USER CONFIGURABLE ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE DRAWING UPON DISPARATE CONTENT SOURCES

摘要

A method is provided for enhancing current electronic program guide technology by drawing upon information from at least two disparate content sources (20 and 13). Electronic program guide information is displayed to the viewer using a portable handheld device (14), such as a remote control, PDA, or cellular phone. This approach enables electronic program guide information to be provided to the viewer at different depth levels, as well as allows content providers to incorporate their own display format for the electronic program guide information. Lastly, the portable handheld device allows the viewer to easily manipulate the electronic program guide information, thereby enhancing their interactive TV experience.