List of Prevue software
| Electronic Program Guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Status | Information |
| Apple II | Lost; defunct | Launched in 1981. First known variation of the EPG software. Began as a satellite-delivered 24-hr scrolling guide channel with a simplistic style. Early units might have been referred to as EPG-II and manufactured by Syntronics. |
| Texscan | Lost; defunct | Need more information on this. |
| Atari 130XE | Found; defunct | Launched in 1985. Second known variation of the EPG software, initially made for smaller cable systems, with local text ads being added in 1986, and support in Canada in 1989.
Four versions of the software have been found. |
| Amiga 1000/2000 | Lost; defunct | Final version of the EPG software. Introduced local graphic ads. |
| Prevue/TV Guide Channel | ||
| Platform | Status | Information |
| Amiga 1000/2000 | 1987-93: Lost; defunct
1993-99: Found; defunct |
Launched in 1987. Internally referred to as EPG Esquire. (shortened as ESQ) The first versions were based off the Amiga EPG, however with a condensed guide with video and graphic ads on the top. More features would be added later, including regional ads and local weather conditions.
Versions produced after 1993, otherwise referred to as the New Look improve the guide layout by simultaneously showing multiple timeslots and listings at once. To this day, three versions of the post-1993 variation of ESQ have been found. |
| Windows | PC Prevue: Found; defunct
Hollywood: Found, in-progress; defunct |
PC Prevue: Launched in 1995. This version was initially based upon the 1993 version of Prevue Guide. This version was presented in a very limited fashion, with listings alternating by individual pages instead of scrolling and showing just program information on the top portion of screen (though some versions offered genlocked video and graphical ads.) As of today, the initial version of PC Prevue has been found and dumped.
Hollywood: Launched in 1999. This is referred to as the current version of the Prevue Channel, then referred to as TV Guide Channel after multiple acquisitions. This version switched to the Windows NT platform similar to Prevue Junior, and offered different styles throughout different years, starting with a tan guide reminiscent of Motorola cable boxes of the time. Since then, three versions of the software have been found and dumped online, thanks to those who purchased actual units containing the software.
|
| Sneak Prevue/Barker | ||
| Platform | Status | Information |
| Amiga 2000 | Found; defunct | Separate from other versions of Prevue, as this was made for pay-per-view barker channels. Launched in 1990. The channel relied on LaserDiscs, which were controlled by the Amiga.
Another version of Sneak Prevue was Barker, developed in a joint venture with Starnet. |
| Windows | In-progress; defunct | A version of the Sneak Prevue software ported to Windows. This was most likely produced during a time when there were various different projects to port Prevue to Windows, and most likely was operated similarly to the Amiga version. Despite this, it failed during development stages, and thus wasn't used in production. |