| TV Guide Plus | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Gemstar-TV Guide International (laterRovi Corporation) |
| Initial release | mid‑1990s (analog), 2006 (digital) |
| Operating system | Embedded inOEM firmware |
| Platform | Televisions,DVD recorders,DVRs, and otherdigital television tuners |
| Successor | OEM/MVPD software,PSIP,DVB-SI, and otherDTV protocols |
| Type | Electronic program guide |
| License | Proprietary |
TV Guide Plus,TV Guide Plus+,TV Guide On Screen, (inNorth America),Guide Plus+ (inEurope), andG-Guide (inJapan), were brand names for an interactiveelectronic program guide (EPG) system incorporated into a range ofconsumer electronics products, includingtelevisions,DVD recorders,digital video recorders (DVR), and otherdigital television devices. The service provided on‑screen program listings that allowed viewers to navigate, sort, select, and schedule television programming for viewing and recording.
Although marketed under theTV Guide name, the on‑screen service was separate from the long‑runningTV Guide magazine. Gemstar acquired the magazine in 1999 to align its electronic listings with the established print brand, but after Rovi purchased Gemstar in 2008 the magazine was sold off toOpenGate Capital and is operated independently.[1][2] The on‑screen system itself passed toRovi Corporation, which later acquiredTiVo Inc. in 2016 and adopted theTiVo (nowXperi) name.[3] The service was discontinued between 2012 and the start of 2017, following an abrupt cutoff of programing data in North America and a gradual withdrawal of support worldwide.[4][5]
The system was first introduced in the United States and Japan during the mid‑1990s, before expanding into European markets in the following decade.[6][7] By the early 2000s, it was available throughbroadcast andMVPD operators in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy.[6]
By the late 2000s, Rovi also became known for defending its program guide technology in court. The company brought cases against services such asHulu and laterNetflix, arguing that their on‑screen menus copied features of the TV Guide system. Several of these claims were later rejected byU.S. judges, narrowing the scope of Rovi's patents.[8][9]
While those disputes played out, the on‑screen guide service itself was entering a period of decline. Rovi began winding down broadcast data in North America in 2012 with support being rapidly dropped from new televisions and DVRs soon after. Most devices on the continent had lost all EPG access by spring 2013, andEurasian versions were gradually withdrawn over the next few years. Official notices confirmed the service's end by the beginning of 2017, which marked the conclusion of its two decade long history.[4][5]
A number of major consumer electronics manufacturers offered compatible devices including,Channel Master,JVC,Panasonic,Thomson (under the RCA, GE, and ProScan brands),Samsung,Sharp,Sony,LG, andToshiba.[10] Because the system was advertiser supported, program listings were distributed free to viewers, regardless of whether they received signals via terrestrial,cable, orsatellite.[11]
Gemstar also developedEPG software for personal computers, which was bundled withATI Technologies analogNTSC tuner cards, including theTV Wonder andAll-in-Wonder series.[10] With thetransition to digital broadcasting, ATI partnered with TitanTV to provide listings for itsATSC tuner cards.[12]
The original analog implementation transmitted data through thevertical blanking interval (VBI) lines, usually 11–18, 20, and 22, of participating television stations, in a manner similar toclosed captioning andteletext.[13] This took up to 24 hours to download on the initial setup, because the information was delivered at lowbitrate.[6] By the mid‑2000s, the service had transitioned to digital using out‑of‑band data channels. Which relied on a vendor licensed feed that supplied expanded program descriptions and advertising metadata.[14][15]
The digital version of the service was first introduced in the mid‑2000s, beginning in the United States in 2006 alongside the rollout of theATSC.[16] Other regions also moved from analog to digital TV, adopting systems such asDVB-T/T2 inEurope andISDB inJapan. In markets where the service was supported, it offered a consistent interface across different brands of televisions and recorders. In the United States, the federally mandateddigital transition on June 12, 2009, rendered some older receivers and recorders unable to access listings.[4]
At the same time, theProgram and System Information Protocol (PSIP) became the standard method for U.S. broadcasters to transmit basic EPG data within ATSC signals. TheFederal Communications Commission continues to require full power television stations, unlike MVPD providers, to supply PSIP information.[17] While implementation has varied and some stations provide incomplete listings, PSIP remains in use as the main program guide system for ATSC 1 broadcasts.[18]
Unlike PSIP, which offers only limited program details, theTV Guide system was licensed separately to manufacturers. Device makers paid royalties to Rovi to embed the software, which in turn provided a more comprehensive guide resembling the functionality of digital satellite and cable platforms, including multi‑day listings and DVR features.[10]
With the introduction ofATSC 3.0 (branded NextGen TV), PSIP continues to serve legacy ATSC broadcasts, while its functions are being supplemented by new signaling and EPG protocols such as theService List Table (SLT).[19][20] In Europe and several other regions, the comparable digital terrestrial standard isDVB-T2, which uses the DVB Service Information (DVB‑SI) framework to deliver EPG data.[21]