iEPG: An Ego-Centric Electronic Program Guide and Recommendation Interface

Conventional program guides present television shows in a list view, with metadata displayed in a separate window. However, this linear presentation style prevents users from fully exploring and utilizing the diverse, descriptive, and highly connected data associated with television programming. Additionally, despite the fact that program guides are the primary selection interface for television shows, few include integrated recommendation data to help users decide what to watch. iEPG presents a novel interface concept for navigating the multidimensional information space associated with television programming, as well as an effective visualization for displaying complex ratings data. Results from a user study indicate people appreciate the ability to search for content in non-linear ways and are receptive to recommendation systems and unconventional EPG visualizations.