Curtis Mathes CM25011 User manual

Customer Support: 1-877-456-2788
www.curtismathes.com
OWNER'S MANUAL
25" COLOR TELEVISION
3250 West Big Beaver Road.
Troy, MI 48084
For more information about this or other Curtis Mathes
products, please visit our web site at: www.curtismathes.com.
AA68-02610A-00 (ENG)
This product is listed by Underwriter's Laboratories, Inc. It is
designed and manufactured to meet rigid U.L. safety standards
against X-radiation, fire casualty and electrical hazards.
As an ENERGY STAR®Partner,
Curtis Mathes has determined that this
product or product model meets the
ENERGY STAR®guidelines
for energy effiency.

Warning! Important
Safety Instructions
1) Read these instructions.
2) Keep these instructions.
3) Heed all warnings.
4) Follow all instructions.
5) Do not use this apparatus near water.
6) Clean only with dry cloth.
7) Do not block any ventilation openings, Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, or other apparatus
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9) 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 are 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 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. When a cart is used, use caution when mov-
ing the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
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.

SAFETY 1
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired operation.
This television receiver provides display of television closed captioning in accordance
with §15.119 of the FCC rules.
Note to CATV system installer: This reminder is provided to call CATV system installer’s attention to
Article 820-40 of the National Electrical Code (Section 54 of Canadian Electrical Code, Part I), that
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.
Caution: FCC/CSA regulations state that any unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment
may void the user’s authority to operate it.
Caution: To prevent electric shock, match the wide blade of plug to the wide slot, and fully insert the
plug.
Attention: pour eviter les chocs electriques, introduire la lame le plus large de la fiche dans la borne
correspondante de la prise et pousser jusqu’au fond.
Important: One Federal Court has held that unauthorized recording of copyrighted TV programs is an
infringement of U.S. copyright laws.
Certain Canadian programs may also be copyrighted and any unauthorized recording in whole or in
part may be in violation of these rights.
To prevent damage which may result in fire or electric shock hazard, do not expose this
appliance to rain or moisture.
This symbol indicates high voltage is present
inside. It is dangerous to make any kind of contact
with any inside part of this product.
This symbol alerts you that important literature
concerning operation and maintenance has been
included with this product.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN
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.

1CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Your New TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.1
List of Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1
Familiarizing Yourself with The TV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2
Front Panel Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2
Rear Panel Jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3
Remote Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4
Chapter 2: Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Connecting VHF and UHF Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Antennas with 300-ohm Flat Twin Leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1
Antennas with 75-ohm Round Leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2
Separate VHF and UHF Antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2
Connecting Cable TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2
Cable without a Cable Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2
Connecting to a Cable Box that Descrambles All Channels. 2.3
Connecting to a Cable Box that Descrambles Some Channels . 2.3
Connecting a VCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5
Connecting a Camcorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.6
Installing Batteries in the Remote Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7
Chapter 3: Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
Turning the TV On and Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
Viewing the Menus and On-Screen Displays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
Viewing the Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
Viewing the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1
Selecting a Menu Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2
Memorizing the Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3
Selecting the Video Signal-source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3
Storing Channels in Memory (Automatic Method). . . . . . . 3.4
Adding and Erasing Channels (Manual Method) . . . . . . . . 3.5
Changing Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
Using the Channel Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
Directly Accessing Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
Using the PRE-CH Button to select the Previous Channel. . 3.6
Adjusting the Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
Using Mute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.6
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.7
Customizing the Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8
Using Automatic Picture Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.9
Viewing a VCR or Camcorder Tape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.10

CONTENTS 2
CONTENTS
Chapter 4: Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1
Fine Tuning Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1
Changing the Screen Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2
Using the Surf Feature.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3
Setting the On/Off Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4
Setting the Sleep Timer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5
Setting the Auto Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6
Viewing Closed Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7
Using the V-Chip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8
Setting Up Your Personal ID Number (PIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8
How to Enable/Disable the V-Chip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9
How to Set up Restrictions Using the “TV guidelines” . . . . 4.9
How to Set up Restrictions using the MPAA Ratings:
G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.11
How to Reset the TV after the V-Chip Blocks a Channel
(“Emergency Escape”). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.12
Chapter 5: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1
Identifying Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.1
Cleaning and Maintaining Your TV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.1
Using Your TV in Another Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.1
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.1

