Abstract: In a digital television broadcast signal receiver (TV receiver), when closed caption information of digital TV (DTV-CC) is detected, a DTV-CC logo (first annunciation image) 31 is displayed with superimposing on an image of TV program for announcing that the DTV-CC is included in the digital TV signal, and when closed caption information of NTSC (NTSC-CC) is detected, an NTSC-CC logo (second annunciation image) 32 is displayed with superimposing on the image of TV program for announcing that the NTSC-CC is included in the digital TV signal. Thus, a user can easily recognize whether the DTV-CC and/or NTSC-CC are/is included in the digital TV signal or not.

Abstract: A receiving apparatus improving manipulability for a user who watches analog broadcasts exclusively is provided. The receiving apparatus includes a NIM, an input portion that accepts channel numbers of both of the type used for analog broadcasting and the type used for digital broadcasting, a CPU that determines whether the NIM has extracted a broadcast signal of the digital broadcasting, sets the frequency of the radio waves from which the NIM will extract the broadcast signal so as to extract the broadcast signal of the broadcasting corresponding to the channel number, and controls the input portion to accept the channel number of the type different from that for the digital broadcasting until the CPU itself determines that the NIM has extracted the broadcast signal of the digital broadcasting, and a MPEG decoder that outputs the broadcast signal extracted by the NIM.

Abstract: In recording contents of received broadcast programs on an HDD, the starting of a new program is detected depending on whether or not there is a change of audience restriction information which is received together with the broadcast programs. Each time a change of the audience restriction information is detected, recording of information about a new program is started. In recording, the received audience restriction information and the title of the program created by a title creating function are recorded by associating them with the recorded content of the program. Accordingly, the operation by the user for creating and allocating respective titles of programs recorded on the HDD that is required after the recording is eliminated. In a displayed list of titles for programs recorded on the HDD, the title of any program under restriction, which is determined based on the audience restriction information recorded by being associated with the title, is not displayed.

Abstract: A television receiver is connected to a multi-directional antenna having multiple receiving directions for receiving a television signal by making one receiving direction active, and comprises a clock, a tuner, a memory for storing a receiving direction table having content containing channel numbers and a best receiving direction, and a microprocessor for controlling the receiver. Based on the time measured by the clock, the microprocessor renews the content of the table at a preset time, and outputs, to the antenna, a control signal to command a receiving direction for receiving one channel based on the renewed content of the table. The receiver can properly adapt to the variations in time of the receiving conditions of terrestrial broadcasts based on the renewed content of the table, and can automatically renew the content of the table in a time zone when a user does not view a television program.

Abstract: When a multi-directional antenna is connected to a digital TV broadcast signal receiver, the digital TV broadcast signal receiver measures a term suitable for switching or changing an effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna corresponding to kind or specification of the multi-directional antenna. Control signals are outputted at an interval suitable for switching or changing the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna corresponding to the measured term so as to switch the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna to an optimum signal receiving direction of a channel chosen by a user. Consequently, it is possible to shorten a term necessary for switching or changing the effective signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna to the optimum signal receiving direction of the channel chosen by the user.

Abstract: Disclosed is a television broadcast receiver including: a reception member to receive a television broadcast signal with added time information; an acquirement member to acquire broadcast program information; program information storage member to store the broadcast program information; a time information storage member to store the time information; judgment member to judge whether a time period from interception of a power supply to re-activation is longer than a predetermined time or not, based on time information stored just before the interception and time information received just after the re-activation, the judgment being performed when the power supply of the television broadcast receiver is activated; and acquirement control member to make the acquirement member acquire new broadcast program information when the judgment member judges that the time period is longer than the predetermined time.

Abstract: A television receiver includes an OSD display section configured to display a desired OSD, and a voice input section to which voices are inputted. The receiver also includes a storage section having prestored therein a control code associated with a voice representing a command to change channels or an analogous command, and a call-up control code associated with a voice for causing the display section to display a character image in an OSD manner. The receiver further includes a control section configured to cause the display section to display the character image associated with the call-up control code when a voice associated with the call-up control code is inputted through the voice input section. The control section instructs components of a receiver body to perform respective operations for executing the command according to the control code only during a time period during which the display section displays the character image.

Abstract: In a private video recorder for recording contents of TV program delivered from TV stations, data of the contents of TV program (contents data) are memorized into segments in a contents data memory area, and the contents data are controlled as one video picture file by appointing the segments memorizing the contents data in segment appointing information of the video picture file. When the contents recorded in the private video recorder is edited, only the appointment of the segments in the segment appointing information is rewritten without cutting, copying or inserting the contents data.

Abstract: Discloses is a broadcasting receiver including: a receiver; a broadcast program output unit; a channel storage unit to store a physical channel correlated to a first virtual channel, the first virtual channel being composed of a first main channel number and a first sub-channel number; a virtual channel acquisition unit to acquire a second virtual channel from the broadcast signal received by the receiver, the second virtual channel being composed of a second main channel number and a second sub-channel number; a virtual channel comparison unit to compare the first virtual channel with the second virtual channel; a storage control unit to allow the channel storage unit to store the second virtual channel in replacement of the first virtual channel, when the virtual channel comparison unit judges that one of the first and second main channel numbers and the first and second sub-channel numbers are different from each other.

