Patent ID: 7360152

Claim:
In a computer, a method for playing media, which is designed for playing on various types of media players, comprising: a. embedding a universal media player in an Internet browser, wherein the universal media player includes a media player interface with user controllable buttons, locating the media player interface of the universal media player in a persistent region of a user interface of the Internet browser in which the universal media player is embedded, the universal media player accessing and playing different media sources without requiring downloading of a player associated with a format of a media source; b. determining whether incoming media to be played is playable by the universal media player by determining the media type of the incoming media and searching a table of media types, including a MIME table, to determine whether the media type of the incoming media is playable by the universal media player; and (i) if the incoming media to be played is playable by the universal media player, intercepting the incoming media and forwarding the incoming media to the universal media player; (1) determining whether the incoming media is ready to be played; (2) determining whether a current media player is playing media; (3) when the incoming media is ready to be played, if the current media player is playing media, stopping and hiding the current media player and initializing an idle media player; (4) if the incoming media is ready, determining whether a time to establish connection has timed out; (5) when incoming media is ready to be played, displaying an activated universal media player; (6) directing the incoming media to the initialized idle media player; or (ii) if the media to be played is not playable by the universal media player, a default media player capable of playing the incoming media; (c) in response to receiving a request to change the size of the universal media player interface, changing the size of the universal media player interface; and (d) determining if the universal media player is remotely synchronized with another media player; and if the universal media player is remotely synchronized with another media player, sending a remote navigation event to the other media player.