Patent ID: 9686572
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: H04N

Claim:
1. A digital media distribution device comprising: an encoder that is configured to encode input data that is received by the digital media distribution device into a first data format, the encoder coupled directly to and under control from a computer terminal unit; a decoder, coupled to the encoder via a computer network, that is configured to decode output data to be output by the digital media distribution device, the decoder coupled directly to and under control from the computer terminal unit; and a transcoder, coupled to the decoder, that is configured to convert the encoded input data from the first data format into a second data format; and the computer terminal unit enabling an operator to directly control the encoder and the decoder using a remote control format via one of a serial connection or the computer network, wherein the encoder is coupled to the decoder solely by the computer network, and the transcoder is coupled to the decoder and to the encoder via the computer network.