Abstract: A hard disk recorder 1 is capable of performing fast-forward reproductions at 120× speed, 60× speed and 30× speed, and reproduces video images and audio sounds in a series of periodic reproduction zones in a video and audio file, each reproduction zone being for a predetermined reference time interval (e.g. 1 second), while skipping video images and audio sounds in other than the reproduction zones according to a ratio of the fast-forward speed to the predetermined reference time interval (skipping for 119 seconds at the 120× speed, 59 seconds at the 60× speed, and 29 seconds at the 30× speed, respectively). Each of the series of reproduction zones for the 120× speed, the series of reproduction zones for the 60× speed, and the series of reproduction zones for the 30× speed, each reproduction zone of which is for the reference time interval, is so set as to be free from overlap with the other series of reproduction zones.

Abstract: If a channel determined by a new all-directional omni-directional scanning process is absent in a channel information table created previously, a TV broadcast receiver registers a channel number (by making register flag on) and a best receiving direction of such channel in the table. If such channel is present along with a best receiving direction in the table, the receiver renews (overwrites) the best receiving direction present in the table by a best receiving direction acquired by the new scanning process. Channels already registered in the table and determined by the new scanning process as non-selectable are not deleted and are retained in the table. Thus, the receiver prevents those channels previously determined as selectable from being handled as non-selectable by the new scanning process, and a user can select maximum channels normally viewable at each receiving location.

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: In multi-directional antennas connected to a digital TV broadcast signal receiver, when a receiving channel is selected, if an antenna is set to the same direction as a previously stored direction, and signals cannot be received, the previously stored direction data is deleted, and if the best receiving direction is searched by the auto-scan, and a receivable direction does not match the previously stored receiving direction, the stored direction information is all deleted, the entire area scan is performed over all directions for all channels, and a new receiving direction for each channel is determined by the obtained best receiving direction.

Abstract: A TV program distribution system comprises: a TV broadcast signal distribution device for distributing a scrambled pay TV program provided by a TV program provider; an auction management device for managing selling, by auction, of the viewing right of the pay TV program; an account management device for charging winning bidders of the pay TV program determined by the auction; and a conditional access management device for managing conditional access information to make it possible for each STB of each winning bidder of the pay TV program to descramble the scrambled pay TV program. The TV program distribute system sells the pay TV program by auction, limiting the number of STBs allowed to access the pay TV program, so that the TV program distribution system makes it possible for the TV program provider to collect fees of the pay TV program according to market value of the pay TV program.

Abstract: An audio-visual apparatus includes a voice input section, and a voice recognition section configured to recognize the voices inputted from the voice input section. The audio-visual apparatus also includes a control section configured to instruct components of the apparatus body to perform respective operations for executing a command according to a voice recognized by the voice recognition section, and a storage section. The control section records in the storage section last settings of the apparatus body that are active before the execution of the command and then executes the command. When a specified code associated with a voice representing an UNDO command for undoing the former command is received after the execution of the command, the control section instructs the components of the apparatus body to perform respective UNDO operations for restoring the last settings stored in the storage section from the current settings of the apparatus body.

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: A television broadcast receiver determines the signal strength, the desired to undesired (D/U) ratio, the carrier to noise (C/N) ratio of a received television signal. Based on these values, the television broadcast receiver determines an overall evaluation value indicating the condition of reception of the television signal by reading a receiving condition evaluation table and determines a message explaining the condition of reception of the television signal by reading a message table. Then, the television broadcast receiver presents to a user the determined overall evaluation value and message along with the signal strength, the D/U ratio, and the C/N ratio. Accordingly, the user can easily make a judgment on whether the receiving condition is good or not based on the overall evaluation value.

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: When a digital broadcast is currently extracted and a switching direction instruction is accepted, determination is made as to which of a CH number (analog number) next to a currently extracted channel in the switching direction according to the order indicated in an analog CH map and a CH number (digital number) next to the currently extracted channel in the switching direction according to the order indicated in a digital channel map is closer to the number of the currently extracted channel (extracted number). When closer to the analog number, the channel is switched to the analog number. When closer to the digital number, the channel is switched to the digital number. Thus, the channel of analog and digital broadcasts can be switched in a seamless manner.

Abstract: In a digital TV broadcast signal receiver connected to a multi-directional antenna called smart antenna and receivable not only digital TV broadcast signals but also analogue TV broadcast signals, an optimum signal receiving direction of an analogue TV broadcast signal of an optional channel can be decided with reducing affect of ghost due to reflection of the TV broadcast signal by such as a high-rise building, or the like. An NTSC decoder takes a still image data from an analogue TV broadcast signal in each signal receiving direction of the multi-directional antenna, and performs an A/D conversion processing and a JPEG compression processing to the image data. A controller decides a direction, in which a complexity, such as bit rate of the image data is the smallest, as an optimum signal receiving direction of the channel.