A media system that facilitates surveying a set of available media source apparatuses, wherein the system is implemented in a vehicle, the vehicle is at least one of: an automobile, airplane, rail system or watercraft, the system comprising: - an index component that provides an index of a set of available media source apparatuses, wherein the index is pre-supplied or the index component generates the index on first-run or dynamically re-generates the index from time to time; - a selection component that displays the set of available media source apparatuses, and receives selection requests for a subset of the available media source apparatuses; and - a preview component that displays at least one sample of media content associated with the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses prior to active engagement of the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, wherein the preview component includes a generation component that produces the at least one sample by extracting at least a portion of the media content from the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, wherein the preview component comprises a fusion component that synthesizes the at least one sample of media content from a combination of two or more sub-samples associated with the media content, wherein the two or more sub-samples comprise disparate previews of the media content obtained from disparate media source apparatuses of the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, - wherein each media source apparatus is configured for active engagement by initiating full playback of the media content associated with the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, - wherein the system further comprises a media control component that at least partially controls at least one of accessing, extracting or presenting the media content that relates to the set of available media source apparatuses, wherein the media control component comprises a contention component that resolves conflicts relating to at least one of audio or video between currently played media content and preview media content of the at least one sample, wherein the contention component attenuates, by dimming or muting, the currently played media content during preview of the at least one sample or attenuates, by dimming or muting, a portion of the at least one sample that conflicts with the currently played media content, and - wherein the at least one sample associated with the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses is presented along with the currently played media content from a currently engaged media source apparatus. - an index component that provides an index of a set of available media source apparatuses, wherein the index is pre-supplied or the index component generates the index on first-run or dynamically re-generates the index from time to time; - a selection component that displays the set of available media source apparatuses, and receives selection requests for a subset of the available media source apparatuses; and - a preview component that displays at least one sample of media content associated with the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses prior to active engagement of the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, wherein the preview component includes a generation component that produces the at least one sample by extracting at least a portion of the media content from the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, wherein the preview component comprises a fusion component that synthesizes the at least one sample of media content from a combination of two or more sub-samples associated with the media content, wherein the two or more sub-samples comprise disparate previews of the media content obtained from disparate media source apparatuses of the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, - wherein each media source apparatus is configured for active engagement by initiating full playback of the media content associated with the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses, - wherein the system further comprises a media control component that at least partially controls at least one of accessing, extracting or presenting the media content that relates to the set of available media source apparatuses, wherein the media control component comprises a contention component that resolves conflicts relating to at least one of audio or video between currently played media content and preview media content of the at least one sample, wherein the contention component attenuates, by dimming or muting, the currently played media content during preview of the at least one sample or attenuates, by dimming or muting, a portion of the at least one sample that conflicts with the currently played media content, and - wherein the at least one sample associated with the selected subset of the available media source apparatuses is presented along with the currently played media content from a currently engaged media source apparatus.