Universal remote control system

1. A system comprising:

a releasable media device;

a network access device; and

a hand-held unit for commanding operations of one or more home appliances comprising a microprocessor; a port in communication with the microprocessor in which the releasable media device is positionable, the port allowing the microprocessor to read data from and write data to the releasable media device; and a receiver and transmitter coupled to the microprocessor providing bi-directional, wireless communication between the network access device and the microprocessor;

wherein the hand-held unit responds to a command received from the network access device by the receiver by transmitting a signal including an account balance read from the releasable media device via the microprocessor to the network access device using the transmitter and wherein the hand-held unit responds to an updated account balance received from the network access device by the receiver by writing the updated account balance to the releasable media device via the microprocessor.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the account balance read from releasable media device is used for enabling a purchase of one or more unlockable services made available via the network access device.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the account balance read from the releasable media device comprises a cash balance.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the updated account balance received from the network access device comprises an updated cash balance.

5. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the account balance read from the readable media device comprises a pay-per-view movie credit balance.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the updated account balance received fro the network access device comprises an updated pay-per-view movie credit balance.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the port is a slot and the releasable media device is positionable in the slot.