A programmable
multimedia controller, including audio and video switches, controls audio video,
telephony, data, security, motor-operated,
relay-operated, and / or other types of devices. Modules of the controller receive and output audio and video in a number of analog and digital formats, allowing the
system to be interconnected to a wide range of devices.
Small form factor general purpose personal computers may be operatively connected to provide
processing power for the
system, and to execute application programs. Further, a personal
DVD player, or another device capable of displaying data and generating an audio output in response to user selection, may be used to control the programmable
multimedia controller as part of embedded control technique. Additionally, a
video overlay feature which allows video images, still frames,
graphics, and / or text to be overlaid at any desired location of a display screen, is provided in some embodiments.