A method for assisting use of control devices with different content players in a network of content players, the method comprising: receiving, at a first content player of a network of content players, a first signal of a first type of signal from a control device that is configured to pair with and control only one content player at time and that is currently configured to control the first content player wherein the control device transmitted the first signal as part of transmitting a plurality of signals indicating that a user intends to utilize the control device in a particular area, the plurality of signals further including a second signal of a second type of signal transmitted to a content player of the network of content players located in the particular area, wherein the first type of signal comprises at least one radio frequency signal and the second type of signal comprises at least one infrared signal; if the first content player receives a notification from a second content player of the network of content players that the second content player has received the second signal and the first content player does not receive the second signal, determining by the first content player that a user has requested to configure the control device to control the second content player, transmitting at least one command from the first content player to the control device commanding the control device to instruct at least one component that is associated with the second content player to activate wherein the at least one component that is associated with the second content player is a particular type of component; and if the first content player does not receive the notification from the second content player that the second content player has received the second signal and the first content player does not receive the second signal, transmitting at least one command from the first content player to the control device commanding the control device to instruct all components of the particular type of component known to the control device to be associated with any content player of the network of content players to activate. receiving, at a first content player of a network of content players, a first signal of a first type of signal from a control device that is configured to pair with and control only one content player at time and that is currently configured to control the first content player wherein the control device transmitted the first signal as part of transmitting a plurality of signals indicating that a user intends to utilize the control device in a particular area, the plurality of signals further including a second signal of a second type of signal transmitted to a content player of the network of content players located in the particular area, wherein the first type of signal comprises at least one radio frequency signal and the second type of signal comprises at least one infrared signal; if the first content player receives a notification from a second content player of the network of content players that the second content player has received the second signal and the first content player does not receive the second signal, determining by the first content player that a user has requested to configure the control device to control the second content player, transmitting at least one command from the first content player to the control device commanding the control device to instruct at least one component that is associated with the second content player to activate wherein the at least one component that is associated with the second content player is a particular type of component; and if the first content player does not receive the notification from the second content player that the second content player has received the second signal and the first content player does not receive the second signal, transmitting at least one command from the first content player to the control device commanding the control device to instruct all components of the particular type of component known to the control device to be associated with any content player of the network of content players to activate.