Abstract: A method in an electronic device, of enabling remote control of a plurality of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) client devices is disclosed. The method includes receiving an identification of each of the plurality of IPTV client devices, where the identification includes an IP address associated with the IPTV client device. The method continues with receiving at least one input from a user, which corresponds to one or more control commands to be performed by a subset of IPTV client devices at substantially the same time. The method further includes transmitting a copy of the one or more control commands within a set of IP packets to each one of the subset of IPTV client devices, where each set of IP packets is destined to one IPTV client device based on the IP Address of the IPTV client device.

Abstract: Strategies are described for detecting events that match pre-established criteria based on a consumer profile, formulating picture-in-picture (PIP) alerts based on the matching events, and providing the PIP alerts to the consumer's output device. The output device can present plural PIP alerts, either by presenting multiple PIP alerts at the same time, or by sequencing through the multiple PIP alerts within a single PIP pane. The consumer can navigate among the PIP alerts to activate a desired PIP alert, prompting the presentation of supplemental information regarding the PIP alert, such as a video stream associated with the PIP alert or additional textual information associated with the PIP alert.

Abstract: Content re-lock control is described. In an embodiment, restricted content is unlocked such that the restricted content can be rendered for a rendering duration. A user-selectable input is received that time-shifts the rendering duration of the restricted content, and an effective rendering duration of the restricted content can be determined from the rendering duration and a time-shift duration that corresponds to the time-shift.

Abstract: In an implementation of control-based content pricing, a content server distributes media content to a client device in response to a request from the client device to receive the media content. A valuation application allocates a cost to the client device when the media content is distributed to the client device. The content server receives a view control input from the client device that indicates how the media content is to be rendered and the valuation application adjusts the cost according to the view control input and how the media content is to be rendered.