Importance

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Abstract

A system and method for providing an electronic program guide for broadcasted digital television wherein the electronic program guide displays only currently broadcasting minor channels, and timely event and contextual information. The system of the present invention includes program code in a memory for causing a tuner/de-multiplexor subsystem to tune to a preselected major channel broadcast frequency and to provide thereby at least one transport stream comprising a plurality of associated digital data elementary streams. The elementary streams include minor channel audio and video, as well as program and system information tables (PSIT), all of which are associated by packet identifiers to provide a table hierarchy. The system of the present invention compares presently broadcasting minor channel and PSIT information with corresponding information in memory. If the presently broadcasting information is more contemporaneous than the stored information, the stored information is updated, or replaced, with the presently broadcasting information to enable display of only actively broadcasting minor channels and up-to-the-minute event and contextual information.

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First Claim