Methods and apparatuses for presenting menus to DVR users and users of other media playback devices are described. After a DVR (or other media device) has finished playing a recorded television program (or other content), or in response to other specified events, the DVR presents a screen which comprises a menu. In addition to or in alternative to “save” and “delete” options, the menu comprises one or more options. Each of these other options may correspond to a separate item. For example, a user's selection of such an option may cause the DVR to display or play certain content on the user's television set. Additionally, or alternatively, these other options, when selected by a user, may cause the DVR to display a user interface through which the user can actually interact with content, such as an item that was featured or referenced in the television program that the user was just watching.

Methods and apparatuses for presenting menus to DVR users and users of other media playback devices are described. After a DVR (or other media device) has finished playing a recorded television program (or other content), or in response to other specified events, the DVR presents a screen which comprises a menu. In addition to or in alternative to “save” and “delete” options, the menu comprises one or more options. Each of these other options may correspond to a separate item. For example, a user's selection of such an option may cause the DVR to display or play certain content on the user's television set. Additionally, or alternatively, these other options, when selected by a user, may cause the DVR to display a user interface through which the user can actually interact with content, such as an item that was featured or referenced in the television program that the user was just watching.

According to one embodiment, an information device includes a request command transmission unit and an information reception unit. The request command transmission unit transmits, to an external device, a request command for obtaining information of one or more unique commands executable only by the external device from the external device. The information reception unit receives the information of one or more unique commands requested by the request command from the external device.

A method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags. An advertiser provides additional content associated with broadcast advertising content to a service provider that downloads the additional content to a digital video recorder (DVR). The service provider inserts command tags into the content that are intercepted by the DVR and interpreted as commands that instruct the DVR to perform specific actions when the DVR receives the stream from a broadcaster. The DVR intercepts and translates any tags inserted into the content stream while the DVR is playing the content stream. Tags can cause the DVR to display a branded video tag to the user which is a displayed icon that requests an interaction by the user and has an advertiser's logo(s) displayed in its vicinity.

Methods and devices for improving visual perception in challenging vision environments and for some with low vision conditions (including age related macular degeneration, AMD) are disclosed. A plurality of frequently co-pathological conditions that together make undistorted, clear and bright vision challenging are dealt with by managing the nature, amounts and patterns of light reaching the eyes while managing the sensitivity and dynamic ranges of the eyes. For example, the sensitivity of chromophore response to particular wavelengths and the instant status of the visual transduction system are, in some embodiments, measured, monitored and managed.

A method and apparatus for displaying branded video tags. An advertiser provides additional content associated with broadcast advertising content to a service provider that downloads the additional content to a digital video recorder (DVR). The service provider inserts command tags into the content that are intercepted by the DVR and interpreted as commands that instruct the DVR to perform specific actions when the DVR receives the stream from a broadcaster. The DVR intercepts and translates any tags inserted into the content stream while the DVR is playing the content stream. Tags can cause the DVR to display a branded video tag to the user which is a displayed icon that requests an interaction by the user and has an advertiser's logo(s) displayed in its vicinity.

Methods and devices for improving visual perception in challenging vision environments and for some with low vision conditions (including age related macular degeneration, AMD) are disclosed. A plurality of frequently co-pathological conditions that together make undistorted, clear and bright vision challenging are dealt with by managing the nature, amounts and patterns of light reaching the eyes while managing the sensitivity and dynamic ranges of the eyes. For example, the sensitivity of chromophore response to particular wavelengths and the instant status of the visual transduction system are, in some embodiments, measured, monitored and managed.

A method and apparatus for secure transfer of previously broadcasted content enables the secure transfer of previously broadcasted content between DVRs on a computer network.

Robust, computationally-efficient and secure systems, devices and automated processes are described for storing content on a disk drive or other storage device that is supplied to a media encoder or other host device. The user-supplied drive may be used, for example, to store content in a digital video recorder (DVR) or the like. The host device creates two separate digital identifiers that separately identify the host device and the user, respectively, so that subsequent pairing can be performed based upon either identifier. The two identifiers are stored on the storage device and rendered upon subsequent pairing for validation by the host device.

Systems, devices and automated processes provide robust, computationally-efficient and secure protection of media content or other electronic data stored on a user-supplied storage device through the use of efficient file system encryption. Only certain portions of the content are encrypted by the host device, thereby reducing the computational demand in comparison to encrypting all of the content. By selecting the particular portions to encrypt, the formatting and structure of the stored data can be concealed, thereby making the use of the unencrypted content very difficult, if not impossible. In implementations based upon the XFS file system, for example, the superblocks that store header information about the files stored on the drive can be encrypted, thereby rendering the unencrypted content