Patent ID: 7917927

Claim:
A method for operating a video processing apparatus, said video operating apparatus being capable of operating in a video operating mode, and in a computer program operating mode, said video processing apparatus having an electronic program guide operable in said video operating mode and not in said computer program operating mode, said method comprising the steps of: operating said video processing apparatus in said computer program operating mode by running a computer application software program on said video processing apparatus, said computer application software program providing a display; causing an advertisement associated with a broadcast television program specified by a service provider to be displayed in an area of said display while said computer application software program is running; receiving a signal indicating user selection of said advertisement while said computer application software program is running; and providing a user selection display in response to said user selection of said advertisement, said user selection display being provided while said computer application software program is running and comprising a listing of a plurality of user selectable options associated with said broadcast television program, wherein at least one of said plurality of user selectable options, which when selected, causes said video processing apparatus to switch from said computer program operating mode to said video operating mode and wherein said plurality of user selectable options includes a first option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to immediately tune to a channel in which said broadcast television program is on, a second option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to tune to said channel in which said broadcast television program is on when said broadcast television program starts, a third option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to program a recording timer to record said broadcast television program, a fourth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to access a web site associated with said broadcast television program, and a fifth option which when selected causes said video processing apparatus to return to said computer application software program, and further wherein said video processing apparatus causes a user's work in said computer application software program to be saved in response to selection of at least one of said plurality of user selectable options.