Navigation among grouped television channels

A decoder for grouping a plurality of broadcast programming services which are provided in corresponding channels, comprising:

• grouping means for grouping a first plurality of said channels in a first channel group according to a desired first grouping criteria;
• said first channel group including a primary channel and at least one secondary channel;
• and
• a user interface for allowing a user to successively select the programming services corresponding to said first channel group according to a user control signal and data that associates said primary channel with a broadcast address of said at least one secondary channel.

A method for grouping a plurality of broadcast programming services which are provided in corresponding channels, comprising the steps of:

• grouping a first plurality of said channels in a first channel group according to a desired first grouping criteria;
• wherein:
• said first channel group includes a primary channel, and at least one secondary channel;
• and
• a user can successively select the programming services corresponding to said first channel group according to a user control signal;
• and
• grouping a second plurality of said channels in a second channel group according to a desired second grouping criteria;
• wherein:
• said second channel group includes a primary channel thereof and at least one secondary channel thereof;
• said channels of said second channel group are not all the same as said channels of said first channel group;
• and
• a user can successively select the programming services corresponding to said second channel group according to the user control signal.

A method for grouping a plurality of broadcast programming services which are provided in corresponding channels, comprising the steps of:

• grouping a first plurality of said channels in a first channel group according to a desired first grouping criteria;
• wherein:
• said first channel group includes a primary channel, and at least one secondary channel;
• and
• a user can successively select the programming services corresponding to said first channel group according to a user control signal;
• and
• providing respective multi-part channel designators for said primary channel and said at least one secondary channel, said designators including a first part which identifies said primary channel and said at least one secondary channel as being in said first channel group, and a second part which distinguishes said primary channel and said at least one secondary channel from one another.

A decoder for grouping a plurality of broadcast programming services which are provided in corresponding channels, comprising:

• grouping means for grouping a first plurality of said channels in a first channel group according to a desired first grouping criteria;
• said first channel group including a primary channel and at least one secondary channel;
• a user interface for allowing a user to successively select the programming services corresponding to said first channel group according to a user control signal;
• means for grouping a second plurality of said channels in a second channel group according to a desired second grouping criteria;
• said second channel group including a primary channel and at least one secondary channel;
• and
• a user interface for allowing a user to successively select the programming services corresponding to said second channel group according to the user control signal;
• wherein:
• said channels of said second channel group are not all the same as said channels of said first channel group.

A decoder for grouping a plurality of broadcast programming services which are provided in corresponding channels, comprising:

• grouping means for grouping a first plurality of said channels in a first channel group according to a desired first grouping criteria;
• said first channel group including a primary channel and at least one secondary channel;
• and
• a user interface for allowing a user to successively select the programming services corresponding to said first channel group according to a user control signal;
• wherein:
• said user interface provides respective multi-part channel designators for said primary channel and said at least one secondary channel, said designators including a first part which identifies said primary channel and said at least one secondary channel as being in said first channel group, and a second part which distinguishes said primary channel and said at least one secondary channel from one another.