The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a method, and a computer-readable medium for quickly switching channels. An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: a memory having instructions stored thereon; and a processor. The processor is configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the electronic device to execute the following operations: playing a first program of a first channel, wherein the first program is a live program; receiving user input when playing the first program; and in response to receiving the user input, switching from the first channel to a second channel and playing a second program of the second channel, wherein the second program is an OTT program.

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.

In some embodiments, an electronic device presents a plurality of representations of content items that are available on a respective channel in response to successfully subscribing the respective channel. In some embodiments, an electronic device plays content that is provided by a channel in a unified media browsing application. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents information about subscribing to a channel based on content consumption activity of the user on the electronic device in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

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.

Disclosed are a display apparatus and a channel control method. The channel control method includes: upon receiving channel number information that constructs a channel number in a display apparatus from a control device, obtaining a second channel number according to an instruction for indicating the channel number information each time; determining whether a length of the second channel number is equal to the maximum length of a channel number of a channel list in the display apparatus; and in response to the length of the second channel number being equal to the maximum length of the channel list, directly switching to program content corresponding to the second channel number.

User interfaces having navigation bars are rendered on displays by streaming devices or smart applications operating on the displays. The navigation bars include selectable elements corresponding to applications that are preferred or designated users, as well as promoted applications, or utility applications. Placing a cursor or selection element over one of the elements for an application within the navigation bar causes selected content to be displayed above the navigation bar, along with discrete tiles including images associated with the application below the navigation bar. Moving the cursor above or below the navigation bar allows a user to activate the selected content or select one of the discrete tiles. Icons within the navigation bar may be displayed to a user in a predetermined order, at random, or in an order selected by the user.

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.

In some embodiments, an electronic device presents a plurality of representations of content items that are available on a respective channel in response to successfully subscribing the respective channel. In some embodiments, an electronic device plays content that is provided by a channel in a unified media browsing application. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents information about subscribing to a channel based on content consumption activity of the user on the electronic device in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

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.