TV program identification method, apparatus, terminal, server and system

A method for retrieving and playing a TV program uses a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal captures one or more images of a TV program currently played on a TV using the image sensor and sends the images to a remote server. The remote server extracts a TV station identifier from the received images, compares the received images with images stored in an image library and corresponding to the TV station identifier, and determines an identity of the TV program when there is a match, generates an information record for the TV program, and returns the TV program information record to the mobile terminal, the TV program information record including a hyperlink to the TV program. After receiving the TV program information record from the remote server, the mobile terminal displays the hyperlink on the display of the mobile terminal.