Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems for centrally and uniformly controlling the operation of a variety of devices, such as communication, consumer electronic, audio-video, analog, digital, 1394, and the like, over a variety of protocols within a network system and, more particularly, a control system and uniform user interface for centrally controlling these devices in a manner that appears seamless and transparent to the user. In a one embodiment, the control system optimizes the recording process by limiting the selectable source device and the selectable channels of a source device based on the selected sink or recording device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for effectively displaying product features in a point of purchase environment to draw the attention of the consumer the manufacturer's television. In one embodiment, the features are stored in memory on the television as individual images, in one or more slideshows, in one or more videos, or the like, and are displayed on the screen as an overlay or secondary video with the primary video, which is typically the display of a common broadcast signal sent to multiple televisions in a store display. The television's on-screen-display controller combines the videos for display on the screen. The feature images can be displayed as a group label, as static images that fade in and out, as a dynamically rolling string of images or the like.