1.1 CHAPTER ONE: YOUR NEW TV
List of Features
Your TV was designed with the latest technology. This TV is a high-performance unit that
includes the following special features:
• Easy-to-use remote control
• Easy-to-use on-screen menu system
• Automatic timer to turn the TV on and off
• Adjustable picture and sound settings that can be stored in the TV’s memory
• Automatic channel tuning for up to 181 channels
• A special filter to reduce or eliminate reception problems
• Fine tuning control for the sharpest picture possible
• A special sleep timer
Chapter One
YOUR NEW TV

CHAPTER ONE: YOUR NEW TV 1.2
Familiarizing Yourself with The TV
Front Panel Buttons
The buttons on the front panel control your TV’s basic features, including the on-screen
menu. To use the more advanced features, you must use the remote control.
YOUR NEW TV
ΠMENU
Press to see an on-screen menu of your TV's fea-
tures.
´ VOL – , +
Press to increase or decrease the volume. Also
used to select items on the on-screen menu.
ˇ CH ▼and CH ▲
Press to change channels. Also press to select
various items on the on-screen menu.
¨ Remote Control Sensor
Aim the remote control towards this spot on the
TV.
ˆ POWER
Press to turn the TV on and off.

1.3 CHAPTER ONE: YOUR NEW TV
YOUR NEW TV
Rear Panel Jacks
Use the rear panel jacks to connect an A/V component that will be connected
continuously, such as a VCR or a DVD player.
Because there are two sets of input jacks, you can connect two different A/V
components (i.e., a VCR and a DVD, 2 VCRs, etc.)
For more information on connecting equipment, see pages 2.1 –2.7.
ΠAUDIO INPUT
Audio signals from VCRs, DVD players and similar
devices.
´ VIDEO INPUT
Video signals from VCRs, DVD players and similar
devices.
ˇ VHF/UHF (75Ω)
Connect to an antenna or to a cable TV system.

CHAPTER ONE: YOUR NEW TV 1.4
YOUR NEW TV
Remote Control
You can use the remote control up to about 23 feet from the TV. When using the remote,
always point it directly at the TV.
ΠPOWER
Turns the TV on and off.
´ Number Buttons
Press to select channels directly
on the TV.
ˇ +100
Press to select channels over 100.
¨ MUTE
Press to temporarily cut off
the sound.
ˆ CH▲ and CH▼
(Channel Up/Down)
Press CH▲or CH▼to change
channels. (Also used to highlight
selections on the on-screen
menus.)
Ø TV/VIDEO
Press to display all of the
available video sources (i.e.,
Antenna/cable, VCR).
∏ SURF
Press the SURF button to automati-
cally return to a preferred channel
after a user-preset time delay.
” SLEEP
Press to select a preset time inter-
val for automatic shutoff.
’ PRE-CH
Tunes to the previous channel.
˝ DISPLAY
Press to see the time, channel,
etc., on-screen.
Ô VOL -, VOL +
Press to increase or decrease the
volume. (Also used to make selec-
tions on the on-screen menus.)
 MENU
Displays the main on-screen
menu.

2.1 CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION
Connecting VHF and UHF Antennas
If your antenna has a set of leads that
look like this, see “Antennas with
300-ohm Flat Twin Leads,” below.
If your antenna has one lead that looks
like this, see “Antennas with 75-ohm
Round Leads,” on page 2.2.
If you have two antennas, see “Separate
VHF and UHF Antennas,” on page 2.2.
Antennas with 300-ohm Flat Twin Leads
If you are using an off-air antenna (such as a roof antenna or “rabbit ears”) that has
300-ohm twin flat leads, follow the directions below.
Chapter Two
INSTALLATION
1
Place the wires from the
twin leads under the
screws on the 300-75 ohm
adaptor (not supplied).
Use a screwdriver to
tighten the screws.
2
Plug the adaptor into the
VHF/UHF terminal on the
bottom of the back panel.
2

CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION 2.2
Connecting Cable TV
To connect to a cable TV system, follow the instructions below.
Cable without a Cable Box
▼
1
Plug the incoming cable
into the VHF/UHF antenna
terminal on back of the TV.
Because this TV is cable-ready,
you do not need a cable box to view
unscrambled cable channels.
2
Plug the combiner into the
VHF/UHF terminal on the
bottom of the rear panel.
INSTALLATION
Separate VHF and UHF Antennas
If you have two separate antennas for your TV (one VHF and one UHF), you must
combine the two antenna signals before connecting the antennas to the TV. This
procedure requires an optional combiner-adaptor (available at most electronics shops).
1
Connect both antenna
leads to the combiner.
Antennas with 75-ohm Round Leads
1
Plug the antenna lead into
the VHF/UHF
terminal on the bottom of
the back panel.

2.3 CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
Connecting to a Cable Box that Descrambles All Channels
▼
1
Find the cable that is con-
nected to the ANTENNA
OUT terminal on your
cable box.
This terminal might be labeled
“ANT OUT,” “VHF OUT,” or simply,
“OUT.”
2
Connect the other end of
this cable to the VHF/UHF
antenna terminal on the
back of the TV.
Connecting to a Cable Box that Descrambles Some Channels
If your cable box descrambles only some channels (such as premium channels), follow the
instructions below. You will need a two-way splitter, an RF (A/B) switch, and four lengths of
coaxial cable. (These items are available at most electronics stores.)
▼
1
Find and disconnect the
cable that is connected to
the ANTENNA IN
terminal on your cable
box.
This terminal might be labeled
“ANT IN,”“VHF IN,”or simply,
“IN.”
2
Connect this cable to a
two-way splitter.
3
Connect a coaxial cable
between an OUTPUT ter-
minal on the splitter and
the IN terminal on the
cable box.

CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION 2.4
4
Connect a coaxial cable
between the ANTENNA
OUT terminal on the cable
box and the B–IN terminal
on the A/B switch.
5
Connect another cable
between the other OUT
terminal on the splitter
and the A–IN terminal on
the RF (A/B) switch.
6
Connect the last coaxial
cable between the OUT
terminal on the RF (A/B)
switch and the VHF/UHF
terminal on the rear of the
TV.
INSTALLATION
After you’ve made this connection, set the A/B switch to the “A”position for normal view-
ing. Set the A/B switch to the “B”position to view scrambled channels. (When you set the
A/B switch to “B,”you will need to tune your TV to the cable box’s output channel, which is
usually channel 3 or 4.)

2.5 CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
3
Connect a coaxial cable
between the ANTENNA
OUT terminal on the VCR
and the antenna
terminal on the TV.
4
Connect a set of audio
cables between the
AUDIO OUT jack on the
VCR and the AUDIO jack
on the TV.
5
Connect a video cable
between the VIDEO OUT
jack on the VCR and the
VIDEO jack on the TV.
Follow the instructions in “Viewing a VCR or Camcorder Tape”to view your VCR tape.
A coaxial cable is usually included with a VCR. (If not, check your local electronics
store).
Connecting a VCR
These instructions assume that you have already connected your TV to an antenna or a cable
TV system (according to the instructions on pages 2.1-2.3). Skip step 1if you have not yet
connected to an antenna or a cable system.
1
Unplug the cable or
antenna from the back of
the TV.
2
Connect the cable or
antenna to the
ANTENNA IN terminal on
the back of the VCR.

CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION 2.6
INSTALLATION
2
Connect an audio cable
between the AUDIO OUT-
PUT jack on the cam-
corder and the AUDIO
terminals on the rear of
the TV.
3
Connect a video cable
between the VIDEO OUT-
PUT jack on the cam-
corder and the VIDEO ter-
minal on the rear of the
TV.
1
Locate the A/V output
jacks on the camcorder.
They are usually found on
the side or back of the
camcorder.
Connecting a Camcorder
The rear panel jacks on your TV make it easy to connect a camcorder to your TV.
They allow you to view the camcorder tapes without using a VCR. (Also see “Viewing a VCR
or Camcorder Tape”on page 3.10)
The audio-video cables shown here are usually included with a Camcorder. (If not, check
your local electronics store.)

