USER INTERFACE FOR AUDIO VIDEO DISPLAY DEVICE SUCH AS TV

Abstract

For a graphical user interface (GUI) for an audio video display device (AVDD) showing plural content information panels arranged in a grid, the loading time during which the content information panels are retrieved and presented on the AVDD is used to display, in the area in which the loading information panel will be, a text description of the category of the panel content. The text also explains the meaning of an icon that is displayed next to the content information panel after the loading is completed.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/473,098, filed Apr. 7, 2011.

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates generally to user interfaces (UI) for audio video display devices (AVDD) such as televisions (TVs).

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Graphical user, interfaces (GUI) for audio video display devices (AVDD), such as, e.g., TVs, smart phones, and tablet computers, enable viewers to browse and select video streams for play on the TV. An electronic program guide (EPG) is one such example of a GUI.

As understood herein, some GUIs may present icons representing one or more content categories associated with respective content. As also understood herein, currently, icons presented on a GUI are not presented in a manner clearly indicating which category the associated icon belongs to. This leads to user confusion as to which icon is associated with which category, and in turn also leads to confusion as to which category is associated with a particular content item. The present application recognizes this and other shortcomings of current GUIs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to principles set forth further below, an audio video display device (AVDD) has a processor, a video display presenting demanded images, and a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to present on the display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content where each content panel represents a respective video. If desired, responsive to a viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, the processor retrieves new content for presentation on the GUI. Thereafter, during a load period during which the new content is being retrieved for loading in the GUI, the processor presents, in each GUI location corresponding to a respective content panel, a respective text description of a category of the new content to be loaded into the respective content panel in non-limiting embodiments. If desired, the processor may present next to each respective text description an animated load icon presented as moving on the display during the load period. Then, after the load period, the processor replaces the text descriptions with respective new content panels.

In some non-limiting embodiments, the GUI may include eight content panels and a current video panel, where the nine panels may be together arranged in a three by three grid. The eight content panels may be changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, and the current video panel may not being changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

Furthermore, in non-limiting embodiments, the processor may present next to each respective new content panel a respective icon representing the respective category. Also in some embodiments, the processor may present next to each respective text description a respective icon representing the respective category.

The non-limiting icons disclosed above may each have a respective category color, where icons of the same category may have the same category color. Further, icons of the same category may not have the category color of icons of any other category. Further still, in non-limiting embodiments the text descriptions may be presented in the sane category colors as the respective icons associated with the respective text descriptions.

In another aspect, a method includes presenting on a video display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content panels, each content panel representing a respective video. The method also includes, responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, retrieving new content for presentation on the GUI. The method further includes, during a load period during which the new content is being retrieved for loading in the GUI, presenting, in each GUI location corresponding to a respective content panel, a respective text description of a category of the new content to be loaded into the respective content panel. The method then includes, after the load period, replacing the text descriptions with respective new content panels.

In still another aspect, an audio video display device, (AVDD) has a processor, a video display presenting demanded images, and a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to present on the display a graphical user interface (GUI) including plural thumbnails, where each thumbnail represents respective media content. Responsive to input requiring a change to the thumbnails, the processor retrieves new content for presentation on the GUI. Thereafter, during a load period during which new content is retrieved for loading in the GUI and association with at least one respective new thumbnail, the processor presents, in each GUI location where a thumbnail will be placed, a respective text description of the content to be loaded in the GUI and associated with the respective thumbnail. The processor then replaces the text descriptions with the respective new thumbnails after the load period.

