Abstract: A television receiver is connected to a smart antenna, and comprises: a tuner for receiving, and measuring signal intensity of, a television signal; an OSD superimposer for superimposing, on the television signal, an image indicating an active receiving direction of the antenna; and a microprocessor for outputting, to the antenna and respective elements of the television receiver, various signals including a receiving direction control signal. Based on the signal intensity, the microprocessor determines the active receiving direction of the antenna, and outputs a receiving direction control signal to the antenna, and further outputs a signal indicating the active receiving direction of the antenna to the OSD superimposer which is connected to a monitor for image display. The antenna comprises: a control unit for making active one receiving direction commanded by the receiving direction control signal; and a display for displaying the commanded receiving direction.

Abstract: An OSD image memory stores the OSD image of the reference color attribute. A color setting portion stores change set data for the brightness, transparency and saturation of the OSD image set by the user. An STB changes the color of the OSD image stored in the OSD image memory, based on the change set data for the brightness, transparency and saturation of the OSD image stored in the color setting portion, produces a composite video with the OSD image of changed color superposed on the video of a program, and outputs it from an output portion. Accordingly, the user can change the brightness, transparency and saturation of the OSD image according to one's preference.

Abstract: A digital/analog tuner device comprising a still image capture device stores, as the captured image, a video image of a video signal with VBI (Vertical Blanking Interval) portions of the video signal being removed, when storing a captured image, and also stores aspect ratio information of the captured image. For displaying on a television receiver the captured image with the VBI portions being removed, blank portions in accordance with the aspect ratio information are added to the captured image for output. This makes it possible to prevent the generation of e.g. noises due to the VBI portions contained in video signals, and prevent the deformation of captured images due to the loss of the aspect ratio information in capturing the images.

Abstract: In a digital broadcast receiver 10, an MPU 26 has a configuration for detecting the number of subchannels and the numbers of the subchannels which a received main channel has from control data received and switching to a subchannel with the minimum number when the number of subchannels changes and switching to a subchannel with the minimum number of the residual subchannels when the numbers of the subchannels received run out and displaying the numbers of the received main channel and the subchannel on a display 25.

Abstract: A broadcasting receiver that receives broadcasting signals transmitted by a broadcasting station accompanying audio signals of multiple languages and automatically selects a certain broadcasting language to be outputted is described here. The receiver is capable of displaying a “Priority Switching Language Registration Menu” on its display in order to set up and register switching of priority languages. A priority language list determined by a user referring to a language list database displayed on the display is stored into a memory together with the maximum number of audio channels set up by the user.

Abstract: There is provided a digital/analog broadcast receiver in which the main processor creates a channel map indicating whether each channel is being broadcast on the basis of the EIT and VCT contained in an ATSC broadcast, analyzes the anticipated increase or decrease in channels on the basis of the EIT and VCT as the ATSC broadcast signal is being received, and stores the scheduled channel increase/decrease information as the analysis result in memory. The main processor updates the channel map at the scheduled channel increase/decrease time on the basis of the scheduled channel increase/decrease information. When the channel up/down key is operated by the user, the main processor automatically selects the next channel in the up or down direction from among the channels registered in the channel map at that point in accordance with the operation of the channel up/down key. The convenience of the user can thereby be improved.

Abstract: A video output device adds a blank on both left and right sides or both upper and lower sides of an input video to produce a video having the same aspect ratio as that of the display screen of the display device, when an aspect ratio of the input video and an aspect ratio of a display device for displaying the video are different. At this time, the brightness of the blank to be added to the input video is adjusted in accordance with the brightness near the boundary between the input video and the blank to suppress a difference in brightness near the boundary.

Abstract: An OSD image memory stores the OSD image of the reference color attribute. A color setting portion stores change set data for the brightness, transparency and saturation of the OSD image set by the user. An STB changes the color of the OSD image stored in the OSD image memory, based on the change set data for the brightness, transparency and saturation of the OSD image stored in the color setting portion, produces a composite video with the OSD image of changed color superposed on the video of a program, and outputs it from an output portion. Accordingly, the user can change the brightness, transparency and saturation of the OSD image according to one's preference.

Abstract: A name of a television program whose electronic program information is absent is not displayed on an EPG screen when it is displayed. At this time, a user operates a broadcast receiver to prepare a temporary program for selecting the television program whose electronic program information is absent, on the EPG screen. The temporary program prepared is displayed in a program column where its program name is not displayed on the EPG screen, and the television program whose electronic program information is absent can be selected, like a television program whose name is displayed. The user selects the temporary program on the EPG screen, and performs a program reservation operation, whereby the viewer reserves a television program of a channel, which is associated with the temporary program being displayed and to be broadcast at a broadcast time.

Abstract: A digital/analogue TV receiver having a function for displaying an EGP screen comprises a controller for displaying the EPG (electric program guide) screen including channels and TV program information on a display apparatus, and a memory for storing a channel map memorizing the TV program information correspondingly to the channels. The controller renews the channel map stored in the memory with using VCT (virtual channel table) information and EIT (event information table) information which are delivered with the TV broadcasting signals while image signals of a TV program is outputted to the display apparatus. The controller uses the TV program information memorized in the channel map stored in the memory when the EPG screen is displayed on the display apparatus.

