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A program guide is a listing or collection of information that helps you find programs or other multimedia content. On television, it usually means a printed schedule or an on-screen guide showing what is available and when it airs.
What does “program guide” mean?
The phrase has two common TV-related meanings: a printed publication listing television or radio programs, and an on-screen display of television schedules. People may also call the latter a TV guide, TV listings, or an electronic program guide (EPG). The exact meaning depends on where you see the term. Reverso English Dictionary describes these ordinary uses.
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In a broader technical sense, a program guide can describe available multimedia content through metadata—not just broadcast television. A 2002 technical draft defines it as a set of metadata about multimedia content, with possible details including a title, URI, airtime, summary, genre, file size, bandwidth requirements, and access restrictions. Those are examples, not required fields for every guide. The draft is expired and is not a current IETF standard. Read the archived Internet-Draft.
What information can a program guide show?
A basic guide may show program names and times. A more descriptive one can add information that helps you decide what to watch or whether content is accessible in your circumstances. The particular fields vary by publication, service, or device; there is no single format established by these examples.
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- Schedule details: program title and airtime.
- Descriptions: a short summary or genre.
- Technical details: file size or bandwidth needs, especially in a multimedia context.
- Availability details: access restrictions or a URI identifying the content.
The technical examples come from the 2002 draft, so they describe possible metadata rather than a checklist that every modern TV guide follows.
How do program guides differ?
Guides can be distinguished by how they are delivered, what they show, and how they organize listings. Historical examples illustrate several arrangements, but they are not a universal classification or a ranking.
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| Distinction | What it means |
|---|---|
| Printed or on-screen | A printed magazine lists programs on a page; an electronic guide presents information through a television or related device. |
| Schedule-only or descriptive | Some listings focus on titles and times, while others include summaries or other metadata. |
| Grid or channel-by-channel | A guide may arrange programs across time in a grid or present listings one channel at a time. These are examples of formats, not a complete taxonomy. A USPTO-hosted historical exhibit shows grid, channel, and attractions guide examples. |
| Static or updateable | A printed listing is fixed once published; electronic program data may be updated. The 2002 draft mentions schedule changes as a reason data may change, but this does not establish how any particular current service updates its guide. |
Where do you find an electronic program guide?
On-screen guides are accessed differently from one device to another. For example, the Panasonic TU-IRD20 manual describes multiple guide formats and explains that users of that model can open them with the GUIDE button or through the main menu. That instruction applies to the TU-IRD20, not to televisions or receivers generally. See the Panasonic TU-IRD20 manual.
In short, if a screen or publication helps you identify available programs or multimedia content, it is functioning as a program guide; its layout and level of detail depend on the context.
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