A television receiver, comprising: a plurality of tuners; one or more processors; and a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: identify one or more of the plurality of tuners that are idle, wherein being idle corresponds to not being used to receive any television channel data for presentation or recording; output for presentation an electronic programming guide that indicates programming; select a plurality of television channels for preparation, wherein the plurality of television channels is selected: based on one or more electronic programming guide navigation operations; and prior to receiving user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation; and prepare each of the plurality of television channels for presentation by tuning, by the one or more of the plurality of tuners, to the plurality of television channels prior to receiving the user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation,, characterised in that the processor-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to, release each of the plurality of tuners for tuning to other television channels following passage of a particular time period after the user exits the electronic programming guide. a plurality of tuners; one or more processors; and a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: identify one or more of the plurality of tuners that are idle, wherein being idle corresponds to not being used to receive any television channel data for presentation or recording; output for presentation an electronic programming guide that indicates programming; select a plurality of television channels for preparation, wherein the plurality of television channels is selected: based on one or more electronic programming guide navigation operations; and prior to receiving user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation; and prepare each of the plurality of television channels for presentation by tuning, by the one or more of the plurality of tuners, to the plurality of television channels prior to receiving the user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation,, characterised in that the processor-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to, release each of the plurality of tuners for tuning to other television channels following passage of a particular time period after the user exits the electronic programming guide. identify one or more of the plurality of tuners that are idle, wherein being idle corresponds to not being used to receive any television channel data for presentation or recording; output for presentation an electronic programming guide that indicates programming; select a plurality of television channels for preparation, wherein the plurality of television channels is selected: based on one or more electronic programming guide navigation operations; and prior to receiving user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation; and based on one or more electronic programming guide navigation operations; and prior to receiving user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation; and prepare each of the plurality of television channels for presentation by tuning, by the one or more of the plurality of tuners, to the plurality of television channels prior to receiving the user input selecting a television channel of the plurality of television channels for presentation,, characterised in that the processor-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to, release each of the plurality of tuners for tuning to other television channels following passage of a particular time period after the user exits the electronic programming guide.