electronic program guide (DVB) (EPG)
The electronic program guide( EPG) is an interactive service that supports program selection for analog TV and digital TV. The EGP guide, which is also the graphical user interface( GUI), can be provider-neutral as an on-screen display and support all program providers, but can also be provider-specific and support special service functions of a program provider.
Depending on the program provider, the EPG guide may have program- and time-related functions that pertain to a program's content or broadcast times; the user may be able to preview programs, search by keyword, and have brief descriptions of the content output, thus simplifying program selection. Bookmarks and cross-references to other programs with similar content are other features of the EPG guide.
The interface of the program guide depends on the receiver manufacturer, the content depends on the program provider. The program call and the search inputs are made by the cursor functions of the remote control. In order to achieve a uniform display, standards are being developed.
With analog TV, the EPG data can be transmitted with the TV picture in the vertical blanking intervals and be blanked out on the receiver side. With digital TV, the DVB Service Information( DVB-SI) is transmitted together with the picture and sound signals.