Media extension apparatus and methods for use in an information network

Customer premises equipment (CPE) for operation within a content based network offering on-demand services according to at least one network-specific protocol, said CPE comprising:

• a storage device;
• and
• a digital processor operatively coupled to said storage device, said digital processor for running at least one first software application stored on said storage device, said first software application having permissions from an OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) monitor and comprising a plurality of components which, when executed on said processor:
• communicate between said CPE and another entity of said network;
• process the content delivered to said CPE;
• and
• enable a user of said CPE to control, via a user interface, playback of said content according to said network-specific protocol;
• wherein at least one of said plurality of components comprises a shared component which is utilized by one or more second applications also having permissions from an OCAP monitor and simultaneously running on said CPE.

A method of developing the specific protocol useful for delivery of content from a first node of a network to a second node thereof via a server entity of said first node, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of media interface components, wherein individual ones of said components implement different ones of a plurality of network-specific protocol;
• developing a configured application by selecting individual ones of said plurality of components to be utilized within a single software application;
• and
• developing at least one path to said selected individual ones of said plurality of media interface components, said path being accessible only to authorized entities;
• wherein said at least one path and said media interface components cooperate to provide network specific on-demand services;
• and
• wherein multiple paths to said individual ones of said plurality of media interface components may be utilized to enable simultaneous use of said individual ones of said plurality of media interface components in multiple distinct software applications.

Customer premises equipment (CPE) for operation within a content delivery network offering one or more services each utilizing a network-specific protocol, said CPE comprising:

• a storage device, said storage device for storing a plurality of components utilized by said one or more services thereon;
• and
• a digital processor in data communication with said storage device, said digital processor running a first software application and a plurality of second software applications, said first and said second software applications stored on said storage device;
• wherein said first software application has permissions from an OCAP monitor application to permanently identify individual ones of said plurality of components within said CPE by attachment of prefixes to each;
• and
• wherein said plurality of second software applications utilize said prefixes to make use of said individual ones of said plurality of components, thereby sharing these across multiple applications.

A method of developing one or more specific protocols useful for delivery of media content from a network, said method comprising:

• receiving at a consumer premises device a plurality of media interface components;
• modifying a path identifier of individual ones of said plurality of media interface components;
• and
• enabling said individual ones of said media interface components to be called by more than one software application via said modified path identifiers;
• wherein said individual ones of said plurality of media interface components are each useful with individual ones of said one or more specific protocols;
• wherein redundancy is eliminated by enabling said more than one software applications to be developed by calling one or more of said individual ones of said components via respective ones of said path identifiers simultaneously.