Abstract: A fast service scan is provided for recovering programming services in a received digital data transmission, such as a digital television transmission. A receiver (100) stores frequency data (104) for different transmission standards, as well as a country or region setting (105) based on the location of the receiver. The frequency data may be provided, e.g., via a software download, flash card, or pre-programming. The service scan is initiated when a reset or installation of the receiver occurs. The frequency data for the identified transmission standard is identified, and used to control a tuner (102) at the receiver to tune only to the identified frequencies to recover the programming services, thereby reducing the scan time.

Abstract: Genre or theme assignment data (104) for a program in a digital television or other data transmission is recovered by a receiver (100) and mapped to a genre in a standardized genre assignment schedule (240). A country associated with the transmission is identified, such as by obtaining a country code (105) from the digital data transmission, or via a receiver setting. A genre assignment schedule is identified based on the country. Data, such as user nibbles (220) or standard content nibbles (230), is obtained from the transmission to identify the original genre and assign the program to a corresponding standardized genre.

Abstract: Channel numbers are provided for a digital television receiver (200) that receives multiple transmissions (100, 10, 120), such as from different regions of a country or from different countries. The channel numbers for the home country transmission are assigned based on logical channel number (LCN) data in the transmission. The channel numbers for the transmissions of the other countries are provided so that they are in a higher range than the channel numbers for the home country transmission. For different regional transmissions, the channel numbers for the transmission with the strongest service, e.g., based on quality/bit error rate, signal strength, and/or frequency, may be arranged before the channel numbers for the lower strength transmissions.

Abstract: When a digital data transmission such as a digital television transmission is received by a receiver (100), the receiver attempts to locate parental rating data for a program in the transmission for a home country or jurisdiction (105, 220) in which the receiver is located. If the home jurisdiction rating data is available, it is used to control blocking of the program (270). If the home jurisdiction rating data is not available, rating data is obtained from the transmission for a foreign jurisdiction to control blocking of the program (270). If ratings for multiple foreign jurisdictions are available, the highest, most strict rating (240), may be used to control blocking of the program.