System and method for appliance control via a personal communication or entertainment device

A system for controlling at least one operating function of a first controllable device, comprising:

• a remote control;
• and
• a second controllable device comprising a processing device, a receiver coupled to the processing device, a transmitter coupled to the processing device, and a memory storing instructions executable by the processing device;
• wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing device, cause the second controllable device to respond to a communication received from the remote control via use of the receiver that includes a unique system identifier that was established during a pairing procedure executed between the remote control and the second controllable device by using a data in the communication received from the remote control via use of the receiver to select at least one command code in a command code data set of a library of command code data sets stored in the memory and by using the selected at least one command code to create and transmit to the first controllable appliance via use of the transmitter a command signal having a format appropriate for controlling the at least one operating function of the first controllable device.