Generating a live-view interactive program guide with a plurality of television channels and a reserved space for picture-in-picture preview area

A method of providing media in a media system, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of original video streams via a first communication interface;
• scaling down the plurality of original video streams by a computer server to thereby form a plurality of scaled video streams, each of the scaled video streams being scaled down from a first resolution to a second, lower resolution such that the plurality of scaled video streams can be simultaneously played together on a guide video stream;
• generating, by the computer server, the guide video stream to have a layout formed by respectively positioning the plurality of scaled video streams on the guide video stream at a corresponding plurality of channel positions determined according to a mapping table;
• the mapping table, for each of the original video streams, mapping a channel designator of the original video stream to a position on the guide video stream where the scaled video stream of the original video stream is to be positioned;
• ensuring, by the computer server, that the layout of the guide video stream further includes a reserved space for a picture-in-picture preview area, wherein the reserved space for the picture-in-picture preview area does not overlap with the channel positions;
• transmitting the guide video stream from the computer server to a set-top box;
• receiving the guide video stream at the set-top box via a first RF tuner included in the set-top box;
• displaying the guide video stream on a display device by the set-top box;
• providing, by the set-top box, an interactive user interface on the display device superimposed over the guide video stream to thereby allow a user of the set-top box to select one of the scaled video streams shown playing on the guide video stream for preview;
• drawing, by the set-top box, a selection box of the interactive user interface superimposed over the guide video stream at a position of a selected one of the scaled video streams according to the layout of the guide video stream;
• looking up, by the set-top box, a target channel designator as indicated in the mapping table according to the position of the selection box;
• operating a second RF tuner included in the set-top box to receive a particular original video stream at the target channel designator in response to the user selecting a particular scaled video stream for preview;
• resizing, by the set-top box, a video portion of the particular original video stream to form a resized video portion such that the resized video portion fits within the reserved space for the picture-in-picture preview area;
• and
• playing, by the set-top box, the resized video portion as a preview superimposed over the picture-in-picture preview area of the guide video stream such that the scaled video streams shown playing on the guide video stream within the channel positions are all still visible and playing along with the preview on the display device without overlap, the second RF tuner receiving the particular original video stream simultaneously with the first RF tuner receiving the guide video stream.

A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising a plurality of processor executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform steps of:

• receiving a plurality of original video streams via a first communication interface;
• scaling down the plurality of original video streams by a computer server to thereby form a plurality of scaled video streams, each of the scaled video streams being scaled down from a first resolution to a second, lower resolution such that the plurality of scaled video streams can be simultaneously played together on a guide video stream;
• generating, by the computer server, the guide video stream to have a layout formed by respectively positioning the plurality of scaled video streams on the guide video stream at a corresponding plurality of channel positions determined according to a mapping table;
• the mapping table, for each of the original video streams, mapping a channel designator of the original video stream to a position on the guide video stream where the scaled video stream of the original video stream is to be positioned;
• ensuring, by the computer server, that the layout of the guide video stream further includes a reserved space for a picture-in-picture preview area, wherein the reserved space for the picture-in-picture preview area does not overlap with the channel positions;
• transmitting the guide video stream from the computer server to a set-top box;
• receiving the guide video stream at the set-top box via a first RF tuner included in the set-top box;
• displaying the guide video stream on a display device by the set-top box;
• providing, by the set-top box, an interactive user interface on the display device superimposed over the guide video stream to thereby allow a user of the set-top box to select one of the scaled video streams shown playing on the guide video stream for preview;
• drawing, by the set-top box, a selection box of the interactive user interface superimposed over the guide video stream at a position of a selected one of the scaled video streams according to the layout of the guide video stream;
• looking up, by the set-top box, a target channel designator as indicated in the mapping table according to the position of the selection box;
• operating a second RF tuner included in the set-top box to receive a particular original video stream at the target channel designator in response to the user selecting a particular scaled video stream for preview;
• resizing, by the set-top box, a video portion of the particular original video stream to form a resized video portion such that the resized video portion fits within the reserved space for the picture-in-picture preview area;
• and
• playing, by the set-top box, the resized video portion as a preview superimposed over the picture-in-picture preview area of the guide video stream such that the scaled video streams shown playing on the guide video stream within the channel positions are all still visible and playing along with the preview on the display device without overlap, the second RF tuner receiving the particular original video stream simultaneously with the first RF tuner receiving the guide video stream.