Nowadays different types of players for audio or video data are common such as CD players, DVD players, PCs that are equipped with a hard disk drive or players that use a random access memory for storing the audio and/or video data. Generally, every type of player has its own remote control. Intelligent remote controls are known in practice. These are remote controls that are capable of learning (infrared) codes from the different remote controls of the home entertainment equipment and then replace them. This shows the consumer's desire to use only one remote control for different apparatus of consumer electronics.
As mentioned, in modern home entertainment systems different types of players are combined. Nowadays all these apparatus are equipped with their own random track play list generator. The hardware and the software that are needed for realizing of the shuffle generator require space and cause costs.
EP 0 892 341 A1 reveals a system comprising a compact disk player and a remote control. The remote control or control unit has a display unit that displays data such as the number of the currently played track. The remote control receives this information from the compact disk player. This means the compact disk player is equipped with a transmitter and the remote control with a receiver. Of course, this remote control offers the conventional functions like causing the player to play, wind or rewind. Therefore, the remote control is equipped with a transmitter and the player with a corresponding receiver.