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a non-limiting example system in accordance with present principles;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example remote control (RC) that may be used to control the graphical user interfaces (GUI) described herein, schematically showing the processor and wireless transceiver;

FIG. 3 is a screen shot of a nine panel GUI in a coarse mode suitable for gesture control;

FIG. 4 is a screen shot of a nine panel GUI in a fine mode suitable for RC control;

FIG., 5 is a screen shot illustrating a temporary load screen that is presented while new content information panels are being loaded; and

FIG. 6 is a screenshot showing the loaded content information panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to the non-limiting example embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a system 10 includes an audio video display device (AVDD) 12 such as a TV including a TV tuner 16 communicating with a TV processor 18 accessing a tangible computer readable storage medium 20 such as disk-based or solid state storage. The AVDD 12 can output audio on one or more speakers 22. The AVDD 12 can receive streaming video from the Internet using a built-in wired or wireless modem 24 communicating with the processor 12 which may execute a software-implemented browser 26. Video is presented under control of the TV processor 18 on a TV display 28 such as but not limited to a high definition TV (HDTV) flat panel display, and may be a touch screen display. User commands to the processor 18 may be wirelessly received from a remote control (RC) 30 using, e.g., rf or infrared. Audio-video display devices other than a TV may be used, e.g., smart phones, game consoles, personal digital organizers, notebook computers and other types of computers, etc.

TV programming from one or more terrestrial TV broadcast sources 32 as received by a terrestrial broadcast antenna 34 which communicates with the AVDD 12 may be presented on the display 28 and speakers 22. The terrestrial broadcast programming may conform to digital ATSC standards and may carry within it a terrestrial broadcast EPG, although the terrestrial broadcast EPG may be received from alternate sources, e.g., the Internet via Ethernet, or cable communication link, or satellite communication link.

TV programming from a cable TV head end 36 may also be received at the TV for presentation of TV signals on the display 28 and speakers 22. When basic cable only is desired, the cable from the wall typically carries TV signals in QAM or NTSC format and is plugged directly into the “F-type connector” 38 on the TV chassis in the U.S., although the connector used for this purpose in other countries may vary. In contrast, when the user has an extended cable subscription for instance, the signals from the head end 36 are typically sent through a STB 40 which may be separate from or integrated within the TV chassis but in any case which sends HDMI baseband signals to the TV. Other types of connections may be used, e.g., MOCA, USB, 1394 protocols, DLNA.

Similarly, HDMI baseband signals transmitted from a satellite source 42 of TV broadcast signals received by an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) 44 associated with a home satellite dish may be input to the AVDD 12 for presentation on the display 28 and speakers 22. Also, streaming video may be received from the Internet 46 for presentation on the display 28 and speakers 22. The streaming video may be received at the computer modem 24 or it may be received at an in-home modem 48 that is external to the AVDD 12 and conveyed to the AVDD over a wired or wireless Ethernet link and received at an RJ45 or 802.11x antenna on the TV chassis.

Also, in some embodiments a video Camera 50, which may be integrated in the chassis if desired or mounted separately and electrically connected thereto, may be connected to the processor 16 to provide to the 16 video images of viewers looking at the display 28. Furthermore, a microphone 52 may be provided on the chassis or separate therefrom, and can be electrically connected to the processor 16 to provide viewer-generated voice commands to the processor 16.

FIG. 2 shows that an example RC 30 may include a power on key 60 that can be toggled to energize and deenergize the AVDD 12. A touch-sensitive pad 62 may be provided against which a user can move his finger to correspondingly move a screen cursor on the display 28. Tapping the pad 62 can generate a “select” signal, it being understood that point-and-click devices other than the touch sensitive pad 62 may be used.

Also, a back key 64 may be provided to cause the display 28 to go back a screen shot, i.e., to present the screen shot immediately prior to the one being displayed when the back signal is generated, so as to enable a user to navigate through the various GUIs shown herein. A home key 66 may be provided to cause the below-described “home” GUI to be presented on the display 28, and an options key 68 may be provided to allow a user to cause a list of GUI options to be presented in the display 28. Volume output by the speakers 22 of the AVDD 12 can be controlled using a volume up/down rocker key 70. Manipulation of a key or the pad 62 on the RC 30 causes a respective signal to be sent to an RC processor 72 in the RC 30, which transmits the corresponding command to the AVDD 12 using a wireless transceiver 74 such as but not limited to an infrared transceiver. In addition, if desired four arrow keys may be arranged on the RC 30 to move a cursor up, down, left, and right on the display 28. Also, channel up/down keys may be provided as well as a microphone for voice input. A full QWERTY keyboard or keypad may be provided if desired. The touch pad 62 may be provided with a buzzer or other device to generate tactile feedback to the user.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example home GUI that may be presented on the display 28 of the AVDD 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, nine information panels arranged as shown in three rows of three panels each present visual content. The panels shown in FIG. 3 are of equal size with each other and are rectangular as shown. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the top left panel 76 of the GUI always shows the currently selected video content, typically either televised content from a selected TV channel or streaming video from a selected website. Information pertaining to available video content is presented in the other eight panels. This information typically includes a photograph or other image, a content source logo indicating the source of the content represented by the panel, and text typically describing the title of the content and other information.

