Patent ID: 7360235

Claim:
A system for providing a shared device in a networked multimedia system, the system comprising: a primary set top terminal (STT) for receiving a plurality of downstream presentations and reverse command signals, and for providing selected presentation signals; and a plurality of remote STTs coupled to the primary STT via a splitter/isolator module (SIM), wherein the splitter/isolator module (SIM) comprises a splitter configured to facilitate communication with the remote STTs and the primary STT, the SIM being configured to receive the downstream presentations from a communications network and provide the downstream signals to the primary STT, the SIM being further configured to provide at least one selected presentation signal from the primary STT to at least one of the remote STTs in response to receiving a request by the at least one of the remote STTs, wherein the primary STT is further configured to instruct a peripheral device to provide a media presentation for communications to at least one of the remote STTs, wherein the splitter/isolation module (SIM) is further configured to receive, directly from at least one of the plurality of remote STTs, at least one upstream signal, the splitter/isolation module (SIM) being further configured to send the at least one upstream signal received directly from the at least one of the plurality of remote STTs directly to the communications network.