Television system and method for providing computer network-based video

Abstract

A television system and method for providing computer network-based video. Various aspects may, for example, comprise a television system and method for providing both standard television video combined with computer network-based video, serially and/or concurrently. Various aspects may also comprise a user interface system and method for interacting with a user regarding the presentation and/or control of computer network-based video.

1 . A television set top box (STB), comprising:
 at least one module that operates to, at least:
 receive a user input indicating selection of at least one of: a personal video sharing service and/or a video provided by the personal video sharing service; and 
 in response to at least said user input:
 communicatively couple the STB to the personal video sharing service; 
 communicate with the personal video sharing service to receive video from the personal video sharing service; and 
 process the received video for presentation to the user. 
 
   
   
   
       2 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module operates to communicatively couple the STB to the personal video sharing service through a computer network. 
   
   
       3 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module further operates to:
 provide a graphical user interface for the user to select a personal video sharing service, and   receive a user input indicating selection of a personal video sharing service by, at least in part, operating to receive the user input via the graphical user interface.   
   
   
       4 . The television set top box of  claim 3 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises a video content selection matrix that presents selections corresponding to, at least, standard television channel offerings and personal video sharing services. 
   
   
       5 . The television set top box of  claim 3 , where the graphical user interface comprises a nested menu structure comprising:
 a first nested menu level at which a user may select between different types of video content, a first type corresponding to personal video sharing services and at least a second type corresponding to a type of video providing service different from personal video sharing services; and   a second nested menu level, at least one menu of which comprises a plurality of menu selections, each of the plurality of menu selections corresponding to a respective different personal video sharing service.   
   
   
       6 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module operates to provide a graphical user interface for the user to select specific video content offered by the selected personal video sharing service. 
   
   
       7 . The television set top box of  claim 6 , where the graphical user interface is customized to the selected personal video sharing service. 
   
   
       8 . The television set top box of  claim 6 , where the graphical user interface is generally consistent between different selected personal video sharing services. 
   
   
       9 . The television set top box of  claim 6 , where the graphical user interface comprises advertising graphics associated with a commercial entity different from advertising graphics provided by the selected personal video sharing service. 
   
   
       10 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module further operates to configure video signal processing of the STB by, at least in part, operating to:
 select a video decoder from a plurality of selectable decoders to utilize for decoding video information received from the personal video sharing service; and   route video information received from the personal video sharing service to the selected decoder.   
   
   
       11 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one module operates to receive a user input indicating selection of a particular video available from the personal video sharing service; and   the at least one module operates to configure video signal processing of the STB for processing video information received from the personal video sharing service by, at least in part, operating to:
 select a video decoder from a plurality of selectable decoders to utilize for decoding the selected video; and 
 route received video information corresponding to the selected video to the selected video decoder. 
   
   
   
       12 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module further operates to configure video signal processing of the STB by, at least in part, operating to:
 configure a configurable video decoder to utilize for decoding video information received from the selected personal video sharing service; and   route video information received from the selected personal video sharing service to the configured decoder.   
   
   
       13 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one module operates to receive a user input indicating selection of a particular video available from the personal video sharing service; and   the at least one module operates to configure video signal processing of the STB for processing video information received from the personal video sharing service by, at least in part, operating to:
 configure a configurable video decoder to utilize for decoding the selected video; and 
 route received video information corresponding to the selected video to the configured video decoder. 
   
   
   
       14 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module operates to receive a user input indicating a user's desire to view video content from a personal video sharing service of a computer network. 
   
   
       15 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module operates to receive a user input indicating selection of a personal video sharing service by, at least in part, operating to receive a signal from a remote control device, the received signal comprising characteristics exclusively dedicated to a user specifying a desire to view video content from a personal video sharing service. 
   
   
       16 . The television set top box of  claim 15 , where the received signal corresponds to a user selecting a feature of the remote control device exclusively dedicating to a user specifying a desire to view video content from a personal video sharing service. 
   
   
       17 . The television set top box of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module further operates to interact with a user of the STB to configure a graphical user interface to present particular personal video sharing services for selection. 
   
   
       18 . The television set top box of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one module operates to interact with a user of the STB to configure the graphical user interface by, at least in part, operating to interact with the user to specify a label and/or computer network address corresponding to a particular personal video sharing service. 
   
   
       19 . The television set top box of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one module operates to interact with a user of the STB to configure the graphical user interface by, at least in part, operating to interact with the user to specify one or more graphical characteristics to distinguish one or more personal video sharing services from other video sources presented by the graphical user interface. 
   
   
       20 . The television set top box of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one module operates to interact with a user of the STB to configure the graphical user interface by, at least in part, operating to interact with the user to specify one or more graphical characteristics to distinguish between different personal video sharing services. 
   
   
       21 . In a television set box (STB), a method for providing video service to a user, the method comprising:
 receiving a user input indicating selection of at least one of: a personal video sharing service and/or a video provided by a personal video sharing service; and   in response to at least said user input:
 communicatively coupling the STB to the personal video sharing service; 
 communicating with the personal video sharing service to receive video from the personal video sharing service; and 
 processing the received video for presentation to the user. 
   
   
   
       22 . A television set top box (STB), comprising:
 at least one module that operates to, at least:
 receive first video information from a standard television source; 
 process the received first video information for presentation to a user; 
 receive second video information from a personal video sharing service; 
 process the received second video information for presentation to a user, where the second video information is processed in a manner different from the first video information. 
   
   
   
       23 . The television set top box of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one module comprises a plurality of decoders comprising:
 a first decoder configured to decode video information corresponding to video information received from a personal video sharing service; and   a second decoder configured to decode video information corresponding to video information received from a video source other than a personal video sharing service.   
   
   
       24 . The television set top box of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one module comprises a configurable video decoder; and the at least one module operates to:
 configure the configurable video decoder in a first configuration to decode video information received from a personal video sharing service; and   configure the configurable video decoder in at least a second configuration, different from the first configuration, to decode video information received from a video source other than a personal video sharing service.