As shown at 78, a numeral may be provided next to each panel, so that the panels may be numbered onscreen from one to nine as shown. This facilitates a user selecting to play video content from a panel by saying the numeral associated with the panel. Also, as shown at 80 a genre indicator may be presented next to each panel. The genre indicator may be an arrow in the case of the first panel 76 indicating that the first panel 76 is presenting the currently selected video. The genre indicator may be a heart (as shown in FIG. 3 for panel 2) indicating the underlying video content has been selected by the user as a “favorite”. Other genre indicators may be presented respectively representing “history”, meaning that the content associated with the panel had been presented previously, “recommended”, meaning that the content associated with the panel is recommended by a recommendation engine executed by the AVDD processor 18, and so on, e.g., “frequently viewed”, “promotional content”. A user can select to present panels associated with content of only a single genre.

Additionally, if desired the GUI shown in FIG. 3 may present gesture hints 82, describing in text and/or animated hand motion a gesture and its associated command that the user may make, which can be captured by the camera 50 and correlated to the respective command by the processor 18 executing image recognition software. Thus, while viewer input may be afforded by making the display 28 a touch-sensitive display that a viewer can touch and thereby enter commands, present principles envision using viewer gestures in free space, i.e., gestures in which the viewer is distanced from the display 28 as would typically be the case for a TV viewer, with the viewer not touching the display but making gestures that are captured by the camera 50 and correlated to commands by the processor 18 executing image recognition software.

Further, a menu of selections may be presented as shown along the bottom of the GUI, including a “just for you” selector 84 to cause the GUI to contain panels with content personalized to a recognized user, where a viewer is recognized using the image recognition software in accordance with present principles. A search selector 86 can be selected to cause a search for a user-input term to be executed. Also, a bookmark selector 88 can be selected to bookmark the currently playing video in panel 76 or to bookmark content in a panel over which the screen cursor is positioned.

Still referring to FIG. 3, a settings selector element 90 if selected causes a setting menus to be presented to control settings of the GUI. A queue selector element 92 may be presented to cause a list of enqueued programs to be presented on the display 28, and an inputs selector element 94 may be presented, selection of which causes a list of available input sources, e.g., “disk player, cable, satellite” to be presented on the display 28. A recommendations selector element 96 may be presented and if selected causes a list of recommended programming to be presented on the display 28. The list may be generated by a content recommendation engine such as the “Navi” engine made by Sony Corp. A “what's on” selector element 98 may be provided and if selected causes a list of current and future programs such as an electronic program guide (EPG) to be presented on the display 28. Indeed, an EPG may be presented in one of the panels shown in FIG. 3.

In any case, as mentioned above in the example shown the currently selected video content is always presented in the upper left panel 76 of the GUI. Should the user select another panel by using the RC 30 or by speaking the number of the panel or by the appropriate gesture captured by the camera 50, video content from the source associated with the selected panel automatically replaces the video content which was presented in the upper left panel 76 prior to receiving the new select signal. Indeed, should the user scroll the panels left or right to view additional content the upper left panel 76 remains unmoving as the other panels move on and off the display 28 as they are replaced by previously hidden content panels, with the upper left panel 76 always showing the currently selected video program.

The panel layout shown in FIG. 3 is somewhat coarse in that a visible border space 100 of many pixels width exists between adjacent panels as shown. Such a coarse representation facilitates control using gestures, although navigation by voice and by use of the RC 30 is always preferably enabled regardless of whether the GUI is in the coarse or fine view. FIG. 4 shows that if the user selects the fine view, the border space 100 disappears between adjacent panels, a view more suitable for RC control than gesture control although as stated above all three modes of command input (RC, voice, and gesture) remain enabled simultaneously with each other if desired.

