PC Media Center Extension for PVR Network Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cable and satellite set-top boxes (STBs) are insufficient to implement advanced interactive television (ITV) features like videoconferencing and personal video recording due to lack of processing power and high costs, making it unfeasible for providers to upgrade existing installations.
Innovation Solution
A home entertainment system that transforms a personal computer into a PC media center (PCMC) and uses a media center extension (MCX) to provide ITV features, leveraging the PC's processing capacity and existing network infrastructure, allowing multiple TVs to access advanced functionalities without the need for expensive new STBs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If newer, more advanced STBs are deployed to implement home media centers with advanced ITV features, then processing power and functionality are improved, but cost increases to $500 to $1,000 per subscriber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the STB functionality with a PC by installing an STB application on the PC. This merging allows the PC to perform both general computing tasks and set-top box functions, eliminating the need for separate expensive STB hardware while maintaining full ITV capabilities including videoconferencing, PVR, and media center functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The PC is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a general-purpose computer and a specialized STB device. The STB application enables the PC to handle cable/satellite signal reception, decoding, and distribution to multiple displays, while the PC simultaneously performs web browsing, email, and other office tasks, maximizing resource utilization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If advanced STBs are provided to subscribers, then ITV features like videoconferencing and PVR are enabled, but subscribers are unwilling to pay the increased cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages the subscriber's existing PC hardware and software resources to provide advanced ITV features. Instead of requiring the subscriber to purchase expensive new STB equipment, the solution uses the subscriber's already-owned PC, eliminating additional hardware costs while enabling videoconferencing, PVR, and other advanced features through software installation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cable and satellite providers advance the cost for new STBs, then subscribers can access advanced features, but providers are not able to advance the cost of $500 to $1,000 per subscriber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, dedicated STB hardware with a software-based solution running on existing PCs. This substitution dramatically reduces the cost burden on providers, transforming a $500-$1,000 hardware investment into a minimal software licensing and deployment cost, while maintaining full functionality for advanced ITV features.
4Productivity
If multiple TVs are equipped with expensive new STBs to access advanced ITV features, then service capability is improved, but incremental costs are too high
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the STB functionality from dedicated hardware and distributes it as software across multiple PCs connected to different TVs. Each PC- TV combination can independently run the STB application, enabling multiple display locations to access advanced features without requiring expensive hardware at each location, thus reducing incremental costs while maintaining service capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal computer media center is connected to a media center extension and a personal video recorder (PVR) through a home network. The personal computer media center instructs the PVR through the home network to record a television broadcast. Subsequently, the personal computer media center instructs the PVR through the home network to output a media signal of the recorded television broadcast to the media center extension, which displays the media signal on a television.