Patent ID: 7895636

Claim:
A content output apparatus connected to a plurality of content playback apparatuses, the content output apparatus comprising: a storage unit; a request output device which transmits, to each one of the plurality of content playback apparatuses, a request for a list of content reproducible from that content playback apparatus, the plurality of content playback apparatuses being physically separated from the content output apparatus; a list acquisition device which, for each one of the plurality of content playback apparatuses, acquires from that content playback apparatus the list of content reproducible from that content playback apparatus in response to the request when that content playback apparatus is ordinarily provided with a function of providing the list of content reproducible by that content playback apparatus, wherein when that content playback apparatus is ordinarily not provided with the function of providing the list of content reproducible by that content playback apparatus, the list acquisition device (i) receives from that content playback apparatus a response that does not include the list of content reproducible from that content playback apparatus in response to the request, and then (ii) reads from the storage unit a stored list of the content reproducible from that content playback apparatus; an output device which outputs the acquired list of content; a playback instruction device which, in response to any of the listed content being selected by a user, specifies the content playback apparatus capable of playing back the selected content and outputs a playback instruction signal instructing the specified content playback apparatus to play back the selected content; and a signal output device which outputs a signal that is pertinent to the content played back by the content playback apparatus.