Method and apparatus for remotely controlling a receiver according to content and user selection

An apparatus for controlling a media receiver, the apparatus comprising:

• a media player interface comprising a plurality of output connections for outputting media signals to the media receiver;
• a user interface for querying a user to associate each characteristic of a plurality of media characteristics with a play mode of a plurality of play modes;
• a media database comprising (i) media unit data that identifies at least one characteristic of a selected piece of media playable by the media receiver, an encoding format of the selected media, and a receiver connection associated with the encoding format of the selected media, and (ii) a play mode record that identifies a play mode corresponding to the at least one characteristic of the selected media;
• and
• a processor for interfacing to a play selection function to (i) determine from the media unit data the at least one characteristic of the selected media, the encoding format of the selected media, and the receiver connection associated with the encoding format of the selected media, (ii) determine a receiver connection selection based on the selected media and a media type configuration record, wherein the receiver connection selection is communicated to the processor from the play selection function, and (iii) determine from the play mode record the play mode corresponding to the at least one characteristic of the selected media,
• wherein the processor sends to the media receiver a control signal instructing the media receiver to play the selected media according to the play mode and to use the receiver connection associated with the encoding format of the selected media for receiving a media signal of the selected media, and
• wherein the processor outputs the media signal of the selected media to the receiver connection associated with the encoding format of the selected media.

A method for controlling a receiver having a plurality of receiver connections, the method comprising:

• querying a user to select a receiver connection of the plurality of receiver connections to correspond with each encoding format of a plurality of encoding formats;
• retrieving media unit data that identifies an encoding format of a playable piece of media selected to be played by the receiver, wherein the identified encoding format is one of the plurality of encoding formats;
• retrieving receiver-connection data that identifies the receiver connection corresponding with the identified encoding format;
• and
• sending to the receiver a control signal instructing the receiver to use the identified receiver connection for receiving a media signal of the selected media.

A media management system comprising:

• a media port coupled to a media source, wherein the media port receives a media signal of a playable piece of media selected to be played by a media receiver, and wherein the media port receives the media signal from the media source;
• a media player interface comprising a plurality of output connections for outputting media signals to a corresponding receiver connection of the media receiver;
• a user interface for querying a user to (i) associate one of the receiver connections with an encoding format of the selected media, and (ii) associate a play mode with a characteristic of the selected media;
• a media database comprising (i) media unit data that identifies an encoding format and characteristic of the selected media, (ii) receiver connection data that identifies the receiver connection associated with the encoding format of the selected media, and (iii) a play mode record that identifies the play mode associated with the characteristic of the selected media;
• and
• a processor for interfacing to a play selection function to determine (i) from the media unit data, the encoding format and characteristic of the selected media, (ii) from the receiver connection data, the receiver connection data associated with the encoding format of the selected media, and (iii) from the play mode record, the play mode associated with the characteristic of the selected media,
• wherein the processor sends to the media receiver a control signal instructing the media receiver to (i) use the receiver connection associated with the encoding format of the selected media, and (ii) to play the selected media according to the play mode selection.