Patent ID: 8656430

Claim:
A processing system comprising: a memory module that stores an electronic program guide (EPG) authoring application; a processing module of a client device, coupled to the memory module, the processing module including at least one embedded processor that executes the EPG authoring application that includes a graphical user interface that responds to input from an end user and that creates EPG configuration data to configure an EPG application of the client device associated with the end user, wherein the EPG authoring application includes selection of a video preview pane and placement of the video preview pane on a display screen of the EPG application; and an interface module, coupled to the processing module, that sends the EPG configuration data to an EPG server associated with a video distribution network, that sends EPG commands to the EPG server and that receives EPG data from the video distribution network that is based on the EPG configuration data and the EPG commands, and that receives at least one video signal from the video distribution network; wherein the EPG server includes a rendering engine that generates EPG images based on the configuration data, the EPG commands and further based on EPG schedule data, wherein the EPG server includes a transcoder that transcodes a selected video signal to a reduced resolution for display in the video preview pane.