Simplified programming of a video cassette recorder having multiple and single channel signal sources

Claim 1

A videocassette recorder, comprising: a tuner for tuning to each of a plurality of television channels; a memory circuit for storing channel related data in a first list and a second list; a controller for controlling said tuner and storing said data in said memory circuit; and data input circuitry for use by a viewer for entering data; said controller causing said tuner to perform an autoprogramming function in which data indicative of active channels is stored in said first list; said controller associating a channel-guide channel number with a respective active channel number in response to data input by said viewer, and storing said channel-guide channel number in said second list, said second list storing only a subset of all channel-guide channel numbers; said controller searching said second list for a given channel-guide channel number and upon finding said given channel-guide channel number said controller uses an associated active channel number for tuning; upon failing to find said given channel-guide channel number in said second list, said controller operates in a first or a second predetermined mode of operation, wherein in said first mode of operation said controller uses said given channel-guide channel number for tuning; and in said second mode of operation said controller uses a default channel number for tuning.