Transition between the two views of FIGS. 3 and 4 may be effected by an appropriate hand gesture in free space (e.g., a vertical motion of the hand distanced from the display 28 and detected by the camera 50) or by an appropriate voice command (e.g., “fine” or “coarse”), or by selecting, using the RC 30, “fine” or “course” from a settings menu accessed by selecting the settings selector element 90 or by pressing a key on the RC 30 or by simply grasping the RC, which is detected by the camera 50 and inferred by the processor 18 to correlate to a command to move to the “fine” screen of FIG. 4. The larger panels in the fine mode of FIG. 4 can be used to present more information than is presented in the panels of FIG. 3.

The GUI shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be removed from the screen and the currently playing video presented on the full display 28 by, e.g., toggling the home key on the RC 30. Voice command input may be enabled by voicing a phrase such as “hello TV”, which is detected by the microphone 52 and using voice recognition software correlated by the processor 18 to a command to enable voice commands. Voice input may also be enabled using the RC 30 to select the “search” selector element 86. To indicate that voice commands are enabled, an icon such as an image of a microphone 102 can be presented on the display 28. Gesture command input may be enabled by waving the hand, which is detected by the camera 50 and using image recognition software correlated by the processor 18 to a command to enable gesture commands. To indicate that gesture commands are enabled, an icon such as an image of a hand 104 can be presented on the display 28.

Non-limiting examples of corresponding RC, voice, and gesture commands that accomplish the same tasks are:

RC COMMAND	VOICE COMMAND	GESTURE
Channel up	“Channel up”	upward motion of hand
Channel down	“Channel down”	downward motion of hand
Volume decrease	“Quieter”	thumb down
Volume increase	“louder”	thumb up

Additional gesture commands can be: pointed finger—attach cursor; move pointed finger or speak “move cursor [left] [right]”—move cursor per finger movement/voice command; clenched fist or spoken “select”—select panel under cursor for further info; pump clenched fist or voice command “play”—select panel under cursor to be new current video for presentation in pinned panel 76; two clenched fists or voice command “more info”—show expanded metadata window for cursor video, etc.

Now referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, assume that a viewer, using a voice command, gesture in free space, or RC 30 has selected to scroll through or otherwise change the content of the non-pinned content panels in FIG. 3. In response, while loading the new content panels shown in FIG. 6 the processor 18 temporarily may present on the display 28 of the AVDD 12 the screen shot shown in FIG. 5 until the content for the panels of FIG. 6 is loaded, at which point FIG. 6 is automatically displayed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the GUI may include plural locations for content panels to be presented. Thus, in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 5, nine locations for presentation of content panels are arranged in three rows of three, though more or less locations may be presented on the GUI in other non-limiting embodiments.

The locations reserved for presentation of content panels as shown in FIG. 5 (as well as the content panels themselves, which will be described in reference to FIG. 6), may be of equal size with respect to each other, and may further be rectangular in non-limiting embodiments. Further, according to the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 5, there may be a top left content panel 76 on the GUI that may always show the currently selected video content, which can typically be either televised content from a selected TV channel or streaming video from a selected website. Thus, information pertaining to available video content may be presented and/or changed in the other eight locations reserved for content panels in accordance with present principles, but the current video panel 76 will not be changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

Still in reference to FIG. 5, as mentioned above responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, the processor 18 may retrieve new content for presentation on the GUI. As shown in the non-limiting embodiments of FIG. 5, during a load period during which the new content is being retrieved for loading in the GUI, the processor 18 may present, in each of the eight GUI locations corresponding to a respective content panel, a respective text description of the category of the new content to be loaded into the respective content panel. Thus, as shown in the non-limiting embodiment of FIG. 5, the location corresponding to panel 106 may contain text, indicating that the underlying video content being retrieved for loading into panel 106 pertains to a favorite item of a user, the location corresponding to panel 108 may contain text indicating that the underlying video content being retrieved for loading into panel 108 pertains to an item that has been recorded for presentation on the AVDD 12, and the location corresponding to panel 110 may contain text indicating that the underlying video content being retrieved for loading into panel 110 pertains to an item that is being recommended by the processor 18 in accordance with present principles. In the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the locations corresponding to remaining panels, such as the location corresponding to panel 112, may contain text indicating that the underlying video content being retrieved for loading into the remaining panels pertains to items that are frequently viewed on the AVDD 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, the processor 18 may also present in each respective GUI location having a text description one or more animated load icons, such as the icon 114 showing opposed circular arrows, for each panel being loaded into the GUI and/or changed. Further, it is to be understood that the load icon 114 may be presented as moving on the display during the load period.