Abstract: A keyword or condition for selecting a program selection is stored in a memory in advance. When receiving a command for displaying a program select screen from a user, a broadcast receiver checks if program information acquired from a broadcast signal contains information that matches the keyword or condition. If a program, which contains information that matches the keyword or condition, is present, the program is indicated in colors, which are different from color assigned to other programs. When the program is selected by operating a cursor, information on the program is presented in the form of highlight displays. When rating information is contained in the program information of the selected program, a warning sound is generated.

Abstract: A broadcasting receiver that receives broadcasting signals transmitted by a broadcasting station accompanying audio signals of multiple languages and automatically selects a certain broadcasting language to be outputted is described here. The receiver is capable of displaying a “Priority Switching Language Registration Menu” on its display in order to set up and register switching of priority languages. A priority language list determined by a user referring to a language list database displayed on the display is stored into a memory together with the maximum number of audio channels set up by the user.

Abstract: A digital broadcasting receiver that uses a channel map containing broadcast information such as channel numbers and virtual channel numbers is described. When a user selects a certain digital channel number, a control unit consisting of a CPU makes a search as to whether or not the number exists in the channel map. If the number does not exist, “No Signal” notice is displayed on a display and if the user selects a scan instruction then, the entire range of frequency band of the broadcasting signal is scanned. If a signal that corresponds to the digital channel number exists, its broadcast is received. Therefore, a search is possible even when the user knows only a virtual channel number and the digital channel number entered by the user is not registered in the channel map.

Abstract: In a digital broadcast receiver 10, an MPU 26 has a configuration for detecting the number of subchannels and the numbers of the subchannels which a received main channel has from control data received and switching to a subchannel with the minimum number when the number of subchannels changes and switching to a subchannel with the minimum number of the residual subchannels when the numbers of the subchannels received run out and displaying the numbers of the received main channel and the subchannel on a display 25.

Abstract: A receiving device used in a digital television includes an automatic storage section obtains the channel information on physical channels at which a program is broadcast, when the channel information contains any other physical channels therein, registers the physical channels thereof in a channel map, decides whether the physical channel which is switched has been registered in the channel map, and if the physical channel has been registered, not to detect whether a program is broadcast at the other physical channels. In this case, information of any other physical channel is present in a VCT, this other physical channel is registered in the channel map without detecting whether a program is broadcast at the channel. Therefore, the total number of the channels to be detected on whether a program is broadcast can be decreased, thus reducing the time for performing the automatic storage function.

Abstract: In a broadcasting receiver having a function to set and select an operation mode of the receiver for each user based on input by a plurality of users, the operation mode is selected for each user to make a user setting and stored in a memory in correlation with a predetermined input pattern of an operation key. When having received a user's input in the predetermined pattern, the receiver refers to the memory to select a user setting that corresponds to this input pattern, thus switching the operation mode. It is thus possible to identify the operation mode for each user in use by simple operations.

Abstract: A channel selection device of the invention used in a digital/analog broadcasting receiver, upon reception of a channel changing instruction sent from input device, tries to select a desired channel by referencing its VCT if it can find channel information in a memory and, if it could not find the desired channel and failed in channel selection, obtains the latest VCT to thereby select such a channel in the VCT that has the smallest sub-channel number in the same main channel or select such a channel that has the smallest sub-channel number in the same physical channel. Thus, if a channel specified in the channel changing instruction sent from the user has no broadcast therethrough and failed to be selected, an appropriate channel is selected automatically, thus avoiding a state that nothing is displayed on the display.

Abstract: In a broadcast receiving system for receiving the digital broadcasting, when the selection of “channel addition/deletion menu” is inputted by the user, received broadcasting signals are decoded to obtain collectively the channel information of the digital/analog broadcasting. This channel information is compared with channel information made stored in a memory to distinguish the channel having suspended from the channel having been resumed, and the distinguished information is made OSD displayed for each channel. The user operates an input device to select a desired channel, and inputs an instruction of the channel addition/deletion with an addition button or a deletion button to update the data stored in the memory.

Abstract: In a broadcast receiving system for receiving the digital broadcast, when the selection of “channel selection menu” is inputted by the user, the channel information stored in a memory is read to decide whether the configuration of a sub-channel is identified during the current operation, and a descriptor “x” is assigned to the sub-channel not identified to be made displayed in the channel information list on “channel selection display,” thereby distinguishing it from other channels. This allows the channel whose sub-channel cannot be identified to be OSD displayed distinguishing it from other channels such as for analog broadcast and the like.

Abstract: In a channel selection device of the invention used in a digital/analog broadcasting receiver, in instructing changing a channel, either one of the UP/DOWN key pair or the RIGHT/LEFT key pair can be used to change a main channel while changing the other pair to change a sub-channel. Thus, by using the keys distributed between the main channel and the sub-channels, a correlation can be given between the key operations and the channels' hierarchical construction to thereby facilitate the changing and selection of the main channels and the sub-channels in the hierarchical construction in digital/analog broadcasts.