Patent ID: 8234672

Claim:
A system to control playback of digital media on a separate playback device via a wireless local area network, the system including: a playback unit connectable between the separate playback device and the wireless local area network to render the digital media to a user, the playback unit including: a wireless network interface to communicate via the wireless local area network with a plurality of separate computers and to request and receive the digital media for playback from any of the separate computers, each separate computer including at least one media storage device a playback device interface to connect the playback unit to the separate playback device, the connection between the playback unit and the playback device being independent of the wireless local area network; a bi-directional remote control communication interface in addition to the wireless network interface; and a first processor configured to: combine separate content data received from each of the plurality of separate computers to provide the combined content data to a separate remote control device, the combined content data identifying the digital media available on an associated separate computer for playback via the playback unit; and determine whether a display screen of the remote control device needs to be updated based on the combined content data; and the separate remote control device to control the playback of the digital media on the separate playback device via the playback unit, the remote control device including: a complemental remote control communication interface for bi-directional communication with the remote control communication interface of the playback unit; the display screen, wherein the remote control device receives combined content data from the playback unit for display on the display screen; and a second processor for determining whether the display screen needs to be updated based on the received combined content data.