Patent ID: 8510441

Claim:
An electronic content sending apparatus connected via a network to a server apparatus that distributes content to a plurality of playback apparatuses, said sending apparatus comprising: a communication mechanism configured to communicate over a first network communication channel with a network-connected apparatus, said network-connected apparatus being one of the plurality of playback apparatuses; and a controller having a processor programmed to generate the content to be distributed to the plurality of playback apparatuses via the server apparatus, wherein the controller is contained within the sending apparatus and is configured to obtain a first content to be distributed to the playback apparatuses via the server apparatus, directly obtain second content from said network-connected apparatus via the first network communication channel, said first network communication channel does not include the server apparatus, generate transmission content within said sending apparatus from the first content and the second content, and send the transmission content to the server apparatus via a second network communication channel for subsequent distribution from the server apparatus to the plurality of playback apparatuses.