Single Tuner EPG with Cross Media Bar Thumbnail Caching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electronic program guides (EPGs) with a single tuner limit users to viewing only one channel at a time, making it difficult to browse and select upcoming programs, as text descriptions alone are insufficient for informed decision-making.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented to capture and display short thumbnail clips from multiple channels, using a single tuner to cache and play these clips in a Cross Media Bar (XMB) format, allowing users to browse cached clips alongside text descriptions, with the primary channel's clip playing longest and others progressively shorter, enhancing channel navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single tuner is used, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to browse multiple channels simultaneously is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-fetches and caches thumbnail clips from multiple channels before the user needs to browse them. The single tuner sequentially captures clips from different channels and stores them in a cache, so when the user wants to browse, the clips are already available for immediate display. This preliminary action allows a single tuner to provide multi-channel browsing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of channel content in the form of thumbnail clips that are cached and stored. Instead of requiring multiple physical tuners to simultaneously receive multiple channels, the single tuner captures clips and creates copies that can be displayed for multiple channels. These copied clips are then reused for browsing without requiring additional tuning resources.
2Device complexity
If text descriptions are used for program listings, then device complexity is reduced, but information sufficiency for viewer selection is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges text program descriptions with visual thumbnail clips to create a hybrid guide interface. The text list provides program information while the thumbnail clips provide visual previews of the actual content. This combination gives viewers both the structured information from text and the contextual visual cues from video samples, making program selection more informed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a visual dimension to the traditional text-based EPG by displaying thumbnail clips alongside text descriptions. Instead of only providing one-dimensional text information, the system supplements it with two-dimensional visual previews, giving viewers a more comprehensive understanding of program content before selection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple tuners are used to provide channel surfing, then channel browsing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single tuner performs preliminary channel surfing by sequentially capturing and caching thumbnail clips from multiple channels. This pre-fetching action allows the system to simulate multi-channel browsing capability without requiring multiple simultaneous tuners. The clips are prepared in advance and stored for later retrieval during user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cache acts as an intermediary between the single tuner and the multi-channel display interface. Instead of requiring multiple tuners to simultaneously provide channel content, the single tuner feeds clips to the cache, which then supplies the necessary channel information to the display. This intermediary buffer enables a single tuner to serve multiple channel browsing needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of presenting a video electronic program guide (EPG), consistent with certain embodiments involves establishing a sorting of television channels, with a selected channel having a highest sorting priority, and other channels being arranged in pairs in a hierarchy below the selected channel; displaying a plurality of windows representing a plurality of the channels in a cross media bar menu arrangement, with the principal focus channel being represented at a window appearing at an intersection of horizontal and vertical bars in the cross media bar menu arrangement and the pairs of channels arranged on either side of the selected channel in the cross media bar menu arrangement; and retrieving sample clips of the channels in focus section of the sort order, and presenting the clips as repeating clips in their respective windows. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.