Abstract: A controller (1) and target devices (2, 3) are connected via a network. The controller (1) displays an operation panel for controlling the target device (2) at a display device (10) based on information from the target device (2). The controller (1) is capable of changing an element and a user action of the operation panel based on data obtained by data broadcast.

Abstract: In a system for viewing accumulated contents by using a cellular phone, if an error prevents the content to be viewed, a simple operation is performed to view the rest at home. In accordance with a viewing request from a cellular phone, a television receiver, while sequentially receiving data from D-VHS, converts the data into a format suitable for reception and play in a cellular phone by using an encoder. After this format conversion, the television receiver stores in a play position memory a time stamp indicating a position information of a content and a sequence number used for transmission in TCP/IP. The cellular phone notifies the television receiver of a decode error of a reception data. When receiving a confirmation response of a normal play from the cellular phone, the television receiver clears the data of the play position memory, and otherwise holds the data of the play position memory.

Abstract: A program selecting method includes the steps of: storing still pictures or motion pictures of specific scenes of a plurality of viewed programs selected in a predetermined period; presenting the pictures of the specific scenes corresponding to a plurality of programs viewed in the past, during operation of program selection; and selecting the viewed program corresponding to the picture selected by operation of selecting the pictures presented.