Aural indication of remote control commands

A method comprising:

• provisioning both an audio database and a customized text to speech engine into a set top box;
• receiving, from a remote control device, a wirelessly transmitted remote control command;
• generating programming content output suitable for providing to a display screen wherein the programming content output includes a first program associated with a first channel of the multimedia content distribution network;
• modifying the programming content output in response to the remote control command to produce modified programming content output including a second program associated with a second channel of the multimedia content distribution network when the remote control command is a change channel remote control command;
• and
• determining if a customized audio feature is enabled;
• selecting the customized audio database or the customized text to speech engine if the customized audio feature is enabled;
• generating, by the set to box in response to modifying the programming content output, an audio stream representing a first audible message suitable for playing by an audio output device based on the customized audio database when the customized audio database is selected, wherein the first audible message identifies a title of the second program and announces the channel change remote control command;
• generating, by the set top box in response to modifying the programming content output, an audio stream representing a first audible message suitable for playing by an audio output device based on the customized text to speech engine when the customized text to speech engine is selected, wherein the first audible message identifies a title of the second program and announces the channel change remote control command;
• wherein an aural indication application generates a second audible message that announces caller ID information associated with an incoming telephone call received via the multimedia content distribution network and a communication indicating an event associated with recording, by the set top box of programming content.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including stored program instructions, executable by a processor, for enabling an aural indication feature on a set top box suitable for use in a multimedia content distribution network, the program instructions including instructions to:

• provision both an audio database and a customized text to speech engine into the set top box;
• receive, from a remote control device, a wirelessly transmitted remote control command;
• generate programming content output suitable for providing to a display screen wherein the programming content output includes a first program associated with a first channel of the multimedia content distribution network;
• modify the programming content output in response to the remote control command to produce modified programming content output including a second program associated with a second channel of the multimedia content distribution network when the remote control command is a change channel remote control command;
• and
• determine if a customized audio feature is enabled;
• select the customized audio database or the customized text to speech engine if the customized audio feature is enabled;
• generate, by the set top box in response to modifying the programming content output, an audio stream representing a first audible message suitable for playing by an audio output device based on the customized audio database when the customized audio database is selected, wherein the first audible message identifies a title of the second program and announces the channel change remote control command;
• generate, by the set top box in response to modifying the programming content output, an audio stream representing a first audible message suitable for playing by an audio output device based on the customized text to speech engine when the customized text to speech engine is selected, wherein the first audible message identifies a title of the second program and announces the channel change remote control command;
• wherein an aural indication application generates a second audible message that announces caller ID information associated with an incoming telephone call received via the multimedia content distribution network and a communication indicating an event associated with recording, by the set top box of programming content.