How to Install DVR DirecTV

DirecTV DVRs are used to record and store programming from your DirecTV satellite package. They serve the same purpose as a VCR--letting you watch shows when you want to, instead of just when they air--but they store shows digitally instead of on a tape. That allows DVRs to store many more shows than a six-hour VHS cassette, and because there are fewer moving parts, the DirecTV DVR lasts much longer. Installing one is simply a matter of putting the right cables in the right slots.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• DirecTV DVR Television Auxiliary components such as a stereo system or DVD player Telephone cable Satellite cable HDMI, S-video, component video, digital audio or RCA cables

1. Determine what kind of cables are used for your TV, VCR and stereo system. The best kind are HDMI cables, used to deliver a high-definition signal. Slightly down from that in terms of quality are component video cables (using three separate cables labeled red, green and blue) and digital audio cables. Slightly below that are S-video cables, which provide a strong visual signal for those without HD capacity. Finally, there are RCA cables: a trio of cables labeled red, white and yellow. They do the job, but are very basic. You can determine which cables work best for your system by examining the jacks in each of your components: TV, VCR, DVR and stereo system. They should all be labeled appropriately, either with the formal type of cable listed ("HDMI," "S-Video," etc.) or by featuring color coding identical to those of the proper cable.

2. Attach the cable from your satellite dish to the DirecTV DVR through the "Satellite In" jack in the back.

3. Connect the video cables from the output jack on your DVR to your television set. Use whichever cables correspond to the best jacks available on both the TV and DVR (in descending order: HDMI, component video, S-video, RCA yellow cable).

4. Connect the audio cables from the DirecTV DVR to your television set or stereo system the same way you connected the video cables. Use whichever cables match the best jacks on both components (HDMI if possible, then digital audio, then RCA red and white).

5. Connect the RCA "Input" jacks on your VCR (if you have one) to the RCA "Output" jacks on your DVR with a set of RCA cables. There should be two sets of RCA output jacks on the DVR, so you can do this without disconnecting any other component.

6. Connect the RCA "Output" jacks on your VCR to the RCA "Input" jacks on your TV. If your TV only has one set of RCA "Input" jacks currently occupied by the link to your DVR, you'll need to change the cables whenever you want to look at the VCR.

7. Plug the DirecTV DVR into a nearby phone jack using a phone line. The input for the phone line can be found on the back of the DVR with all the other plugs.

8. Turn on all your components and watch TV as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• The number of different cable jacks can be confusing sometimes. A good rule of thumb is to think of the TV signal as a chain, which must travel through each component of your home theater system in a specific order: it hits the satellite dish first, then the DVR, then the TV and VCR/stereo system. Remember that order when connecting wires--the signal must come IN from the previous component in the chain (using the "Input" jacks) and go OUT to the next component (using the "Output" jacks).

• Make sure all your components are turned off before you begin installing cables. You run the risk of a short otherwise.