Abstract: A channel selecting method for programs of the same category is disclosed, wherein arbitrary channels are assigned according to the same types of programs as those contained in signals the broadcast sent from the broadcasting station using a VPS function. This method determines whether the received broadcast signal uses video program system broadcasting, encoding and recognizes codes according to the programs to arbitrarily assign channels for the programs according to the codes. Then, if a desired channel to be viewed is selected, the same types of programs corresponding to that channel can be automatically recognized, so that the broadcasting channel selection for viewing the same type of programs can be easily performed.

Abstract: In a channel search mode of a video cassette recorder (VCR) having a picture-in-picture (PIP) function, an automatic PIP channel search apparatus and method used during television (TV) viewing which is composed of at least the steps of setting the currently-viewed broadcast picture in a main screen, if a scan key is input when watching a TV channel, setting broadcasting channels excluding the channel set as the main screen as subscreens and displaying in turn the subscreen channels, and if the scan key signal is input again, displaying only a specific channel broadcast on the main screen.