Electronic program guide: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:39, 17 January 2022

Revision as of 09:49, 5 May 2022

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[[File:SuperGuide 2 screen 8L.jpg|thumb|2nd generation SuperGuide screen, 1990.]]

In March 1990, a second generation SuperGuide system was introduced that was integrated into the [[Uniden]] 4800 receiver.<ref>''Onsat Magazine''. June 10–16, 1990</ref> This version had a color display and the hardware was based on a custom chip; it was also able to disseminate up to two weeks of programming information. When the user found the show of interest, they pressed a button on the remote and the receiver tuned to the show they wanted to watch. This unit also had a single button recording function, and controlled [[videocassette recorder|VCRs]] via an infrared output (see .<ref>{{Cite patent|country=US|number=5293357|pubdate=1994-03-08|title=Method and apparatus for controlling a television program recording device|assign1=The Superguide Corp.|inventor1-last=Hallenbeck|inventor1-first=Peter D.}}).</ref> Available in North America, it was the first commercially available unit for home use that had a locally stored guide integrated with the receiver for single button viewing and taping. A presentation on the system was given at the 1990 IEEE consumer electronics symposium in [[Chicago]].<ref>1990 Transactions on IEEE consumer electronics society meeting notes/synopses, p. 310</ref>

In June 1988, {{Citea patent|US|4751578}} was awarded to Eli Reiter, Michael H. Zemering and Frank Shannon. This patentthat concerned the implementation of a searchable electronic program guide – an interactive program guide (IPG).<ref>{{Cite patent|country=US|number=4751578|pubdate=1988-06-14|title=System for electronically controllably viewing on a television updateable television programming information|assign1=David P. Gordon|inventor1-last=Reiter|inventor1-first=Eli|inventor2-last=Zemering|inventor2-first=Michael H.|inventor3-last=Shannon|inventor3-first=Frank}}</ref>

TV Guide Magazine and Liberty Media established a joint venture in 1992 known as TV Guide On Screen to develop an EPG. The JV was led by video game veteran, Bruce Davis.<ref>On-Screen Guides: The Vanguard of Interactive Television, Red Herring, October 1993, page32</ref> Leading competitors to TV Guide On Screen included Prevue Guide and Starsight Telecast. The joint venture introduced an interactive program guide to the market in late 1995 in the General Instrument CFT2200 set top cable box.<ref>press release: TV Guide On Screen Preferred by 80% of Participants in Usability Study of Interactive Program Guides, May 1, 1995</ref> Telecommunications Inc, owner of Liberty Media, acquired United Video Satellite Group, owner of Prevue Guide, in 1995. TV Guide On Screen and Prevue Guide were later merged. TV Guide On Screen for digital cable set top boxes premiered in the DigiCable series of set top boxes from General Instrument shortly thereafter. See wiki on TV Guide for subsequent developments.<ref>[[TV Guide]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2020}}