Apparatus and methods for providing enhanced consumer access to information sources and controllable entities. An Access device can be a stand alone device such as a DVD player in which the DVD disk contains the back-end information network. Other Access devices obtain the back-end information network from remote sources. By way of a specific example, the consumer can then view a game and interactively select every television camera located at the game venue.

A system and method are disclosed for enhancing a linear broadcast of a network television program by automatically displaying alerts over the linear broadcast relating to web content determined to be of interest to the linear broadcast or user. The alert may include a link such that, once actioned upon, web content may be presented to the user in addition to the linear broadcast or in the place of the linear broadcast.

Disclosed herein are video display systems and methods. An exemplary video display system includes a computerized media processing unit configured to receive content including video, audio, graphics and internet content from a plurality of content source devices providing such content and configured to output a blended video signal receivable by a display device; and wherein the video signal output by the media processing unit comprises a plurality of arbitrarily shaped video containers all displayable on the display device simultaneously, each of the plurality of video containers capable of being positioned and displaying video content independent of the video content of the other video containers; wherein the video content displayed in one container may comprise a GUI for control of size and position of each of the other of the plurality of video containers in response to user commands.

A method of content replacement with onscreen displays. The method can further include sending an overlay request to provide overlay content and an overlay format. The method can include receiving the overlay content and the overlay format selected in view of overlay parameters. The method can include superimposing the overlay content over the media content using the overlay format. The method can include detecting a presence of an onscreen display. The method can include determining a location of a portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content. The method can include defining a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location of the portion of the onscreen display. The method can include setting a transparency level of the overlay content in the window to permit the portion of the onscreen display to be at least partially visible through the overlay content.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to present a graphic user interface (GUI) for customizing an electronic programming guide (EPG), the GUI including a plurality of scrollable media channels, each media channel accompanied by an image, a description of the media channel, an option to select the media channel for inclusion in the EPG, a first button to customize the EPG according to one or more media channels selected, and a second button to request additional information about a media channel highlighted in the GUI. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A user interface allows for blending of television program choices from which a viewer may select, the blending representing options for linear and non-linear programming presented together within a single hierarchy of a designated category. The blending may further include managed content relevant to the designated category, where desired. Such designated categories may include television programming categories and/or content categories. The options for linear and non-linear programming may be presented together within a single screen of the user interface.

In accordance with some embodiments, a computer-implemented method is performed at a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display. The computer-implemented method includes: displaying a home menu comprising a plurality of application launch icons; detecting activation of any respective application launch icon; and, in response to detecting the activation, displaying a first animation of a transition from display of the home menu to display of an application that corresponds to the activated application launch icon. The first animation comprises expanding an image of the application.

A layout method for window control bars applied to an intelligent terminal, the intelligent terminal includes or is connected with a large-screen display, at least one window is displayed on the large-screen display, and the method comprises: receiving detection information from the large-screen display by the intelligent terminal, wherein the detection information comprises screen operation information or screen placement information; determining window layout positions corresponding to the detection information in a preset window layout table by the intelligent terminal; and laying out the window control bars on the windows displayed on the screen display according to the window layout positions. Therefore, the window control bars displayed on the screen are adaptively laid out and adjusted according to various kinds of information of the screen display, and the user experience is improved.

Present application discloses a method for switching an audio/video (AV) application, an apparatus and a smart TV. The method includes: receiving an instruction for switching to a target AV application; starting a preset intermediate interface and setting a AV application currently in use to be a background program, where a resource occupied by the intermediate interface is less than a resource occupied by the target AV application; and when the intermediate interface has been completely loaded, triggering the AV application, which has been set to be a background program, to release an AV decoder.

Systems and methods for providing blackout support in video mosaic environments are disclosed. In response to receiving a request for a video mosaic page, screen data, which may include blackout information, is received. The screen data identifies the video assets in the video mosaic page. A determination is made, based at least in part on the screen data, whether any video assets in the video mosaic page should be blacked out. Blacked out assets may be masked and their associated audio blocked. In addition, an overlay of options associated with the blacked out asset may be presented. The overlay may include options to substitute the blacked out asset with replacement content, search for similar content, or retrieve more information about the blackout.