The prior art includes various devices that can receive television signals. These devices may be provided to subscribers of a pay television service. A pay television service may involve, in part, a pay television distributor transmitting television signals to a group of subscribers. Cable television companies are common pay television distributors. More recently, satellite television distributors have begun providing pay television service.
Many television converters may send television signals to a single television. More recent television converters may send television signals to several televisions. Each of these separate televisions may use a remote control. Thus, a single television converter may accept commands from several remote controls where each remote control controls the content sent to a specific television.
The remote controls may have two functions. First, the remote control may control the television. For instance, the remote control may turn the television on or off and adjust the volume. Second, the same remote control may change channels and command other operations of the television converter such as trick mode functions, EPG navigation, and the display and operation of various menus. Changing the channel may require the remote to operate the television converter. Therefore, the remote control may operate two separate electronic devices—the television and the television converter.