Patent ID: 8499322

Claim:
A method for hiding programs, comprising: obtaining program guide (EPG) identifier; receiving a total EPG transmitted by a central front end, wherein the total EPG includes sub-EPG identifiers and sub-EPGs each of which corresponds to one of the sub-EPG identifiers; searching the received total EPG for a sub-EPG corresponding to the obtained sub-EPG identifier; and hiding programs based on the found sub-EPG; and wherein the sub-EPG identifier is a code of a sub front end; the obtaining the sub-EPG identifier and the receiving the total EPG transmitted by the central front end comprise: receiving, by the sub front end, the total EPG, wherein the total EPG includes codes of sub front ends and the sub-EPGs each of which corresponds to one of the codes of sub front ends and the total EPG is sent by the central front end; and sending, by the sub front end, the received total EPG and its own code to a set-top box of a subscriber in the supervision area of the sub front end; and the searching the received total EPG for a sub-EPG corresponding to the obtained sub-EPG identifier and the hiding programs based on the found sub-EPG further comprise: searching, by the set-top box of the subscriber, the received total EPG for a sub-EPG corresponding to the received code of the sub front end and hiding programs based on the sub-EPG.