Patent ID: 7529485

Claim:
A method for formatting programming for a television coupled to an optical network comprising: receiving an optical signal from the optical network comprising digital and analog programming with a subscriber optical interface contained within a first housing; converting the optical signal into an electrical domain with the subscriber optical interface; receiving a wireless request with a control interface from a wireless remote controller, the control interface contained within a second housing separate from the first housing; converting the wireless request into an electrical domain with a wireless receiver that is part of the control interface, the wireless request being formed into an electrical request; relaying the electrical request from the control interface in the electrical domain over an electrical waveguide to the subscriber optical interface; receiving the electrical request from the control interface with the subscriber optical interface to tune the television to a first channel contained within the electrical domain of the converted optical signal; processing the electrical request from the control interface with the subscriber optical interface; and instructing the remote controller with the subscriber optical interface via the control interface to tune to a second channel comprising programming of the first channel.