Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for determining and optimizing a transmission route for a phone call. The phone call may be either local or long distance. For a local phone call the voice data is transmitted via known local methods. For a long distance phone call, middleware determines an optimal internet terminal service provider for carrying or transmitting the voice data. The middleware determines optimal internet terminal service provider by performing a comparative analysis of several internet terminal service providers according to cost and transmission quality.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for transferring digital image files to a digital video disc. The files in the digital video disc, or digital photos, are representative of a plurality of still pictures and are user controllable interactively played on either a personal computer or through a standard digital video disc playback device, such as a digital video disc player or a video compact disc player. The user has control of manipulating and sequencing the digital photos. During playback, the user has control of sequence during playback on either the personal computer or the television. A custom software package allows for the user controlled playback of the digital photos with most standard playback devices.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for transferring digital image files to a digital video disc. The files in the digital video disc, or digital photos, are representative of a plurality of still pictures and are user controllable interactively played on either a personal computer or through a standard digital video disc playback device, such as a digital video disc player or a video compact disc player. The user has control of manipulating and sequencing the digital photos. During playback, the user has control of sequence during playback on either the personal computer or the television. A custom software package allows for the user controlled playback of the digital photos with most standard playback devices.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for transferring digital image files to a storage medium. The files in the storage medium are interactively played on either a personal computer or a standard television. The digital image files are representative typically of a photo album. The user has control of manipulating and sequencing the digital photos. During playback, the user has control of sequence during playback on either the personal computer or the television. A custom software package allows for the controlled playback of the digital photos with most standard playback devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for creating and viewing a digital photo album on a television with the use of commonly available playback devices, such as a DVD player. The system and method generally comprise a user's creation of digital photographs (e.g., using a digital camera or scanning an analog photo), the user transmitting (electronically or otherwise) the image files to a central computer which then processes and converts the image files into one or combination of any number of predetermined video standards (such as digital VHS standard, VHS standard, DVD-Video standard, DVD standards, Internet Streaming Media standards, compressed digital video standards—MPEG-1, MPEG-2, JPEG, etc . . . ), and then writing the converted data to a transportable storage media that is in accordance with the video standard chosen (i.e., if files converted to a DVD format, then the transportable media must be a DVD).