Fast tuning audiovisual display system

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for the fast and effective tuning of a dual tuning audiovisual display system, such as a television. The dual tuners are selectively coupled via a selector to the display. In the preferred embodiment, one tuner is adapted for connection to a cable system with tuning via a cable box, typically controlled by the television via transmission from the television. Ordinarily, the speed of channel changing on the cable box is slower than tuning via the tuner adapted for connection to the bare cable. A control system determines whether a desired channel is available in the channel map for the tuner adapted for connection to the bare cable. If it is available, the tuning is made with that tuner. If the desired channel is not available in that channel map, but is available in the channel map associated with the slower tuner, such as premium channels available through a cable box and the associated channel map, then the cable box containing tuner system is selected. In yet another aspect of this invention, preemptive tuning is utilized to pretune the currently unselected tuner to what is expected to be the next channel selection. In yet another aspect of this invention, channel remapping is utilized so as to effectively space apart channels on the channel map associated with the slower tuner, such that the occurrence of adjacent or nearby channels in the channel map of the slower tuner is reduced or eliminated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.