Patent ID: 8347329

Claim:
A method of providing a menu for video content, the method comprising: delivering a video signal over a first video channel of a video stream, wherein the video signal is configured to be displayed on a video plane; delivering side channel data over a second video channel of the video stream, wherein the side channel data comprises two or more navigable menu elements configured to be displayed on a graphics plane overlaid on the video plane, the side channel carrying information defining how at least one menu element is to appear when in focus and how the at least one menu element is to appear when not in focus; and the side channel data being configured such that a menu can be presented on a video display of a device receiving the side channel data, such that responsive to a user selection of a secondary menu a transition sequence follows during which menu data for the secondary menu is streamed from a video source to the device, such that during the transition sequence, a filler video representation is displayable of a first menu evolving into the secondary menu, side channel information being required by the device in that selector elements of the secondary menu presentable in the filler video cannot be invoked until secondary menu metadata defining functions of the selector elements of the secondary menu is received in the side channel, such that the transition sequence can present the secondary menu with selectable elements upon receipt of the metadata to perform logic when a selector element is selected.