Media synchronization within home network using set-top box as gateway

A computer system for media synchronization, the computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform the operations of:
• transmitting, to a set-top box, a request to receive synchronization data corresponding to a specific television channel to which the set-top box is tuned, the synchronization data including a first uniform resource locator (URL) string identifying displayable content, and a second URL string identifying an application for use in presenting the displayable content for display, each of the system and the set-top box being communicably connected to a network;
• retrieving, over the network, the displayable content identified by the first URL string;
• and
• retrieving, over the network, the application identified by the second URL string for use in presenting the displayable content for display.

A computer-implemented method for media synchronization, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, at a set-top box from an electronic device, a request to receive synchronization data corresponding to a specific television channel to which the set-top box is tuned, the synchronization data including a first uniform resource locator (URL) string identifying displayable content, and a second URL string identifying an application for use in presenting the displayable content for display, each of the set-top box and the electronic device being connected to a network;
• retrieving, over the network by the electronic device, the displayable content identified by the first URL string;
• and
• retrieving, over the network by the electronic device, the application identified by the second URL string for use in presenting the displayable content for display on the electronic device.