2.7 CHAPTER TWO: INSTALLATION
▼
3
Replace the cover.
Remove the batteries and store
them in a cool, dry place if you won’t
be using the remote control for a
long time.
The remote control can be used up
to about 23 feet from the TV.
(Assuming typical TV usage, the bat-
teries last for about one year.)
▼
2
Install two AA size
batteries.
Make sure to match the “+”and
“–”ends of the batteries with the
diagram inside the compartment.
Installing Batteries in the Remote Control
1
Slide the cover out com-
pletely.
INSTALLATION

OPERATION
CHAPTER THREE: TV OPERATION 3.1
Chapter Three
OPERATION
Turning the TV On and Off
Press the POWER button on the remote control.
You can also use the POWER button on the front panel.
Viewing the Menus and On-Screen Displays
Viewing the Menus
Viewing the Display
▼
The on-screen displays
disappear after about twelve seconds.
When Closed Caption has been set,
the icon( ) will appear by press-
ing the Display button.
▼
1
With the power on, press
the MENU button.
The main menu appears
on the screen. Its left side
has four icons: Picture,
Sound, Channel, and
Function.
The on-screen menus disappear
from the screen after about thirty
seconds.
▼
You can also use the MENU,
CHANNEL, and VOLUME buttons
on the control panel of the TV to
make selections.
1
Press the DISPLAY button.
on the remote control.
The on-screen display
shows any or all of the
following: Active channel
and the Time.
2
Use the CH▲and CH▼buttons to highlight one of the 4 icons.
Then press the VOL+ button to access the icon’s sub-menu.
Press the MENU button to exit.

OPERATION
3.2 CHAPTER THREE: TV OPERATION
Selecting a Menu Language
3
Press MENU twice to exit.
2
Press VOL + to select the
appropriate language:
English, Spanish, or
French.
1
Press MENU to display
the menu.
Press CH ▼three times to
select “Function”,
then press the VOL + but-
ton.

OPERATION
CHAPTER THREE: TV OPERATION 3.3
Memorizing the Channels
Your TV can memorize and store all of the available channels for both “off-air” (antenna)
and cable channels. After the available channels are memorized, use the CH ▲and
CH ▼buttons to scan through the channels. This eliminates the need to change chan-
nels by entering the channel digits. There are three steps for memorizing channels:
selecting a broadcast source, memorizing the channels (automatic) and adding and
deleting channels (manual).
Selecting the Video Signal-source
Before your television can begin memorizing the available channels, you must specify
the type of signal source that is connected to the TV (i.e., an antenna or a cable system).
1
Press MENU to
display the menu.
Press CH ▼two times to
select “Channel”, then
press the VOL + button.
2
Repeatedly press VOL +
to cycle through these
choices:
ANT (antenna)
STD, HRC or IRC (all cable
TV).
Note: STD, HRC and IRC identify various types of cable TV systems. Contact your local cable
company to identify the type of cable system that exists in your particular area.
At this point the signal source has been selected. Proceed to “Storing Channels in Memory”
(next page).
3
Press MENU twice to exit.

OPERATION
3.4 CHAPTER THREE: TV OPERATION
3
Press the VOL + button.
The TV will begin
memorizing all of the
available channels.
Storing Channels in Memory (Automatic Method)
▼
The TV automatically cycles
through all of the available channels
and stores them in memory. This
takes about one to two minutes.
Press the MENU button at any time
to interrupt the memorization
process and return to the Channel
menu.
2
Press the CH ▼button to
select “Auto Program”.
1
First, select the correct
signal source (ANT, STD,
HRC, IRC). See steps 1~2
on previous page.
Press the MENU button,
then press the CH ▼ but-
ton twice to select
“Channel,” then press the
VOL + button.
4
After all the available
channels are stored, the
Auto program menu reap-
pears. Press the MENU
button twice to exit.