Electronic equipment and methods for permitting quick control of the operating state of a source equipment side from sink equipment. A television receiver (sink equipment) 100 and an amplifier (repeater equipment) 200 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 610, and the amplifier 200 and a DVD recorder (source equipment) 300 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 620. Each of the pieces of equipment includes, in addition to an HDMI receiving unit and an HDMI transmitting unit, a high-speed data line I/F included in a bidirectional communication unit that uses predetermined lines of the HDMI cable. The bidirectional communication unit is used to transmit channel selection information, a remote control code instructing recording, “theater mode” designating information, a remote control code, or the like from the television receiver 100 to the audio amplifier 200 or DVD recorder 300.

An electronic content guide is disclosed. The electronic content guide preferably includes a source field for listing content sources and output devices. The electronic content guide also includes a first content field for listing schedule data corresponding to first content data presently available for viewing from each one of the content sources and for listing display information corresponding to the first content data being displayed for viewing at a present time by each one of the output devices. Preferably, the source field and the first content field are displayable in parallel columns. The electronic content guide can also include a second content field, displayable in a column parallel to the source field and the first content field, corresponding to a second content data. In one embodiment, the first content data from each content source can be displayed simultaneously on more than one of the output devices.

A storage system and method for data peeling are provided. In one embodiment, a controller of the storage system is configured to receive a request from a host for a reduced-bit-rate version of video stored in the memory suitable for a specified profile; generate the reduced-bit-rate version of the video; and send the reduced-bit-rate version of the video to the host. Other embodiments are provided.

A storage system and method for high-correlation data analysis with unified time mapping are provided. In one embodiment, a controller of a storage system is configured to receive a data stream from a host, wherein the data stream comprises a clock reference signal configured to synchronize playback of audio and video in the data stream, wherein the clock reference signal is mapped to a clock of the host; map a clock of the storage system to the clock reference signal of the data stream; tag a storage system parameter with a time stamp generated by the clock of the storage system; and send the tagged storage system parameter to the host. Other embodiments are provided.

Apparatus and methods to manage recording of streaming packetized content (such as for example live IP packetized content) for access, retrieval and delivering thereof to one or more users. In one embodiment, the foregoing is accomplished via communication between a recording manager and a receiver/decoder device. The recording manager manages and schedules recording of content on behalf of the receiver/decoder device (and/or mobile devices) disposed at a user's premises. The recording manager runs one or more computer programs designed to receive requests to record packetized content from one or more consumer devices, and use metadata contained within the requests to cause a cloud storage entity or premises storage device to record the content at its scheduled date/time (either via the receiver/decoder device itself, or another network entity). In this manner, the recording manager provides digital video recording (DVR) functionality to devices that would be otherwise incapable of scheduling a recording and/or recording such content.

Disclosed are a method for waking up an audio device, and a display apparatus. The method includes: while the display apparatus is in a standby state, in response to a power command input from a user, controlling the display apparatus to enter a power-on state from a standby state, and in response to determining that there is an audio device among a plurality of external devices connected with the display apparatus via HDMI interfaces, controlling the audio device to enter a power-on state first, and then controlling other external devices among the plurality of external devices except for the audio device to enter a power-on state.

A main stream contains successive content elements of video and/or audio information that encode video and/or audio information at a first data rate. A computation circuit (144) computes main fingerprints from the successive content elements. A reference stream is received having a second data rate lower than the first data rate. The reference stream defines a sequence of the reference fingerprints. A comparator unit (144) compares the main fingerprints with the reference fingerprints. The main stream is monitored for the presence of inserted content elements between original content elements, where the original content elements have main fingerprints that match successive reference fingerprints and the inserted content elements have main fingerprints that do not match reference fingerprints. Rendering of inserted content elements to be skipped. In an embodiment when more than one content element matches only one is rendered. In another embodiment matching is used to control zapping to or from the main stream. In another embodiment matching is used to control linking of separately received mark-up information such as subtitles to points in the main stream.

Methods and apparatus for detecting space-shifted media content associated with a digital recording/playback device are disclosed. An example apparatus includes means for detecting that first data associated with media is being written to a first storage of a first media device on a home network at a monitored location, the means for detecting to receive information on the first data from a first metering device and, in response to detecting the first data being written, request, from a second metering device, second data being read from a second storage of a second media device on the home network. The example apparatus also include means for determining that the media has been space-shifted to the first media device from the second media device when the first data that is being written to the first storage matches the second data being read from the second storage.

An information embedded method is used with a broadcast source and a broadcast signal receiver using a unidirectional transmission medium. The information embedded method includes steps of: storing information-push files in the broadcast signal receiver during a first time period; the broadcast source delivering broadcast signals to the broadcast signal receiver through the unidirectional transmission medium during a second time period posterior to the first time period; and the broadcast signal receiver selecting one of the information-push files according to a predetermined rule and combining the broadcast signals and information content of the selected information-push file to form an information embedded program. An information embedded system includes the broadcast source and the broadcast signal receiver.

Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for selectively obscuring a rendering of a media stream. In one implementation, the method includes receiving a request to render the media stream. The media stream is accessed through a first media source. A content identifier is identified for an event within the requested media stream. Based upon the content identifier, it may be discovered that the event is accessible through at least one second media source. The rendering of the requested media stream may then be obscured and a notification provided to a user that the event within the requested media stream is accessible through at least one second media source.