How to Use the Screen Guide with Dish Network Satellite TV

The multitude of channels and programs Dish Network offers can leave you confused about how and when to watch your favorite programs. To resolve this situation and organize programs better Dish Network provides the screen guide.

Instructions

1. Press the Guide button on the remote to access the on screen electronic program guide (EPG). Instead of Guide, certain remotes may have the Menu or another similar button. Refer to the remote user manual for specific terminology.

   The EPG puts the control of what and when you watch a program in your hands. Use it to group favorite channels and programs. View program schedules in advance and schedule them for recording. Record standard definition as well as HD programs. EPG also helps you determine if a program is in Dolby Digital by showing DD next to such a program.

2. Use the EPG to activate/deactivate parental locks to keep a check on the types of channels kids view. To lock a channel, press the Menu button on your remote and select Locks > Channel Locks. Go through the channels list and select those that you want to lock. A checkmark appears next to the channels to be locked. After marking the channels unsuitable for kids, select Done.

3. Additionally, you can lock all adult programming and adult pay-per-views by selecting Lock PPV > Lock System in the EPG. You may lock the channels but their names still appear in the EPG. Going a step further, Dish Network supports a feature using which you can customize the EPG to hide adult program and adult pay-per-view listings. This way, children do not know even if you subscribe to adult programming. To hide locked channels from the EPG, display it by pressing the Menu button on the remote. Select Locks > Hide Adult > Lock System. Next, the system prompts you for a 4-digit password and asks for its confirmation, too.

4. Alternatively, go to the company's web site (www.dishnetwork.com) to find information about your favorite programs and their schedules. On the home page, select Programming > Programming Guides to access the detailed information about channels, programs, their listings and the monthly Dish Network's magazine on entertainment. This section of the web site has links for downloading channel and program listings. You can easily download and print these listings for future reference. Additionally, there is a guide for movie buffs who can refer to it for prior information about a movie.

Tips & Warnings

• All uses of the on screen guide are detailed in the user manual. Go through it before calling Dish Network customer service.

• The number of days for which you can view program schedules in advance varies from package to package, ranging between 2-9 days.

• To ascertain that adult programming related channels have been hidden, press GUIDE on the remote and search for an adult channel (480-499) by entering its number, for instance 491. If hidden properly, the channel will not appear in the list.

• While activating/deactivating the locks, you might find the receiver to be locked. Unlock the receiver by entering the required password.

• Unlock the locked channels by pressing Menu from the remote and selecting Locks from the EPG. Enter the designated password and select Unlock System.

• Locking a lower rating program automatically restricts other channels with more severe ratings.

• When online, make sure to check instructions for the receiver model you have because receivers from different manufacturers show slight variations. For instance, some receivers may have the Guide button while others may show Menu.