Abstract: A control device for a system for displaying video data includes an output port configured to couple to the video display and input ports configured to couple to a plurality of sources for display content. An image generator is coupled to the input ports and the output port and generates a portal image to be displayed on the video display as a personalized portal screen. The personalized portal screen has a plurality of integrated display options personalized to a viewer's preferences. Each display option corresponds to one of the sources for display content or content within one of the sources. The display options include viewports that display content from selected sources and further including links to other sources.

Abstract: The present invention may be regarded as a digital video recorder connectable to a set-top box. The digital video recorder receives a real-time video signal from the set-top box and provides a recorded video signal to the set-top box during a playback interval. The digital video recorder includes a disk and a video data stream manager that in response to the real-time video signal provides a first video stream to store a selected video segment on the disk. The video data stream manager, in response to commands from a microprocessor in the set-top box, receives a second video stream based on the selected video segment stored on the disk to generate the recorded video signal. The set-top box includes a multiplexer that selects the real-time video signal during a real-time interval and selects the recorded video signal during the playback interval to generate an output video data stream to a display device.

Abstract: A video system has an input port to receive video data that includes a plurality of premium contents, and an output port to couple to a video display for displaying video data selected by a viewer. A preference engine coupled to the input port tracks viewer selections of the video data and creates a viewer profile representing viewing preferences of the viewer. A storage device is coupled to the preference engine to store the viewer profile. An image generator is coupled to the input port, the output port and the storage device, wherein the image generator is responsive to the viewer profile and responsive to data representing available video data, including data representing the premium contents. The image generator generates a menu image to be displayed on the video display as a menu including a limited number of viewing preferences having a high probability of acceptance by the viewer.