Methods and apparatus for accessing external devices from a television receiver utilizing integrated content selection menus

A television receiver comprising:

• a first communication interface operable to receive at least one audio/video program of a linear television channel broadcast to and received by the television receiver through the first communication interface from a television distribution network, the audio/video program associated with a content identifier;
• a second communication interface operable to communicate with an external device, the external device associated with a specific identifier that identifies the external device;
• and
• control logic operable to:
• cause the television receiver to be operable to receive a first request associated with the specific identifier associated with the external device that identifies the external device from a first content selection menu including at least a first content selection item of locally accessible content, wherein the locally accessible content is content of a linear television channel being currently broadcast to and received by the television receiver through the first communication interface and a second content selection item associated with the external device, the second content selection item including the specific identifier associated with external device that identifies the external device;
• cause the television receiver to be operable to output a content selection sub-menu for presentation by a presentation device responsive to the first request, the first content selection menu specifying at least one remote content item stored entirely on the external device or remotely available through the external device on a linear television channel being broadcast to and received by the external device and the content selection sub-menu further includes explicit identification of another external device through which content including live programming is accessible to be streamed live to the television receiver from the other external device;
• and
• cause the television receiver to be operable to receive, from the content selection sub-menu, a selection associated with the at least one remote content item specified on the content selection sub-menu and stored entirely on the external device or remotely available through the external device on a linear television channel being broadcast to and received by the external device;
• the second communication interface operable to receive, at the television receiver from the external device, the at least one remote content item specified on the content selection sub-menu and stored entirely on the external device or remotely available through the external device on a linear television channel being broadcast to and received by the external device;
• the control logic operable to cause the television receiver to output, for presentation by the presentation device, the at least one remote content item specified on the content selection sub-menu and stored entirely on the external device or remotely available through the external device on a linear television channel being broadcast to and received by the external device, the content selection sub-menu including the specific identifier that identifies the external device.

A television receiver comprising:

• a first communication interface operable to receive at least one audio/video program of a linear television channel broadcast to and received by the television receiver through the first communication interface from a television distribution network, the audio/video program associated with a content identifier;
• a second communication interface operable to communicate with a plurality of external devices each having at least one different audio/video program entirely stored thereon accessible by the television receiver;
• control logic operable to:
• output a first content selection menu for presentation by a presentation device, the first content selection menu specifying the content identifier and an identifier associated with a device selection menu;
• cause the television receiver to be operable to receive a first request associated with the identifier associated with the device selection menu, the device selection menu including a selectable list of the plurality of external devices, wherein the device selection menu includes a specific identifier for each external device of the plurality of external devices that identifies the external device of the plurality of external devices;
• cause the television receiver to be operable to output the device selection menu for presentation by the presentation device responsive to the first request;
• cause the television receiver to be operable to receive a selection, from the device selection menu, of an external device from the list of the plurality of external devices responsive to the output of the device selection menu;
• and
• in response to the selection, from the device selection menu, of the external device from the list of the plurality of external devices, output a content selection sub-menu for presentation by the presentation device, the content selection menu specifying at least one content item remotely available through the selected external device and the content selection sub-menu further includes explicit identification of another external device through which content including live programming is accessible to be streamed live to the television receiver from the other external device;
• the second communication interface operable to, in response to the selection from the content selection sub-menu, communicate with the selected external device to receive a remote content item stored entirely on the selected external device, the content selection sub-menu including the specific identifier that identifies the external device;
• the control logic operable to output the remote content item for presentation by the presentation device.