Patent ID: 8191093

Claim:
A method for accessing a plurality of bi-directional services over a cable television network, comprising: receiving, in a digital home communication terminal (DHCT), a first information corresponding to plural bi-directional communication services, wherein the DHCT is coupled to a cable television network (CTN), wherein at least one of the plural bi-directional communication services corresponds to a bi-directional audio and video service (BDAVS), wherein the first information comprises an availability table having entries and each entry respectively associated with the plural bi-directional communication services having an index number for indexing within the availability table and indicating whether each of the plural bi-directional communication services is available or unavailable for immediate interaction; providing a visual presentation to a first subscriber, wherein the visual presentation includes at least a portion of the first information corresponding to selectable options for a first BDAVS and a second BDAVS, wherein the visual presentation is provided by the DHCT, wherein the first BDAVS comprises bi-directional audio and bi-directional video; while providing the visual presentation, receiving input from the first subscriber corresponding to a selection of the first BDAVS, the visual presentation comprising information from the availability table that explicitly indicates that the first BDAVS is available for immediate interaction with the first subscriber and that the second BDAVS is unavailable for immediate interaction with the first subscriber; and requesting by the DHCT the first BDAVS responsive to the input.