Additionally, in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the processor may present, next to each location corresponding to a respective content panel, a respective icon representing the respective category of the underlying content associated with a respective panel, and/or identifying the current status of the underlying content associated with a respective panel (e.g., “recorded”, “frequently viewed”, or “recommended”). Further, the icons shown in FIG. 5 may each have a respective category color. Further still, icons of the same category may have the same category color, while icons of the sane category may not have the sane category color of icons of any other category in accordance with present principles. Also in non-limiting embodiments, the text descriptions may also be presented in the same category colors as their respective icons, thereby providing further clarity as to which category each icon and respective text description is associated with.

Thus, as shown in the non-limiting embodiment of FIG. 5, the icon may be a royal blue arrow 116 in the case of panel 76, indicating that the panel 76 is presenting the currently selected video. Also in non-limiting embodiments, the icon may be a baby blue heart 118 in the case of the location corresponding to panel 106, indicating the underlying video content being loaded has been selected as a “favorite” by a user of the AVDD 12. Also in some non-limiting embodiments, the icon may be a red circle 120 in the case of the location corresponding to panel 108, indicating the underlying video content being loaded has been previously recorded for presentation on the AVDD 12. Further still, in non-limiting embodiments the icon may be a gold star 122 in the case of the location corresponding to panel 110, indicating that the underlying video content being loaded is being “recommended”, meaning that the content being loaded is recommended by a recommendation engine executed by the AVDD processor 18 in accordance with present principles. Lastly, in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the icon may be a vertical row of green squares, such as the green squares 124 in the case of the location corresponding to panel 112, indicating that the underlying video content being loaded is content that is frequently viewed on the AVDD 12.

It is to be understood that still other non-limiting icons may be presented on the GUI in accordance with present principles, such as, e.g., a rectangular icon indicating that the underlying video content being loaded is promotional content provided by a content provider. It is to be further understood that although panels associated with different categories and/or genres are being loaded onto the GUI in FIG. 5, a user can manipulate the GUI in accordance with present principles to present panels associated with content of only a single category and/or genre, if desired. Even further, in non-limiting embodiments each panel may be associated with more than one category such that the processor 18 may present plural icons next to one content panel location, though this feature is not shown in FIG. 5 for simplicity.

Now in reference to FIG. 6, a screen shot showing the loaded content panels on the GUI described in reference to FIG. 5 is shown. As may be seen in FIG. 6, the current video panel 76 may still present the currently selected video. Icons that were presented while content was being loaded into the panels as described in reference to FIG. 5 may also be presented on the GUI after the panels have been loaded, as shown FIG. 6. Thus, after the content is loaded into the respective panels of the GUI, icons such as, e.g., the royal blue arrow 116, baby blue heart 118, red circle 120, gold star 122, and green squares 124 may be presented on the GUI next to their respective content panels.

However, in contrast to FIG. 5, the GUI as now shown in FIG. 6 presents content panels, which have replaced the respective text descriptions described above. It is to be understood that the new content panels shown in FIG. 6 may contain information pertaining to the particular underlying video content of each respective panel in accordance with principles discussed above in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4. As indicated above, this information typically, but not necessarily, includes a photograph or other image (such as, e.g., a thumbnail image associated with or derived from the underlying content). The information may also include a content source logo indicating the source of the content represented by the panel and/or text describing the title of the content and other information. Further, information contained on each new content panel may also have been derived in part from metadata associated with the respective underlying content in non-limiting embodiments.

Thus, the panel 106 as shown in FIG. 6 may now present information that may include an image indicating that the underlying video content of panel 106 pertains to a particular favorite item of a user. Further, panel 108 may now present information that may include an image indicating that the underlying video content of panel 108 pertains to an particular item that has been recorded for presentation on the AVDD 12, and panel 110 may now present information that may include an image indicating that the underlying video content of panel 110 pertains to a particular item that is being recommended by the processor 18 in accordance with present principles. The remaining panels, such as the panel 112, may now present information that may include images indicating that the underlying video content for each panel pertains to particular items that are frequently viewed on the AVDD 12.

While the particular USER INTERFACE FOR AUDIO VIDEO DISPLAY DEVICE SUCH AS TV is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.

Claims

1. An audio video display device (AVDD), comprising:

a processor;

a video display presenting demanded images;

a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to:

present on the display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content panels, each content panel representing a respective video;

responsive to a viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, retrieve new video content for presentation on the GUI;

during a load period during which the new content is being retrieved for loading in the GUI, presenting, in each GUI location corresponding to a respective content panel, a respective text description of a category of the new content to be loaded into the respective content panel; and

after the load period, replacing the text descriptions with respective new content panels.

2. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the GUI includes eight content panels and a current video panel together arranged in a three by three grid, the eight content panels being changed responsive to the viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, the current video panel not being changed responsive to the viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

3. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the processor presents next to each respective new content panel a respective icon representing the respective category.

4. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the processor presents next to each respective text description a respective icon representing the respective category.

5. The AVDD of claim 4, wherein the icons each have a respective category color, icons of the same category having the same category color, icons of the same category not having the category color of icons of any other category.

6. The AVDD of claim 5, wherein the text descriptions are presented in the same category colors as the respective icons associated with the respective text descriptions.

7. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the processor presents next to each respective text description an animated load icon presented as moving on the display during the load period.

8. A method, comprising:

presenting on a video display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content panels, each content panel representing a respective video;

responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, retrieving new content for presentation on the GUI;

during a load period during which the new content is being retrieved for loading in the GUI, presenting, in each GUI location corresponding to a respective content panel, a respective text description of a category of the new content to be loaded into the respective content panel; and

after the load period, replacing the text descriptions with respective new content panels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the GUI include eight content panels and a current video panel together arranged in a three by three grid, the eight content panels being changed responsive to the viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, the current video panel not being changed responsive to the viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting next to each respective new content panel a respective icon representing the respective category.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting next to each respective text description a respective icon representing the respective category.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the icons each have a respective category color, icons of the same category having the same category color, icons of the same category not having the category color of icons of any other category.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the text descriptions are presented in the same category colors as the respective icons associated with the respective text descriptions.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting next to each respective text description an animated load icon presented as moving on the display during the load period.

15. An audio video display device (AVDD), comprising:

a processor;

a video display presenting demanded images;

a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to:

present on the display a graphical user interface (GUI) including plural thumbnails, each thumbnail representing respective media content;

responsive to input requiring a change to the thumbnails, retrieve new content for presentation on the GUI;

during a load period during which the new content is being retrieved for loading in the GUI and association with at least one respective new thumbnail, present, in each GUI location where a thumbnail will be placed, a respective text description of the content to be loaded in the GUI and associated with the respective thumbnail; and

after the load period, replacing the text descriptions with respective new thumbnails.

16. The AVDD of claim 15, wherein the processor presents next to each respective thumbnail a respective icon representing a genre associated with the respective content and/or a status identifier associated with the respective content.

17. The AVDD of claim 15, wherein the processor presents next to each respective text description a respective icon representing a genre associated with the respective content and/or a status identifier associated with the respective content.

18. AVDD of claim 15, wherein the processor presents on each respective new thumbnail a respective logo representing the content source of the respective content.

19. The AVDD of claim 15, wherein the processor presents next to each respective text description a respective logo representing the content source of the respective content.

20. The AVDD of claim 15, wherein the processor presents next to each respective text description an animated load icon presented as moving on the display during the load period.