Digital interconnect of entertainment equipment in the home

A method for using a controlling device to command functional operations of a controllable appliance, comprising:

• causing an adaptor to issue a communication to the controllable appliance wherein the adaptor identifies itself to the controllable appliance as a device having control capabilities which are unsupported by the adaptor;
• receiving at the controlling device from the controllable appliance, via a first communication channel in which the controllable appliance is indirectly communicatively coupled to the controlling device via the adaptor acting as a conduit between the controlling device and the controllable appliance, a control capabilities related communication intended for the adaptor;
• and
• using the control capabilities related communication intended for the adaptor to configure the controlling device whereby, in response to activation of one or more command keys of the controlling device, the controlling device will be caused to transmit to the controllable appliance, via a second communication channel in which the controlling device is directly communicatively coupled to the controllable appliance, those commands selected from a library of commands that are appropriate for commanding functional operations of the controllable appliance.