A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

A configurable input element of a controlling device is configured by using a data representative of an over-the-top (OTT) media app determined to be installed on an OTT device and a data representative of the OTT device to identify at least one command that is required to be transmitted to cause the OTT device to launch the OTT media app. The at least one command is provisioned to the controlling device and assigned to the configurable input element. When the input element is subsequently activated, the controlling device will transmit the at least one command to cause the OTT device to launch the OTT media app.

A set-top box or other receiving device may detect such channels that the EPG cursor visits frequently, visits for relatively long periods of time or that are frequently displayed on the screen in the electronic program guide (EPG), or otherwise frequently visited or viewed. The system determines that such channels are those that the user is likely to return to when browsing the EPG in the future and then adapts the EPG to present such channels on top of the EPG together with each other separately from the other full list of channels presented in the. This may be performed each time the EPG is opened. A customized EPG having the particular group of channels presented according a specific identified user's previous channel browsing activity may also be generated.

A method for presenting EPG user interface, including: in response to a first input command, displaying an EPG user interface including a first presentation page; and in response to a second input command, switching the EPG user interface from the first presentation page to a second presentation page, where the first presentation page includes a first set of channels and programs in a first time period corresponding to the first set of channels; and the second presentation page includes the first set of channels and programs in a second time period corresponding to the first set of channels.

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

A set-top box or other receiving device may detect such channels that the EPG cursor visits frequently, visits for relatively long periods of time or that are frequently displayed on the screen in the electronic program guide (EPG), or otherwise frequently visited or viewed. The system determines that such channels are those that the user is likely to return to when browsing the EPG in the future and then adapts the EPG to present such channels on top of the EPG together with each other separately from the other full list of channels presented in the. This may be performed each time the EPG is opened. A customized EPG having the particular group of channels presented according a specific identified user's previous channel browsing activity may also be generated.

A set-top box or other receiving device may detect such channels that the EPG cursor visits frequently, visits for relatively long periods of time or that are frequently displayed on the screen in the electronic program guide (EPG), or otherwise frequently visited or viewed. The system determines that such channels are those that the user is likely to return to when browsing the EPG in the future and then adapts the EPG to present such channels on top of the EPG together with each other separately from the other full list of channels presented in the. This may be performed each time the EPG is opened. A customized EPG having the particular group of channels presented according a specific identified user's previous channel browsing activity may also be generated.

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.