Multimedia player and method of displaying on-screen menu

A method of displaying an on-screen menu in a content player, comprising:

• reading data for a plurality of function icons representing respective types of content playback functions, and data for a plurality of content icons representing respective items of contents;
• detecting an external appliance connected to the player via a network;
• acquiring the items of contents to be played back from the external appliance thus detected via the network;
• generating image data for the on-screen menu with a two-dimensional array which includes a first array comprising the plurality of function icons arranged in a specific direction on a screen and which also includes a second array comprising the plurality of content icons in a direction intersecting the first array on the screen;
• and
• outputting the image data for the on-screen menu related to playback of the content to a display device, wherein
• the generating displays a plurality of device icons each representing the external appliance detected by the detecting in the second array, when one of the content playback functions is selected in accordance with the user's instruction, the generating displays the content icons corresponding to the selected content playback function and representing the items of contents acquired from the player in the on-screen menu, and when one of the device icons is selected by the user, the generating identifies the items of contents acquired from the external appliance represented by the selected device icon, and displays an expanded view within a second array of the content icons representing the identified items of contents, wherein a combination of content items from storage and icons corresponding to only the selected device are displayed in the second array.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a program executable by a controller for displaying an on-screen menu in a content player, comprising:

• an acquiring module which acquires an instruction related to playback of content via a user's manipulation;
• a storing module which stores data for a plurality of function icons representing respective types of content playback functions, the content to be played back by the player, and data for a plurality of content icons representing respective items of contents;
• a detecting module which detects an external appliance connected to the player via a network and acquiring the items of contents to be played back from the external appliance thus detected via the network;
• a playback module which outputs image data for an on-screen menu related to playback of the content to a display device and which plays back the content acquired from the player in response to the user's instruction;
• and
• a generating module which generates image data for the on-screen menu with a two-dimensional array which includes a first array comprising the plurality of function icons arranged in a specific direction on a screen and which also includes a second array comprising the plurality of content icons in a direction intersecting the first array on the screen, wherein
• the generating module displays a plurality of device icons each representing the external appliance detected by the detecting in the second array, when one of the content playback functions is selected in accordance with the user's instruction, the generating module displays the content icons corresponding to the selected content playback function and representing the items of contents acquired from the player in the on-screen menu, and when one of the device icons is selected by the user, the generating module identifies the items of contents acquired from the external appliance represented by the selected device icon, and displays an expanded view within a second array of the content icons representing the identified items of contents, wherein a combination of content items from storage and icons corresponding to only the selected device are displayed in the second array.