Digital media networking and arbitration system and method

A media network system, comprising:

• a media bus;
• a control bus;
• and
• a plurality of media network stations connected to said media bus and said control bus, each digital media network station comprising:
• a media transceiver configured for sending and receiving media signals over a media bus;
• a data transceiver for sending and receiving control signals over a control bus;
• and
• a processor in communication with said media transceiver and said data transceiver for arbitrating transmission and reception of said media signals based on said control signals and preventing media signal collisions from occurring on said media bus.

A method of switching arbitration in a media network system, said method comprising:

• providing a digital media network system having a plurality of media network stations in communication with each other over a media network bus, said digital media network bus comprising:
• a digital media bus;
• and
• a digital control bus;
• one of said plurality of digital media network stations creating a control packet;
• said one digital media network station sending said control packet on said control bus to all other digital media network stations;
• said all other digital media network stations parsing said control packet;
• and
• if said control packet comprises a system-wide broadcast command and there is no transmission on said media bus, executing said system-wide broadcast command.

A method of switching arbitration in a media network system, said method comprising:

• providing said media network system including at least three media network stations interconnected by a media bus and a control bus;
• one of said at least three media network stations monitoring said control bus;
• and
• said one of said at least three media network stations transmitting media signals to all other of said at least three media network stations if said media bus is not being used.