Abstract: This disclosures describes a legacy converter and controller 600 for an audio video distribution system 20. The legacy converter and controller 600 includes the following: a network controller 620, a network interface 610, an audio format converter 621, an analog to digital converter (ADC), a legacy controller 624, a legacy audio network interface 625 that couples the legacy sources 500 to the legacy controller 624, and a legacy control network interface 625 that couples the legacy control network 700 to the legacy controller 624.

Abstract: This disclosures describes an audio home network system 20. The system 20 includes the following: a home network backbone 200; a plurality of network speakers 100 operating in a multi speaker session; and an audio source device 300 that provides digital audio to the network speakers wherein the digital audio is in a compressed format. The network speakers 100 further include a microphone that may be used for receiving and or gathering control information from said network speakers surroundings. And, the network speakers 100 send control information to other devices on the home network backbone 200. In addition, the network speakers 100 operate in either a master mode or a slave mode where a first network speaker operates in the master mode and a second or subsequent network speaker operates in the slave mode. The audio home network system 20 optimizes the audio for the network speakers 100 current location.

Abstract: This invention is a networked audio system (20). The invention includes a plurality of speaker nodes (100), a plurality of self-sufficient audio source node devices (300), an internet interface (400), a network control server (310), a legacy converter and controller (600) that connects to one or more legacy sources (500), all connected via an internet protocol network (200).