Electronic program guide: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:50, 16 November 2019

Revision as of 20:19, 2 April 2020

Line 45:

Demand for non-interactive electronic television program guides – television channels displaying listings for currently airing and upcoming programming – has been nearly eliminated by the widespread availability of interactive program guides for television; TV Guide Network, the largest of these services, eventually abandoned its original purpose as a non-interactive EPG service and became a traditional general entertainment cable channel, eventually rebranding as Pop in January 2015. Television-based IPGs provide the same information as EPGs, but faster and often in much more detail. When television IPGs are supported by [[digital video recorder|PVR]]s, they enable viewers to plan viewing and recording by selecting broadcasts directly from the EPG, rather than programming timers.

The aspect of an IPG most noticed by users is its [[graphical user interface]] (GUI), typically a grid or table listing [[channel (communicationsbroadcasting)|channel]] names and program titles and times: web and television-based IPG interfaces allow the user to highlight any given listing and call up additional information about it supplied by the EPG provider. Programs on offer from [[virtual channel|subchannel]]s may also be listed.

Typical IPGs also allow users the option of [[Search engine technology|search]]ing by genre, as well as immediate one-touch access to, or recording of, a selected program. Reminders and [[parental control]] functions are also often included. The IPGs within some [[DirecTV]] [[Integrated receiver/decoder|IRD]]s can control a VCR using an attached [[infrared]] emitter that [[emulator|emulates]] its remote control.