IPTV EPG linking broadcast channels to internet sources of scheduled programming

摘要

An EPG presented on an IPTV lists broadcast TV programming but when an entry on the EPG is selected, an Internet server, and not the TV broadcast source, is accessed and streams the listed programming to the IPTV.

主权项

1. Method comprising:
presenting on a display device a user interface (UI) listing plural broadcast TV programs available from a TV signal source; receiving at the display device a selection of a TV program on the UI; responsive to receiving the selection of a TV program on the UI, automatically obtaining an Internet link to a server sourcing the TV program; and receiving the TV program from the server for presentation thereof in lieu of receiving the TV program from the TV signal source, wherein the UI lists plural television channel numbers each carrying televised programming and is presented on the display device in response to a viewer toggling a “guide” key on remote control (RC), wherein using the RC a viewer can navigate around the UI and select a TV channel to navigate to an Internet source of an audio-video program associated with the selected TV channel such that content that is identical to that broadcast on the selected TV channel from the TV signal source is streamed from an Internet server and presented on the display device, wherein Internet-sourced content is displayed instead of the TV program as it is received from the TV signal source, such that although the UI lists broadcast TV programs, when a program is selected from the UI the selected program indeed is shown but not from the TV signal source, but rather from an Internet source of identical content.