A media system includes a plurality of set-top boxes coupled to a coax network and a controller. The controller displays a first passkey to a user in response to receiving a request from the user to activate playback of a media content on a particular set-top box. The set-top box receives the first passkey from the user and determines whether the user is authorized to activate playback of the media content by comparing the first passkey received from the user with a second passkey obtained from a passkey module on the set-top box. When the user is determined by the set-top box to be authorized to activate playback of the media content, the set-top box determines a radio frequency channel of the coax network according to the first passkey received from the user and begins playback of the media content received on the radio frequency channel on a display device.

The present invention provides a digital broadcast receiver capable of executing functions having higher added values. The broadcast receiver receives a broadcast wave of a digital broadcast service, controls an operation including activation and end of an application that is in cooperation with a broadcast program based on application-related information, and selects control relating to reactivation of the application based on a user's operation. If activation of the application is requested after the end of the application, the broadcast receiver controls the reactivation or non-reactivation of the application in accordance with the selection of control by the user.

A system and method for communicating content to a user device includes a head end that communicates a plurality of upcoming content metadata that includes a content title to the user device. The user device displays the upcoming content metadata and selects at least one upcoming content metadata from the plurality of upcoming content metadata to form selected data. The user device communicates the selected data to the head end. The head end adjusts head end communication parameters for the content associated with the selected data based on the selected data and communicates the content to a user device based on the head end communication parameters.

The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for switched digital video (SDV) systems. A first device used in an SDV system is provided, which can perform the following operations: generating a list of opened channels, wherein the list of opened channels includes at least one data field associated with one or more channels, each data field including a channel identifier and an encoding format identifier, wherein the channel identifier identifies a channel, and the encoding format identifier identifies the encoding format of one of data streams of one or more encoding formats for the channel identified by the channel identifier; and sending the list of opened channels to a second device, so that for each data field, the encoding format corresponding to the encoding format identifier of the data field is compared with the decoding capability of the second device, and the data field is retained in response to the encoding format matching the decoding capability, while the data field is discarded in response to the encoding format not matching the decoding capability.

A video aggregation system for providing a user personalized video content from videos available on the Internet generates a selective feed by combining a first feed and a second feed. The video aggregation system receives a search request from an Internet service and transmits a search reply containing a separately resolvable link to a video content object from the selective feed.

A reception apparatus, including circuitry configured to receive a content including at least one of audio content or video content, extract fingerprint information from data of the content, and provide the fingerprint information to a first server via a communication network. The circuitry is further configured to receive control information in response to providing the fingerprint information to the first server.

A media system includes a plurality of set-top boxes coupled to a coax network and a controller. The controller displays a first passkey to a user in response to receiving a request from the user to activate playback of a media content on a particular set-top box. The set-top box receives the first passkey from the user and determines whether the user is authorized to activate playback of the media content by comparing the first passkey received from the user with a second passkey obtained from a passkey module on the set-top box. When the user is determined by the set-top box to be authorized to activate playback of the media content, the set-top box determines a radio frequency channel of the coax network according to the first passkey received from the user and begins playback of the media content received on the radio frequency channel on a display device.

A video aggregation system for providing a user personalized video content from videos available on the Internet generates a selective feed by combining a first feed and a second feed. The video aggregation system receives a search request from an Internet service and transmits a search reply containing a separately resolvable link to a video content object from the selective feed.

A video aggregation system for providing a user personalized video content from videos available on the Internet generates a selective feed by combining a first feed and a second feed. The video aggregation system receives a search request from an Internet service and transmits a search reply containing a separately resolvable link to a video content object from the selective feed.

A database is packed up for broadcast over an iTV system by packaging, compressing, and streaming the database via one or more carousels. The packing up process creates one or more data modules, each including record sets, and one or more modules containing computer-readable instructions for resolving queries using the record sets. These modules, along with a table of contents module that includes descriptions of how the data modules are composed and interfaces to the modules containing the computer-readable instructions, are downloaded at a set top box in order to resolve queries from television users and/or other applications. Thereafter, the computer-readable instructions are executed to resolve the queries. When available, the results produced by executing the query may be displayed on a television. Information regarding the queries may be used to modify the packing up and/or broadcast processes.