Channel surfing compressed television sign method and television receiver

A television receiver capable of channel surfing compressed television signals comprising:

• a channel selector capable of being controlled by a viewer;
• a first tuner coupled to and controlled by the channel selector;
• a second tuner coupled to and controlled by the channel selector;
• a first decoder coupled to and receiving the output of the first tuner;
• a second decoder coupled to and receiving the output of the second tuner;
• an I′ frame memory:
• coupled to and receiving output of the second tuner, and
• coupled to and controlled by the channel selector;
• and
• a first switch:
• coupled to and controlled by the channel selector, and
• coupled to and receiving output from the first tuner and the I′ frame memory;
• and
• an output:
• coupled to and receiving output from the first switch, and
• providing a television signal to a display;
• wherein:
• a first I′ frame corresponding to a television programming on a second channel is received on a third channel by the second tuner for storage in the I′ frame memory as a first stored I′ frame while a television programming is being received on a first channel by the first tuner, is being decoded by the first decoder, is being selected by the first switch, and is being provided to the output for the display;
• and
• the first I′ frame is retrieved from the I′ frame memory and is then provided via the first switch to the output for the display when the viewer causes the channel selector to select the second channel after the viewer has viewed the television programming on the first channel.

An improved television program receiving apparatus including in combination:

• a) a first tuner and decoder operative to receive and provide for display a first television program;
• b) a second tuner and decoder operative to receive and provide for storage a second television program I′ frame;
• c) a memory operative to store at least one I′ frame of b);
• d)) a channel select responsive to a viewer and operative to cause said first tuner to select said second television program, wherein said channel select additionally cooperates with said memory to cause said stored I′ frame of c) to be provided for display instead of said first television program of a) for a time until said second television program is provided for display via said first tuner.

An improved method of receiving television program including the steps of:

• a) receiving, and making available for display, a first television program via a first tuner and decoder and;
• b) receiving a second television program I′ frame via a second tuner and decoder;
• c) storing at least one second television program I′ frame of b);
• d) causing said first tuner to select said second television program, wherein said selection additionally causes said stored I′ frame of c) to be made available for display instead of said first television program of a) for a time until said second television program is provided for display by said first tuner.