Electronic program guide: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:27, 4 March 2006

Revision as of 19:34, 12 March 2006

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::'''''EPG''' redirects here, for other uses of the acronym see [[EPG (disambiguation)]]''.

[[Image:Sky_EPG.jpg|frame|right|The [[Sky Digital (UK)|Sky Digital]] EPG Beta in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland]].]]An '''electronic program''' (or '''programme''') '''guide''' ('''EPG''') or also an '''interactive program(me) guide''' or ('''IPG''') is a on-screen guide to scheduled broadcast television programs, allowing a viewer to navigate, select, and discover content by time, title, channel, genre, etc., using his or her remote control.

The technology is based upon [[broadcasting]] data to an application usually residing within [[middleware]] in a [[set-top box]] which connects to the television set and enables the application to be displayed. The technology is predominant in the [[digital television]] and [[digital radio|radio]] world, but equally EPGs exist that rely upon analogue technology (using the VBI—or [[vertical blanking interval]]). These signals may arrive via [[cable television|cable TV]], [[satellite television|satellite TV]], [[cable radio]], [[satellite radio]], or via over-the-air terrestrial [[broadcast station]]s.

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An EPG allows the viewer to browse program summaries, [[search]] by genre or [[television station|channel]], immediate access to the selected program, reminders, and [[parental control]] functions. If the device is capable of it, an EPG can enable one-touch [[television recording|recording]] of programs, as some [[DirecTV]] [[IRD]]s can do with a [[VCR]] using an attached [[infrared]] [[emitter]] (which [[emulate]]s a [[remote control]]).

EPGs are typically sent within the broadcast [[transport stream]] or alongside it in a special [[data]] channel. The [[ATSC]] standard for DTV uses tables sent in each station's [[PSIP]], for example. These tables are meant to contain the program start time and title, and additional program descriptive "metadata". In the U.S., these devices receive [[time signal]]s from local [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] members, so that they can record on time. Most systems, however, rely upon third party "metadata aggregators" (companies such as Tribune TV Data or Gemstar TV Guide in the U.S. and Europe), to provide good quality data content.

An example of an EPG system is [[Guide Plus]]+.

== External links ==

=== Digital EPGs ===

*[http://www.broadbandbananas.com/vvepg.html EPG applications]