Representation of online discussion in conjunction with primary visual content

A media content receiver, comprising:

• a media content input interface configured to receive primary visual content;
• a media content output interface configured to transmit the primary visual content to a visual display for presentation to a user;
• a communication interface configured to receive a plurality of user statements as part of an online discussion, and an identification of an originating user who originates one of the plurality of user statements;
• and
• control circuitry configured to:
• transmit the primary visual content via the media content output interface for presentation on the visual display;
• transmit a representation of a currently received user statement via the media content output interface, wherein the representation includes an icon representing the originating user of the currently received user statement and includes text of the currently received user statement, wherein the icon and the text of the currently received user statement are coupled graphically, wherein the representation of the currently received user statement is located outside a central region of the visual display and near a periphery of the visual display, and wherein the primary visual content is maintained on the visual display;
• and
• remove the representation of the currently received user statement from the visual display after a predetermined period of time during which another user statement is not received, wherein the primary visual content on the visual display is maintained,
• wherein the icon of the presented representation is removed by sliding the icon off of the visual display via the periphery of the visual display, and
• wherein the user statement of the presented representation is removed by fading the user statement off of the visual display.

A method of representing online discussion user statements in conjunction with primary visual content, the method comprising:

• concurrently transmitting the primary visual content for presentation on a plurality of visual displays, wherein a user is viewing the primary visual content and representation of the online discussion user statements on their respective visual display,
• wherein each representation includes a text of a user statement and an icon representing a user of the user statement, wherein each representation is presented in conjunction with the primary visual content on the visual display,
• wherein the icon and the user statement of each representation are graphically coupled on the visual display, and
• wherein the icon and the user statement of each representation are placed near a periphery of the visual display so that at least a portion of the primary visual content remains visible on the visual display;
• and
• removing a currently presented representation from the plurality of visual displays after a predetermined period of time during which another user statement is not received while maintaining the primary visual content on the plurality of visual displays, wherein the icon of a currently presented representation is slid off of the plurality of visual displays via the periphery of the plurality of visual displays.