Abstract: Various menu and cursor arrow navigation aids are disclosed for television systems.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a tuner module configured to demodulate a first television signal and a second television signal that corresponds to the first television signal; and a controller electronically coupled to the tuner module, the controller configured to compare a value of a first variable to a threshold level, the value of the first variable related to a quality of the first television signal; wherein the controller switches from outputting for display the first television signal to outputting for display the second television signal that corresponds to the first television signal in response to comparing the value of the first variable to the threshold level.

Abstract: Digital photographs can be viewed on a television by inserting into the TV a Memory Stick® or other removable medium bearing the photos. Using the TV remote control, viewers can select photos for printing, as well as the quantity to be printed. Viewers can also cause only those photos that have been selected for printing to be displayed, to facilitate further refining the print list. Then, the removable medium can be removed from the TV and inserted into a photo printer to print the selected photos.

Abstract: Digital photographs can be viewed on a television by inserting into the TV a Memory Stick® or other removable medium bearing the photos. Using the TV remote control, viewers can select photos for printing, as well as the quantity to be printed. Viewers can also cause only those photos that have been selected for printing to be displayed, to facilitate further refining the print list. Then, the removable medium can be removed from the TV and inserted into a photo printer to print the selected photos.

Abstract: A mapping method and apparatus for digital television channel mapping is described. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting a virtual channel selected by a user where the virtual channel is divided into major and minor channels, obtaining a first physical channel in a first mapping table that maps to the major channel, causing the first physical channel to be tuned, and collecting a first VCT from the first physical channel. The method further includes retrieving a first TTSID assigned to the first physical channel and a CTSID of the virtual channel from the first VCT, and decoding audio and video signals from the first physical channel if the first TTSID is equal to the CTSID. The first and second mapping tables are generated beforehand, e.g., during auto programming.

Abstract: A watchdog method and apparatus for a processing system running one or more tasks for controlling one or more subsystems is described. In one embodiment, the watchdog method configures a reset controller to cause a hardware reset to the one or more subsystems in a predetermined time, and registers one or more tasks in a task table. The method calls a first task in the table and changes a status of the first task to called. For each task in the table, the method determines the status of the task, and, if the status is called, sets a flag to a true state if a second predetermined time has passed since the task was called and a response message has not been received from the called task. The method configures the device to push back the occurrence of the hardware reset to the predetermined time if the flag is not set to the true state. A next task in the table is then called, and its status changed to called. The method again determines the status of each task in the table, and so on.