Computer based graphical user interface for processing audio and video data and method of processing audio and video data

摘要

A system and method for displaying a user interface in the form of a program guide that assists users in determining and selecting television viewing options and related services is described. The guide is a viewable display constructed at receiver stations based on data periodically received via a Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite communication or other system. Preferably, the data decoder of the receiver station is a personal computer or a device having similar processing power. The guide display presentation can include still pictures, live video broadcasts, still graphics, moving graphics, webpages, graphics and "buttons" that are utilized by the viewer to perform a variety of operations, including determining program availability, selecting programming or services, and launching to related information, programming or services. A tuning bar is automatically scaled to seamlessly represent all programs that a given user subscribes to. The user moves a graphic slider along the tuning bar to quickly and intuitively select a current program. A pop-up graphic remote control presents a context adapted graphic simulation and associated functionality. The guide includes a remote that is adaptive to the context that launches it, and which may be customized to simulate the appearance of a particular manufacturer's remote control unit. The system further provides a service that provides access to Internet website information through data obtained from a satellite transmission, from transmissions across the Internet, and from locally cached information. The guide display layout and organization is defined by one or more records that are broadcast as part of the broadcast streaming data. The user interface, according to the present invention, is constructed from both real time broadcast data ("streaming" data) and periodically downloaded and stored data ("file" data).