Patent ID: 8910203

Claim:
A method for providing an electronic program guide, the method comprising: receiving a list of available channels, wherein the list of available channels includes a plurality of channels with each of the plurality of channels comprising a predetermined schedule of content to be displayed on the channel, wherein a first subset of the plurality of channels includes a plurality of currently subscribed channels with each of the plurality of currently subscribed channels being a channel comprising content which a user is permitted access according to a subscription, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of channels includes a plurality of currently unsubscribed channels with each of the plurality of currently unsubscribed channels being a channel comprising content which the user in not permitted access according to the subscription; receiving subscription data indicating the plurality of currently subscribed channels and the plurality of currently unsubscribed channels; and displaying the list of available channels, wherein the plurality of currently unsubscribed channels are simultaneously displayed with and visually distinguished from the plurality of currently subscribed channels in the displayed list of available channels, wherein the plurality of currently unsubscribed channels are visually distinguished from the plurality of currently subscribed channels using selective highlighting, and wherein the selective highlighting includes providing a first background on a first plurality of rows in the displayed list of available channels which list the plurality of currently unsubscribed channels, and providing a second background different from the first background on a second plurality of rows in the displayed list of available channels which list the plurality of currently subscribed channels.