Patent ID: 7861273

Claim:
A media system comprising: a first client device, the first client device including one or more media resources to receive and display media content; first and second media controls, the first media control implemented as a software object instantiated within the first client device by a second, physically distinct client device, each of the first and second media controls instantiated to monitor or control individual ones of the one or more media resources, the first media control including: a state indicating a type of media resource the first media control has access to, the state being selected from a group of states comprising: a viewer state whereby the first media control has control of a video port; a controller state whereby the first media control has control of a tuner; a watcher state whereby the first media control has control of both the tuner and the video port; and a monitor state whereby the first media control monitors one or more of the media resources without controlling the media resources; one or more methods that are executable to perform method-specific tasks; and one or more event handlers that are executable in response to particular events; and an arbiter to facilitate access to and control of the one or more media resources by the first and second media controls, such that the first media control requests control of a media resource on behalf of the second client device.