Abstract: A remote control of an on-screen display is provided. One example embodiment includes a method for receiving a first command from a user input device and converting the first command from the user input device to a second command, wherein the second command is in a display device format that the display device can use to control an on-screen display, then sending the second command to the display device to remotely control an on-screen display in the display device.

Abstract: The invention provides a system which monitors and controls upstream path congestion by utilizing a MAC layer protocol wherein an upstream communication cell is transmitted from a settop box to the headend. The upstream cell contains a message field and a retry count. The retry count is incremented upon failure of each attempt to communicate with the headend within the upstream path. A downstream cell from the headend to the settop terminals contains an acknowledgment field and an optional power control field. Upstream path congestion is monitored by the headend through averaging or other suitable monitoring all of the retry count field data which arrives from the network of settop terminals.