Patent ID: 8539528

Claim:
A method for delivering television signals from at least two different television program source devices, wherein each program source is operative to transmit a plurality of television channels, wherein the television signals from the at least two different television program source devices are received by an input of a television appliance, the method comprising the steps of: storing in a memory, (1) a first program listing and a first source identifier associated with the first program listing, and a second program listing and a second source identifier associated with the second program listing, wherein each of the first and second program listings includes a channel identifier, wherein the first and second source identifiers are different from the channel identifiers of the associated program listings and represent a first source device, and wherein the first and second program listings are received from the first source device when the input of the television appliance is coupled to the first source device, and (2) a third program listing and a third source identifier associated with the third program listing, and a fourth program listing and a fourth source identifier associated with the fourth program listing, wherein each of the third and fourth program listings includes a channel identifier, wherein the third and fourth source identifiers are different from the channel identifiers of the associated program listings and represent a second source device, and wherein the third and fourth program listings are received from the second source device when the input of the television appliance is coupled to the second source device; simultaneously displaying at least the first and third program listings; simultaneously displaying indications of both the first and third source identifiers, which are different from the channel identifiers of the first and third program listings, together with the simultaneously displayed first and third program listings; receiving a user selection of the displayed first program listing; and in response to the user selection of the displayed first program listing, performing the following steps: (1) retrieving from the memory the first source identifier associated with the selected displayed first program listing; (2) identifying the first source device that is represented by the first source identifier; and (3) automatically and without further user action: disconnecting the input of the television appliance from the second source device, coupling the input of the television appliance to the identified first source device, and tuning the identified first source device to a television signal of the program represented by the selected displayed first program listing.