Abstract: A system and method for providing playback of multiple video streams simultaneously is shown and described. A priority is assigned to individual windows of a plurality of windows used for playback of the video streams. A current window being accessed by a user is assigned a higher priority than nonactive, or background, windows. Playback characteristics, such as video resolution, transparency, and audio volume, are reduced in the playback of videos presented in nonactive windows in relation to video played in the active window. Accordingly, a user's attention may be drawn more to the active window than to the nonactive windows, while allowing the video and audio data in the nonactive windows to be provided to the user.

Abstract: A system and method for providing playback of multiple video streams simultaneously is shown and described. A priority is assigned to individual windows of a plurality of windows used for playback of the video streams. A current window being accessed by a user is assigned a higher priority than nonactive, or background, windows. Playback characteristics, such as video resolution, transparency, and audio volume, are reduced in the playback of videos presented in nonactive windows in relation to video played in the active window. Accordingly, a user's attention may be drawn more to the active window than to the nonactive windows, while allowing the video and audio data in the nonactive windows to be provided to the user.

Abstract: A method and system are presented to configure, store, and apply user-selected operating characteristics for multimedia devices on a per-program basis, rather than a per channel or connector-specific basis. The system provides a mechanism to set up and apply user-customized characteristics to a broadcast received on a multimedia device. Operating characteristics which may be selected for setting modification are video characteristics such as brightness, contrast, aspect ratio, resolution, closed-captioning type, parental control features, and others. In addition, audio operating characteristics that are user-selectable for modifications are volume level, language, tone, stereo, surround sound, and so forth. The operating characteristics may include recording options. A current program is identified and the operating characteristics are applied to related multimedia devices.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, an application responds to a low power operation request based upon its current state. In another mode, the application responds based upon its own current state and the state of a second application. Examples of such low power application requests include a suspend operation request issued by an operating system. Examples of such applications include multi-media applications.

Abstract: A system and method to display additional information, such as advertising, associated with a selectable display area displayed within a scene of a video stream are disclosed herein. A video stream having a fixed sequence of scenes having one or more selectable display areas is provided to a display controller. The display controller, in one embodiment, displays the video content having the fixed sequence of scenes, along with the selectable display areas within one or more scenes of the fixed sequence of scenes, on a display device. A viewer can select a selectable display area from the display device to instruct the display controller to perform an action associated with the selected selectable display area. In one embodiment, visual indicators, such as borders around the selectable display areas or icons representing the selectable display areas, are implemented to assist the viewer in identifying the selectable display areas within a displayed scene of the video content.