Patent ID: 6526576
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A system for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising:a video cassette recorder (VCR) comprising: an RF tuner comprising a VCR RF input and a VCR video output, the RF tuner for tuning and demodulating a tuned video signal from a selected RF channel and supplying the tuned video signal on the video output; a remote control receiver for receiving channel commands indicating the selected RF channel; and a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver comprising: a digital signal decoder for receiving a signal from a satellite dish input and outputting a video signal for a desired direct broadcast satellite channel; and a remote control transmitter; a DBS video input connected to the VCR video output; a DBS video output connected to a television; an electronic program guide controller connected to the digital signal decoder, the DBS video input and the DBS video output, the electronic program guide controller comprising: means for communicating the identity of a desired direct broadcast satellite channel to the digital signal decoder; means for transmitting channel select commands by the remote control transmitter to the RF tuner; means for selecting the signal for a desired television channel from between the signal for at least one over the air television channel and the signal for a desired direct broadcast satellite channel; means for creating a video signal containing a representation of program guide for both over the air television channels and direct broadcast satellite channels including means for directing a movable selector to different ones of the over the air television n channels and d direct broadcast satellite channels; and means for displaying at least a portion of the picture from the over the air television channel or direct broadcast satellite channel to which the selector is directed.