HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ITS OPERATION

摘要

An EPG database for a home entertainment system includes files that contain information about television programs retrievable by time and channel. The files are linked to each other so information about a future television program can be obtained by accessing a file about a current television program. A current television program displayed on the screen (20) of a home entertainment system includes an announcement or advertisement (56) of a future television program. The availability of an electronic program guide function (54) is signaled during, before, or after the announcement. A command is issued to invoke the EPG function (54). The information about the future television program is retrieved from the file about the current television program in the database. The EPG function (54) is executed with the retrieved information. The EPG function can be performed with respect to a future television program without embedding information about the future television program in the television signal.