With your new High-Definition Television, you can embark on the next generation of TV viewing--HDTV. There are many technological advancements that make HDTV better than analog TV, but there are basically three things about HDTV that bring you a superior viewing experience: (1) resolution, (2) aspect ratio, and (3) digital signal and sound. 2 Introduction Resolution (it's math...that works for you) The crisp, lifelike picture that people rave about when experiencing true HDTV is due to the resolution this technology provides. The resolution is measured by calculating the number of active lines of pixels. A pixel (which stands for picture element) is a small dot. The picture you see on your TV is composed of these dots. A regular, analog television only has a resolution of about 200,000 pixels (480 vertical pixels x 440 horizontal pixels = 211,200 pixels). The HDTV format is capable of more than 2 million pixels (1,920 x 1,080 = 2,073,600). More pixels equal more detail. In summary, HDTV is capable of resolution that is up to 10 times the resolution of the picture on a regular, analog TV! Feature Total Scan Lines Effective Scan Lines Aspect Ratio Max Resolution Sound Analog (NTSC) 525 480 4:3 720 x 480 2-ch Stereo HD Digital (ATSC) 1125 1080 16:9 (Widescreen) 1920 x 1080 5.1 ch Surround Aspect Ratio Aspect ratio is simply the width and height of the picture. Regular TVs use a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means the picture is a little wider than it is tall (a screen that is 20 inches wide is about 15 inches tall). When the standards were being developed for television broadcasting in 1941 by the NTSC (the National Television Standards Committee), it made sense to adopt the 4:3 aspect ratio the film industry was using at that time. 16:9 Aspect Ratio As TVs dropped in price and people prospered in the 1950s, the movie industry had to find a way to get people out of their living rooms and back to the movie theatres. That's when they created the 16:9 aspect ratio (also called widescreen format). When the standards for HDTV were being developed by the ATSC (Advanced Television Standards Committee), the 16:9 aspect ratio was chosen as the format for HDTV. This widescreen format makes sense because it's much closer to the way we see. Our field of vision is actually much wider than tall because of our peripheral vision. Not only is it closer to the way we see, but the pictures are crisper and cleaner with more detail in the close-up and panoramic views. 3 Introduction Digital Signal and Sound The analog television broadcast system that has been used in the United States for the past 50 years transmits signals as electronic waves. These waves can suffer degradation as the signal travels to your home. Additionally, the analog waves are susceptible to interference from planes passing overhead, weather, and household appliances. Digital signals, in contrast to analog signals, can be reproduced precisely because the images are transmitted and received using the computer language of 1s and 0s. Such precision yields a signal that is capable of displaying studioquality picture and Dolby Digital 5.1 channel sound. Other Key Features of owning an RCA HDTV There are other HDTVs on the market. But your RCA HDTV has been designed with features that will enhance your TV viewing experience, and features that provide flexibility to build on the digital revolution that is taking place. A summary of your TV's most unique features follows. Go to Chapter 3 for more details on these and additional features. TruScan Digital RealityTM Feature With the Film Mode option turned on, the intelligent signal processing of the TruScan Digital Reality feature recognizes incoming video signals and progressively converts them to achieve optimum digital picture performance. It also recognizes when original film sources have been modified and can automatically convert the analog frame rate back to its original format to bring out the detail--a process commonly referred to as reverse 3:2 pulldown. DVI-HDTV Input Lets you connect a component with a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) output. DVI provides an uncompressed, digital video interface developed for high-bandwidth digital connection. It supports the overlay of high-resolution graphics needed by some electronic program guide navigation and other interactive services. DVI, when combined with HDCP (High bandwidth Digital Content Protection) technology, creates a protected digital connection. The DVI-HDTV connection is designed to display either progressive scan (480p or 720p) or HDTV (1080i) signals at a bandwidth of up to 1.78 Gigabits per second. 4 Table of Contents Important Safety Instructions .......................................................................................... 1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 2 The best of both worlds ............................................................................................. 2 What makes HDTV better .......................................................................................... 2 Other Key Features of owning an RCA HDTV ........................................................... 4 Chapter 1: Connections & Setup .............................................................. 7 Things to Consider Before You Connect ....... ...