The playback of video content upon a display is enhanced through the unobtrusive presentation of extrinsic data upon the same display. A video content feature is rendered on a display. A quantity of extrinsic data relevant to a current time in the video content feature is determined based at least in part on viewing history of a user. A graphical element presenting at least a portion of the extrinsic data is rendered on the display while the video content feature is also being rendered on the display.

A slave relay station is adapted to serve and/or host pages comprising a simplified graphic user interface (GUI) encoded in a widely recognized format such as, for example, HTML or WML. The GUI embodies activatable links corresponding to control functions for configured appliances. A wireless phone or other device with network access and the capability to process and present such pages, for example via a Web browser, may then be utilized to effect control of such appliances by simply navigating to the network address of the slave relay station, obtaining an appropriate GUI page, and interacting with the links.

Advertisements in broadcast television programming are digitally replaced with different ads prior to viewing. Replacement can occur in time and/or place shifted content, and can be used to promote a particular advertisement that the viewer has not yet seen, thereby improving the reach of the ad without oversaturation. Data reporting by the playback devices is collected in a database of viewed ads. The information in the database can be used to refresh previously-viewed ads, to increase saturation of particular ads, to replace previously-broadcast but no longer relevant ads, or for other purposes as desired.

Various embodiments provide media based on a detected language being spoken. In one embodiment, the system electronically detects which language of a plurality of languages is being spoken by a user, such during a conversation or while giving a voice command to the television. Based on which language of a plurality of languages is being spoken by the user, the system electronically presents media to the user that is in the detected language. For example, the media may be television channels and/or programs that are in the detected language and/or a program guide, such as a pop-up menu, including such media that are in the detected language.

A television and system and method for providing a remote control device are disclosed. In one embodiment of the television, the television includes a processor, a memory, a tuner, a panel, and an audio driver therein in an interconnected architecture. The television may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, such as a proximate wireless-enabled interactive handheld device having a touch screen display, whereby formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions, including virtual buttons, may be transmitted to the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device for display on the touch screen display to create an experience parallel to the experience on the television. The television receives and processes virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device to control amenities associated with the television.

A set top/back box and system and method for providing a remote control device are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more wireless transceivers are located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes television input/output, a processor, and memory. The set top/back box may establish a pairing with a programmable device, such as a proximate wireless-enabled interactive handheld device having a touch screen display, whereby formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions, including virtual buttons, may be transmitted to the programmable device for display on the touch screen display to create an experience parallel to the experience on the television. The set top/back box receives and processes virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the programmable device to control amenities associated with the set top/back box.

A contents sharing network is provided. An operating method of a control device includes determining a current state of possible states in a contents sharing process over a network; and displaying an icon indicating the current state among a plurality of predefined icons. The states are defined as a combination of at least one item of network connection, device discovery, a type of the discovered device, the number of the discovered devices, and existence of an available additional service.

Method, system and computer program product for providing additional information to a handheld device (HHD) about a displayed point of interest in video programming displayed on a multimedia display. A image of the video programming captured by a HHD camera can be used at a remote server to identify the video programming by matching it with archived programming. If identified, additional information related to the video programming can be obtained/provided. A region within a particular frame of displayed video programming can be selected at the HHD to access additional information about a point of interest associated with the region. The additional information can be displayed on the HHD or a secondary display, in response to selecting the region to access the additional information from a remote server.

The system and methods described herein determine whether to override commands to modify content presentation in a multi-user content consumption environment. A media guidance application detects a first and second user consuming content. Upon receiving a command from the first user to modify the presentation of the content, the media guidance application retrieves a user profile of the second user and compares attributes in the user profile to metadata for the segment of the content. Based on the comparison, the media guidance application determines whether to override the command, for example based on a predicted interest level or importance level determined by the comparison. In response to determining to override the command, the media guidance application refrains from executing the command by canceling or delaying the command and generates a notification message to the user with a reason why the command was overridden.

Different functional views for a mobile device are provided depending on orientation of the device. The mobile device includes an enclosure and a display disposed within the enclosure, wherein the display presents a functional view to a user when the device is positioned in a first orientation and a second functional view when the display is rotated to a second orientation.