An electronic programming guide ("EPG") in accordance with the invention
provides pictograms and/or logos, to indicate to a television viewer the
television programs being displayed on a television. The EPG information
display format is thus easier to recognize than prior art EPG formats. In
one embodiment, the EPG pictograms have 3D characteristics. The EPG
information can be displayed in a window within a television screen while
a program is being shown on the remainder of the screen. Thus, the viewer
can know what is playing on the various channels while he or she is
watching one of the channels. In one embodiment, the EPG is used in
conjunction with a remote controller that includes a help button for
facilitating operation of the EPG by the user. The EPG comprises a set of
geometric surfaces located in virtual 3D space. The pictograms and/or
logos, along with alpha-numeric text data and video clips are applied to
the geometric surfaces using a 3D graphics pipeline. The video clips can
comprise video programs, preview clips, or video data stored on a hard
drive. The appearance of the pictograms, logos, alpha-numeric data and/or
video clips can be modified in response to a user actuating a control
element on a remote controller. Such modification can include changing
the position of the geometric surface, or its lighting. All or some of
the pictograms, logos, alpha-numeric data and video clips can be changed
over time based on broadcast data. In one embodiment, internet HTML pages
are parsed and applied to geometric surfaces in 3D virtual space.