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 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 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.

The present invention generally relates to a technology that enables a user to effectively navigate contents in OTT service of various kinds of contents. Particularly, the present invention relates to a contents navigation technology for OTT service of heterogeneous contents, in which universal contents search is performed on a plurality of heterogeneous contents of OTT service, then the search result is hierarchically presented by categories and attribute groups, and when a live channel is highlighted by remote control operation performed on the result screen of the universal contents search, thumbnail instant viewing about the currently broadcasting video stream of the corresponding live channel is provided.

A control method according to one aspect of the technology is for use where a power supply of an apparatus having a first application and a second application is turned off during display of a screen of the second application and remains off, the first application being used to view a program, the second application being different from the first application. The control method includes: in a case where a power button is pressed, turning on the power supply of the apparatus to start simultaneously the second application and to display the screen thereof; and in a case where a channel selection button is pressed, turning on the power supply of the apparatus to start simultaneously the first application and to display an image of the program distributed on a selected channel.

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.

An image display device includes: a processor; a memory configured to store channel information corresponding to at least one channel; and at least one program which is stored in the memory and executed by the processor. The program may include instructions for controlling a display so as to move a channel indicator in a first or second direction on a channel scroll bar and to display channel information of a channel corresponding to a point at which the channel indicator is located, in response to a first input of pressing a channel-up or channel-down key for a long time, and for switching a current channel to the channel corresponding to the point at which the channel indicator is located and displaying an image corresponding to the switched channel, in response to a second input of releasing the channel-up or channel-down key.

The present embodiments provide methods and apparatuses for use in navigating through content. Some embodiments provide methods for use in navigating through content that receive an initial first directional control command, activate a seek mode upon receipt of the initial first directional control command comprising advancing over a first amount of content in a first direction from a first point in the content to a second point in the content, receive an initial second directional control command following the receipt of the initial first directional command, and activate a search mode upon receipt of the initial second directional control command, comprising advancing back over a second amount of the first amount of the content where the second amount is less than the first amount of the content.

An image display device includes: a processor; a memory configured to store channel information corresponding to at least one channel; and at least one program which is stored in the memory and executed by the processor. The program may include instructions for controlling a display so as to move a channel indicator in a first or second direction on a channel scroll bar and to display channel information of a channel corresponding to a point at which the channel indicator is located, in response to a first input of pressing a channel-up or channel-down key for a long time, and for switching a current channel to the channel corresponding to the point at which the channel indicator is located and displaying an image corresponding to the switched channel, in response to a second input of releasing the channel-up or channel-down key.

A program information display terminal device includes a communication component, a display component and a controller. The communication component receives data of an electronic program guide from an external server. The display component displays the electronic program guide based on the data of the electronic program guide received by the communication component. The controller divides the data of the electronic program guide for each of a plurality of sections. The controller performs display control of the electronic program guide by using divided data of the electronic program guide that corresponds to one of the sections including program information that is displayed on the display component.