A focus controlling method that determines, in response to scrolling of a display interface of an electronic device, control information of a first control having focus in a first display interface before the scrolling; and displays, according to the control information of the first control and an interface scrolling direction, a second control to receive focus of a second display interface after the scrolling.

Items of video content offered for viewing on a video-on-demand (VOD) platform of a digital TV service provider are each assigned a respective title and hierarchical address corresponding to hierarchically-arranged categories and subcategories within which the title for the video content is to be categorized. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. The EPG dynamically adjust its display listings of each level of categories, subcategories, and titles in order to minimize the number of remote control keypresses needed for a viewer to navigate to a title of interest. In one basic form, the EPG display is reordered by listing more frequently visited categories or subcategories first, and other less frequently visited categories or subcategories lower on the listing or out-of-sight on another page of the display.

A remote control system and related method for controlling a video device are presented. The remote control system contains a plurality of buttons arranged in a grid pattern that correspond to user selectable options displayed on a display screen arranged in the same grid pattern. The user selects options on the screen by pressing the corresponding button on the remote control.

Systems and methods are operable to notify a user of content availability. An exemplary embodiment receives a content availability notification request that specifies at least one content of interest, searches current electronic program guide (EPG) information to identify the content of interest, determines that the information identifying the specified content of interest is unavailable based upon the search of the current EPG information, generates a content availability reminder that is associated with the specified content of interest, monitors a content database to determine an availability of the specified content of interest identified in the content availability reminder, determines that the specified content of interest is available when the monitored content database indicates availability of the specified content of interest, and generates a content availability reminder notification that indicates at least a title of the specified content of interest.

Information about and access to available third party content are provided via a primary service provider programming guide. A primary service provider may allow its customers/subscribers to access third party content through the systems of the primary service provider upon selection of a given third party content item from the primary service provider programming guide. The third party content may be provided as a full screen overlay over content presently being displayed and viewed from the primary service provider, or the third party content may be provided via a picture-in-picture inset either on the full screen or inside the displayed programming guide. Third party content offered via the primary service provider programming guide may be based on a recommendation of content in view of preferences and profile information for the customer/subscriber.

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program and a program guide display. A viewer may use the program guide display to browse available video-on-demand (VOD) while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The viewer may browse through video-on-demand programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to order a given video-on-demand program/and set a desired broadcast time for that program.

In one embodiment, a method of generating an electronic program guide for a user of an entertainment system is disclosed. The method includes retrieving, by a user computer in communication with the entertainment system, preference criteria corresponding to one or more user preferences describing payment requirements. The user computer receives a plurality of content listings, each content listing comprising a content title, an indication of a content source, and a payment requirement, and a search query including a content title. The user computer also identifies a subset of the plurality of content listings based on content title and the search query, and ranks each content listing in the subset based on a comparison of the preference criteria and the payment requirement of each content listing in the subset. A content entry in the electronic program guide is created comprising each content listing in the subset in ranked order.

Videos are to be displayed in parallel, without missing information or a decrease in efficiency in the usable display region.

The aspect ratio of the large screen of an information processing apparatus 100 is 16:9, which is compatible with a Hi-Vision video. In a case where the large screen is used in a portrait layout, if the large screen is divided into three small screens in the vertical direction, the aspect ratio of the small screens after the dividing is 9:16/3=16:9.48. With respect to the original video content at 16:9, the ratio in inches is 9/16=56.25% (the area ratio is (9/16).sup.2=31.64%). Accordingly, the usable display region can be efficiently used.

Program information is transmitted and received via a communication line, and a scheduling operation can be performed based on the program information via the communication line. For that purpose, a communication system includes a receiving apparatus, a server, and an information processing apparatus which are configured to transmit data to and receive data from one another via the communication line. The information processing apparatus includes an EPG requester and a display EPG receiver. The server includes an EPG request receiver, an EPG request transmitter, an EPG receiver, an EPG converter, and a display EPG transmitter. The receiving apparatus includes an EPG obtainer, an EPG request acceptor, an EPG extractor, and an EPG transmitter.

Systems and methods for identifying, assembling, and transmitting content are described in the illustrative context of electronic program guides and program channels. A first system causes an interactive interstitial to be presented on a remote first device of a user in conjunction with a scheduled program. The first system determines if a second device of the user is available to receive an interstitial interaction request. At least partly in response to determining that the second device is available to receive an interstitial interaction request, the interstitial interaction request is presented via a client hosted on the second device. At least partly in response to determining that the user has provided an interaction via the second device, the interaction is stored in memory. Optionally, an interstitial is composed based at least in part on the user interaction. The composed interstitial is optionally displayed via the first device of the user in conjunction with a scheduled program.