Patent ID: 7884844

Claim:
A videoconferencing system, comprising: a camera transmitting video signals; a microphone transmitting audio signals; and a controller coupled to the camera, the microphone, a television set, a set-top box, and a modem, the modem connected to a television network, the set-top box connected to the television network, the controller configured to: receive video signals from the modem and from the set-top box; decode the video signals received from the modem, selectively send uncompressed video signals to the television set with a video selector, the uncompressed video signals including the video signals received at the modem in a first selected mode, at the set-top box in a second selected mode, and at both the modem and the set-top box in a third selected mode, send compressed video signals to the modem, the compressed video signals including video signals received from the camera, decode encoded audio signals received from the modem, selectively send uncompressed audio signals to the television set, encode audio signals received from the microphone, and send encoded audio signals to the modem.