Navigation within switched digital streamed content

1. A method, carried out in a digital television receiver device, of receiving switched digital television programs without need for full interactive two way communication capabilities, comprising:

storing a virtual channel table in the digital television receiver device, the virtual channel table having entries for each available channel and having a channel type indicator that identifies switched digital channels;

receiving a command indicative of selection of a switched digital channel having the switched digital channel type indicator in the stored virtual channel table;

sending a request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel;

responsive to the request, receiving a response that either grants the request or denies the request; and

if the response grants the request, receiving an updated virtual channel table having updated table entries, wherein the channel type indicator designates a channel as a four bit binary channel designator wherein one bit represents a navigation bit, one bit designates that tuning parameters are either defined or undefined, one bit designates that a channel is either a switched or unswitched digital channel and one bit designates whether the channel is either hidden or viewable on an electronic programming guide.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising if the request is denied, displaying a message indicating that the requested channel is not available.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising if the request is granted tuning the requested channel based upon table entries in the updated virtual channel table.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the channel type indicator designates a channel as one of a switched digital channel, an unswitched digital channel or a video on demand channel.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command indicative of selection of a switched digital channel corresponds to a user selection from an electronic program guide.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sending the request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel and supplying status of currently tuning to a switched digital channel is the only outbound communication sent from the television receiver device during any tuning operation.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sending the request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel comprises sending an SCTE-28 program_req( ).

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a process according to claim 1 .

9. A method, carried out in a digital television receiver device, of receiving switched digital television programs without need for full interactive two way communication capabilities, comprising:

storing a virtual channel table in the digital television receiver device, the virtual channel table having entries for each available channel and having a channel type indicator that identifies each channel as at least one of a switched digital channel, an unswitched digital channel;

receiving a command indicative of selection of a switched digital channel having the switched digital channel type indicator in the stored virtual channel table, wherein the command indicative of selection of the switched digital channel corresponds to a user selection from an electronic program guide;

wherein sending the request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel and sending a status of a currently tuned switched digital channel are the only outbound communications sent from the television receiver device during any tuning operation

sending a request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel;

responsive to the request, receiving a response that either grants the request or denies the request;

if the response grants the request, receiving an updated virtual channel table having updated table entries, and tuning the requested channel based upon table entries in the updated virtual channel table;

if the request is denied, displaying a message indicating that the requested channel is not available, wherein the channel type indicator designates a channel as a four bit binary channel designator wherein one bit represents a navigation bit, one bit designates that tuning parameters are either defined or undefined, one bit designates that a channel is either a switched or unswitched digital channel and one bit designates whether the channel is either hidden or viewable on an electronic programming guide.

10. A digital television receiver device that receives switched digital television programs without need for full interactive two way communication capabilities, comprising:

a memory that stores a virtual channel table in the digital television receiver device, the virtual channel table having entries for each available channel and having a channel type indicator that identifies switched digital channels;

a user interface that receives a command indicative of selection of a switched digital channel having the switched digital channel type indicator in the stored virtual channel table;

a transmitter, responsive to the command, that sends a request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel;

a receiver responsive to the request, receiving a response that either grants the request or denies the request; and

if the response grants the request, the receiver receives an updated virtual channel table having updated table entries, wherein the channel type indicator designates a channel as a four bit binary channel designator wherein one bit represents a navigation bit, one bit designates that tuning parameters are either defined or undefined, one bit designates that a channel is either a switched or unswitched digital channel and one bit designates whether the channel is either hidden or viewable on and electronic programming guide.

11. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising if the request is denied, an on screen display generator displaying a message indicating that the requested channel is not available.

12. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising if the request is granted the tuner tunes the requested channel based upon table entries in the updated virtual channel table.

13. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the channel type indicator designates a channel as one of a switched digital channel, an unswitched digital channel or a video on demand channel.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the command indicative of selection of a switched digital channel corresponds to a user selection from an electronic program guide.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein sending the request from the television receiver device for the switched digital channel comprises sending an SCTE-28 program_req( ).