Abstract: A television system provides access to Internet data simultaneously with a displayed television program. Data units including data address sites available through a networked computer system such as the Internet are embedded in a television signal along with a television program. Information representing the data address site, such as an icon or descriptive text, is displayed simultaneously with the television program on the television. If the user selects the data address site, a data retrieval terminal in two-way communication with the network and associated with the television establishes a connection with the network and requests the data corresponding to the selected data address site. The retrieved information is then formatted for display.

Abstract: An application that is capable of monitoring Internet or network traffic and performing recordings of computer video output based on network activity thresholds. The recording application is typically not installed on the computer to be recorded but can reside on the computer to be recorded. The application contains a configuration interface that allows a user to set thresholds for certain types of network activity usage. When a threshold is reached, the application will begin a video recording of the computer's video activity which will be stored for later use. The application can be configured to include settings such as the length of the recording. In a typical environment, the application is a hardware appliance that is capable of monitoring web activity and network traffic and can connect to the computer over the network in order to perform the recording.

Abstract: A video system (100) comprises an input (102) for receiving a plurality of broadcast content channels. A tuner (104) generates a content signal corresponding to at least one of the broadcast content channels. A time shift buffer (106) stores the content signal generated by the tuner to provide a time shift capability. A storage means (108) for stores a profile, the profile comprising one or more preference settings, wherein a preference setting comprises at least one preferred channel and at least one corresponding time criterion, the preference setting indicating that the content signal corresponding to the preferred channel is to be stored in the time shift buffer when the corresponding time criterion is satisfied. Control means (110) cause the tuner to generate the content signal of the preferred channel in agreement with the time criterion.