Programming a universal remote control via direct interaction

A remote control configuration method, comprising:

• receiving, by a multimedia handling device including a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a multimedia content distribution network server and a decoder to process multimedia content for display on a display, a request from a user to reprogram a universal remote control for operation with a remote-controlled device, wherein the request indicates an attribute of the remote-controlled device;
• prompting the user to operate a first control element of an original remote control corresponding to the remote-controlled device;
• receiving a first code from the original remote control;
• and
• responsive to uniquely identifying the remote-controlled device based on the first code:
• obtaining programming codes for the identified remote-controlled device;
• and
• wirelessly programming the universal remote control to use at least one of the programming codes.

A customer premises equipment device, comprising:

• a processor;
• a local transceiver;
• and
• memory media accessible to the processor, including processor executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, by a multimedia handling device including a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a multimedia content distribution network server and a decoder to process multimedia content for display on a display, a request from a user to reprogram a universal remote control for operation with a remote controlled device, wherein the request indicates an attribute of the remote-controlled device;
• prompting the user to operate a first control element of an original remote control corresponding to the remote-controlled device;
• receiving a first code from the original remote control;
• responsive to uniquely identifying the remote-controlled device based on the first code:
• obtaining programming codes for the identified remote-controlled device;
• and
• wirelessly programming the universal remote control to use at least one of the programming codes.

A computer readable medium, including stored computer executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, by a multimedia handling device including a network adapter to receive multimedia content from a multimedia content distribution network server and a decoder to process multimedia content for display on a display, a request from a user to reprogram a universal remote control for operation with a remote controlled device, wherein the request indicates an attribute of the remote-controlled device;
• prompting the user to operate a first control element of an original remote control corresponding to the remote-controlled device;
• receiving a first code from the original remote control;
• responsive to uniquely identifying the remote-controlled device based on the first code:
• obtaining programming codes for the identified remote-controlled device;
• and
• wirelessly programming the universal remote control to use at least one of the programming codes.