Items of video content offered for viewing on a video-on-demand (VOD) platform of a digital TV service provider are each assigned a respective title and hierarchical address corresponding to hierarchically-arranged categories and subcategories within which the title for the video content is to be categorized. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. The EPG dynamically adjust its display listings of each level of categories, subcategories, and titles in order to minimize the number of remote control keypresses needed for a viewer to navigate to a title of interest. In one basic form, the EPG display is reordered by listing more frequently visited categories or subcategories first, and other less frequently visited categories or subcategories lower on the listing or out-of-sight on another page of the display.

A set-top box with enhanced content and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a television input, television output, a processor, and memory. The set-top box may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Content, such music, for example, may be imported from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and provided to the television. While the music is playing, the set-top box may generate and provide to the television a control signal that includes instructions to adjust the brightness of the television by dimming the television.

A remote control system and related method for controlling a video device are presented. The remote control system contains a plurality of buttons arranged in a grid pattern that correspond to user selectable options displayed on a display screen arranged in the same grid pattern. The user selects options on the screen by pressing the corresponding button on the remote control.

Techniques where a computing device such as a smart phone can be leveraged to facilitate ratings data capture through a set top box (“STB”) associated with a content subscription service such as satellite television are described. In an exemplary embodiment, STB channel data can be communicated to the computing device via a personal area network (“PAN”) connection such as Bluetooth. The computing device in turn can forward the STB channel data to a remote server over a wide area network (“WAN”).

Systems and processes are provided for receiving a request for an audio video program from a display device, transmitting the request for the audio video program via a bidirectional network, receiving the audio video program via the bidirectional network wherein the audio video program is received at a first data rate, transmitting an alternate request for the audio video program via the bidirectional network wherein the alternate request for the audio video program includes are request for the audio video program to be transmitted via a unidirectional wireless transmission, receiving the audio video program via the unidirectional wireless transmission, and transmitting the audio video program to the display device.

A hospitality property management tool and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the system, the system includes a set-top box located in a room at a hospitality establishment having multiple rooms. The set-top box stores various types of set-top box data and transmits the set-top box data to a remote server. The remote server receives and stores the set-top box data. The server may render a map view of the hospitality establishment based on obtained map data. The map view may include a graphical representation of the room and other rooms at the hospitality establishment. The server may annotate the graphical representation of the room with at least a portion of the set-top box data.

In one aspect, an example method to be performed by a vehicle-based media system includes (a) receiving audio content; (b) causing one or more speakers to output the received audio content; (c) using a microphone of the vehicle-based media system to capture the output audio content; (d) identifying reference audio content that has at least a threshold extent of similarity with the captured audio content; (e) identifying visual content based at least on the identified reference audio content; and (f) outputting, via a user interface of the vehicle-based media system, the identified visual content.

A video playing control method includes obtaining a video playing policy, where the video playing policy determines information about a control algorithm used for video playing, determining according to the video playing policy, a target control algorithm used for video playing, downloading and playing a video by using the target control algorithm, collecting video playing quality indicator data in a process of downloading and playing the video, and uploading the quality indicator data to a server, to indicate the server to adjust the video playing policy based on the quality indicator data.

A device for remote controlling an application on a display device including a user interface for receiving a user input, a transmitter for transmitting a control signal to a display device, a network interface for coupling the control signal to a wireless local area network, and a processor for generating the control signal in response to the user input, determining a destination for the control signal in response to the user input, for coupling the control signal to the transmitter in response to the destination being a display device remote control receiver and for coupling the control signal to the network interface in response to the destination being a display device network interface.

Techniques are described for expanding and/or improving the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 television protocol in robustly delivering the next generation broadcast television services. Telepresence is provided through over-the-air (OTA) virtual reality (VR) broadcast streams.