System and method for distributing and broadcasting multimedia

A remote station for use in a multimedia distribution system having a central multimedia provider and a plurality of remote stations, said remote station comprising:

• means for receiving a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from a central multimedia provider;
• means for storing a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations;
• means for processing said control information;
• means for constructing multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip;
• means for selecting one of said plurality of display arrangements based on said processed control information;
• means for assembling said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements, herein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements;
• and
• means for broadcasting said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices.

A method for providing multimedia to viewers comprising:

• receiving at a remote station a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from a central multimedia provider;
• storing, at said remote station, a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations;
• processing, at said remote station, said control information;
• constructing, at said remote station, multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip;
• selecting, at said remote station, one of said plurality of predefined display arrangements based on said processed control information;
• assembling, at said remote station, said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements, wherein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements;
• and
• broadcasting by said remote station said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices.

Non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium for a remote station in a multimedia distribution system having a central multimedia provider and a plurality of remote stations, said non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium comprising program logic recorded thereon for:

• receiving a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from said central multimedia provider;
• storing a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations;
• processing said control information;
• constructing multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip;
• selecting one of said plurality of predefined display arrangements based on said processed control information;
• assembling said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements selected, wherein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements;
• and
• broadcasting said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices.