TV Guide FAQs: How Do I Know What's On TV Tonight?

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Not too long ago, TV Guide was the most circulated magazine, answering the question everyone wants to know: what's on TV tonight? But as smart TVs and other devices became popular alongside streaming services and on-demand programming, the need for a television guide has evolved, too.

Instead of a print magazine, people tend to want to access something directly from their television, where they can browse channels, get concise summaries of what’s on, and click through directly to the programming that’s on. 

As an added bonus, digital television guides usually reflect the latest updates to what's on, since often last-minute programming changes can modify the TV schedule. This includes regional differences in channel listings and schedules.

While TV Guide Magazine does exist, It's estimated to only reach 1 to 6 million people with an average age of 58. Today's options show improvement in how personalized they are, since you can now access TV
channel lineups and programming schedules customized to your geography or even the Optimum services you get.

So how do I know what's on TV tonight?
If you’re looking to know what’s on TV tonight, you’ve got options. 

You can always start with your local channel lineup, picking a city from the list or even using our handy lookup tool. You can then sort the listings based on channel number, name of the channel, or even the package, giving you a full view into what channels you can access.

Want to see which shows are playing at what times today? You can view your TV schedule by logging in with your Optimum account information. You can look ahead to see what's airing in the future just by navigating to different days and times.

We get it: you like to channel surf - and we're right there with you. But any seasoned channel surfer can share the frustration of finding the perfect program right as it's ending. The good news is that a TV guide can help you surf more effectively, so that you can review all your options and always pick the best one. Other benefits of a tv guide include:

-    Learning about new programs or channels you didn’t know existed
-    Plan out your TV scheduling
-    Review detailed descriptions of shows
-    Search schedules for specific shows or channels
-    Navigate future programming, looking ahead by hours or even days

Whether you want to see your local channel lineup or view your TV schedule, there is a dedicated TV guide solution for you. Feel free to use the search functionality to look for a specific show or movie of interest to you. If you have DVR configured on your account, you can even record a show to watch later at your convenience.  

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