Electronic program guide: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:24, 20 June 2022

Revision as of 02:16, 10 September 2022

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Non-interactive electronic programming guides (sometimes known as "navigation software") are typically available for television and radio, and consist of a digitally displayed, non-interactive menu of programming scheduling information shown by a [[cable television|cable]] or [[satellite television]] provider to its viewers on a dedicated channel. EPGs are transmitted by specialized video [[Character generator|character generation]] (CG) equipment housed within each such provider's central [[cable television headend|headend]] facility. By tuning into an EPG channel, a menu is displayed that lists current and upcoming [[television shows]] on all available channels.

A more modern form of the EPG, associated with both television and radio broadcasting, is the interactive [electronic] programming guide (IPG, though often referred to as EPG).<ref>{{cite web|title=A typical PVR website which makes no references to "IPG", using instead "EPG" throughout for the interactive electronic programme guide, as can be confirmed with a site search|url=http://www.toppy.org.uk/|website=Toppy|access-date=3 June 2010|archive-date=12 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612081520/http://www.toppy.org.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> An IPG allows television viewers and radio listeners to navigate scheduling information menus interactively, selecting and discovering programming by time, title, channel or genre using an input device such as a [[keypad]], computer [[Keyboard (computing)|keyboard]] or television [[remote control]]. Its interactive menus are generated entirely within local receiving or display equipment using raw scheduling data sent by individual broadcast stations or centralized scheduling information providers. A typical IPG provides information covering a span of seven or 14 days.

Data used to populate an interactive EPG may be distributed over the [[Internet]], either for a charge or free of charge, and implemented on equipment connected directly or through a computer to the Internet.<ref>{{cite web|title=An example of a computer program to export Internet-derived data from an EPG (DigiGuide) to set timers on a PVR (Topfield)|url=http://website.lineone.net/~rwein/toppy/toppy.htm|website=Lineone.net|access-date=3 June 2010|archive-date=15 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415070640/http://website.lineone.net/~rwein/toppy/toppy.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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In Western [[Europe]], 59 million television households were equipped with EPGs at the end of 2008, a penetration of 36% of all television households. The situation varies from country to country, depending on the status of digitization and the role of pay television and [[IPTV]] in each market. With [[BSkyB|Sky]] as an early mover and the [[BBC iPlayer]] and [[Virgin Media]] as ambitious followers, the United Kingdom is the most developed and innovative EPG market to date, with 96% of viewers having frequently used an EPG in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Looking for TV Genius? |url=http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2010/10/25/epgs-viewers-find/ |website=[[TV Genius]] |publisher=Red Bee Media |date=October 25, 2010 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304051150/http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2010/10/25/epgs-viewers-find/ |archive-date=March 4, 2012 }}</ref> [[Inview Technology]] is one of the UK's largest and oldest EPG producers, dating back to 1996 and currently in partnership with [[Humax]] and [[Skyworth]].

[[Scandinavia]] also is a highly innovative EPG market. Even in [[Italy]], the EPG penetration is relatively high with 38%. In [[France]], IPTV is the main driver of EPG developments. In contrast to many other European countries, [[Germany]] lags behind, due to a relatively slow digitization process and the minor role of pay television in that country.<ref>{{cite web|title=EPG Forecast, Western Europe (2008–2014)|url=http://www.international-television.org/tv_market_data/epg-penetration-forecast-europe_2008-2014.html|website=International-Television.org|access-date=14 April 2010|archive-date=22 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322204725/http://www.international-television.org/tv_market_data/epg-penetration-forecast-europe_2008-2014.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Current applications==

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A growing trend is for manufacturers such as [[Elgato]] and [[Topfield]] and software developers such as [[Microsoft]] in their [[Windows Media Center]] to use an Internet connection to acquire data for their built-in IPGs. This enables greater interactivity with the IPG such as media downloads, [[Season ticket|series recording]] and programming of the recordings for the IPG remotely; for example, [[Icetv|IceTV]] in Australia enables TiVo-like services to competing DVR/PVR manufacturers and software companies.

In developing IPG software, manufacturers must include functions to address the growing volumes of increasingly complex data associated with programming. This data includes program descriptions, schedules and [[television content ratings systems|parental television ratings]], along with flags for technical and access features such as display formats, [[closed captioning]] and [[Descriptive Video Service]]. They must also include user configuration information such as favorite channel lists, and multimedia content. To meet this need, some set-top box software designs incorporate a "database layer" that utilizes either proprietary functions or a [[commercial off-the-shelf]] [[embedded database]] system for sorting, storing and retrieving programming data.<ref>{{cite web|title=Programming Guide Manages Networked Digital TV|url=http://www.eetimes.com/in_focus/communications/OEG20021127S0035|author=Andrei Gorine|website=EE Times|date=December 2002|access-date=August 15, 2008|archive-date=21 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821152630/http://www.eetimes.com/in_focus/communications/OEG20021127S0035|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hybrid Data Management Gets Traction In Set-Top Boxes |url=http://www.embedded.com/columns/technicalinsights/209601833?_requestid=19509 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160523201602/http://www.embedded.com/columns/technicalinsights/209601833?_requestid=19509 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-05-23 |author=Steve Graves |website=Embedded.com |date=July 2008 |access-date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref>

==See also==