Interface for presenting data representations in a screen-area inset

1. One or more computer-storage media having embodied thereon an interface that allows a software application to facilitate a method of presenting a variety of data representations in a screen-area inset of a distance user interface presented on a display device, which distance-user interface includes a background area and the screen-area inset within the background area, the method comprising:

providing said distance user interface (DUI), wherein said DUI comprises:

a menu display in a first layer, the menu display including a first plurality of selectable links that are disposed within said layer, each selectable link having a functional identifier discemable by a user from a television-viewing distance, said menu display allowing for the operation of said computer, wherein said television-viewing distance in feet is approximately half a viewable screen size of said display device measured in inches, and

a selectable-link marker indicating which of the first plurality of selectable links has the focus;

communicating one or more commands from the software application to the screen-area inset, the screen-area inset having an ability to present one or more of a plurality of media experiences on said DUI; and communicating information to the screen-area inset, wherein the information is rendered and persistently presented in the inset without regard to changes in the background that does not include said screen-area inset.

2. The media of claim 1 , wherein the information rendered includes audio data.

3. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of presenting data in a screen-area inset of a distance user interface (DUI), which distance-user interface includes a background area and the screen-area inset within the background area, the method comprising:

communicating to the DUI one or more event requests related to rendering data in the screen-area inset, wherein said DUI comprises

a menu display in a first layer, the menu display including a first plurality of selectable links that are disposed within said layer, each selectable link having a functional identifier discemable by a user from a television-viewing viewing distance, wherein said television-viewing distance in feet is approximately half a viewable screen size of said display device measured in inches, said menu display allowing for the operation of said computer; and

a selectable-link marker indicating which of the first plurality of selectable links has the focus; and

receiving one or more data sets to help satisfy the respective one or more event requests so that the data may be persistently presented in the screen-area area inset in response to the one or more event requests without regard to changes in the background that does not include said screen-area inset.

4. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of presenting data in a screen-area inset of a distance user interface (DUI), which distance-user interface includes a background area and the screen-area inset within the background area, the method comprising:

communicating to the DUI one or more event requests related to rendering data in the screen-area inset, wherein said one or more requests includes a request to redirect said data representation to a communicatively coupled display component, the DUI comprising,

a menu display in a first layer, the menu display including a first plurality of selectable links that are disposed within said layer, each selectable link having a functional identifier discemable by a user from a television-viewing distance, wherein said television-viewing distance in feet is approximately half a viewable screen size of said display device measured in inches, said menu display allowing for the operation of said computer, and

a selectable-link marker indicating which of the first plurality of selectable links has the focus;

communicating to an operating system one or more audio-event requests that facilitate audio playback of audio that is associated with data being presented in the screen-area inset if present; and

receiving one or more data sets to help satisfy the respective one or more event requests so that the data may be persistently presented in the screen-area area inset in response to the one or more event requests regardless of a change to the background that does not include said screen-area inset.

5. The media of claim 4 , wherein said display component includes one or more of another window, another display device, and a remote monitor.

6. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of presenting a data representation in a screen-area inset of distance user interface (DUI), which distance-user interface includes a background area and the screen-area inset within the background area, the method comprising:

communicating to the DUI one or more event requests related to rendering data in the screen-area inset; wherein said one or more requests includes a request to display the inset as a component within a software application, wherein said DUI comprises, a menu display in a first layer, the menu display including a first plurality of selectable links that are disposed within said layer, each selectable link having a functional identifier discemable by a user from a television-viewing distance, wherein said television-viewing distance in feet is approximately half a viewable screen size of said display device measured in inches, said menu display allowing for the operation of said computer, and

a selectable-link marker indicating which of the first plurality of selectable links has the focus;

communicating to an operating system one or more event requests that facilitate playback of media that is associated with data being presented in the screen-area inset if present, the screen-area inset including the capability of presenting each of the following: a television show, a picture, and a pre-recorded video; and

receiving one or more data sets to help satisfy the respective one or more event requests so that the data may be persistently presented in the screen- area inset in response to the one or more event requests without regard to changing the background that does not include said screen-area inset.

7. The media of claim 6 , wherein the data representation can include a selection of album art.

8. The media of claim 7 , wherein the data representation can further include an environment-attribute representation.

9. The media of claim 8 , wherein the data representation can farther include a camera feed.

10. The media of claim 9 , wherein the data representation can further include a software-application preview.

11. The media of claim 10 , wherein the data representation can farther include an appliance status.

12. The media of claim 11 , wherein the data representation can farther include a caller-ID message.

13. The media of claim 12 , wherein the data representation can further include a gaming-aspect representation.

14. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests includes a request to activate the inset.

15. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests includes a request for screen-location information of the inset.

16. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests includes a request to adjust the dimensions of the inset, including minimizing and maximizing the inset.

17. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests includes a request to adjust the picture quality of the inset.

18. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests includes a request to facilitate input and output of data from the first software application.

19. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests include information related to a file to be presented in the inset.

20. The media of claim 4 , wherein the one or more event requests includes a request to preserve or restore a state of the inset.

21. The media of claim 4 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises receiving an acknowledgement to activate the inset.

22. The media of claim 4 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises screen-location information related to displaying the inset.

23. The media of claim 4 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises an acknowledgement that the inset is prepared to render the data representation.

24. The media of claim 4 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises an acknowledgement that the dimensions of the inset are modified.

25. The media of claim 4 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises an input and/or output of data from the first software application.

26. The media of claim 4 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises information related to a file to be presented in the inset.

27. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of presenting a data representation communicated from a software application in a screen-area inset of a distance user interface (DUI), the DUI being a graphical user interface (GUI) that is presented to facilitate an operation of a personal-computing computing device from a television-viewing distance, which distance-user interface includes a background area and the screen-area inset within the background area, the method comprising:

providing said DUI, wherein said DUI comprises a menu display in a first layer, the menu display including a first plurality of selectable links that are disposed within said layer, each selectable link having a functional identifier discemable by a user from said television-viewing viewing distance, wherein said television-viewing distance in feet is approximately half a viewable screen size of said display device measured in inches, said menu display allowing for the operation of said computer, and

a selectable-link marker indicating which of the first plurality of selectable links has the focus;

receiving one or more event requests related to rendering data in the screen-area inset, the screen-area inset capable of operating in a plurality of user-selectable modes and that persistently presents a common media experience while navigating from a first screen to a second screen of said DUT, said screen-area inset being disposed within said layer; and

receiving data necessary to satisfy the one or more event requests so that a data representation may be persistently presented in the screen-area inset in response to the one or more event requests even while the background area that excludes the screen-area inset (excluding the screen area inset) changes.

28. The media of claim 27 , wherein said plurality of user-selectable modes is a media-presentation mode.

29. The media of claim 28 , wherein said media-presentation mode facilitates presenting one or more of:

an audio experience, including a control for controlling properties of said audio experience;

a video-presentation experience including presenting a recorded video that has been recorded on said personal-computing device; and a slide show.

30. The media of claim 27 , wherein the data representation comprises at least one of: a picture, a selection of album art, a video, a streaming media presentation, a television program, a camera feed, a software-application preview, an audio rendition, an entertainment depiction, and a gaming-aspect representation.

31. The media of claim 30 , wherein the event request comprises at least one of:

a request to activate the inset;

a request for screen-location information of the inset;

a request to prepare the inset to render the data representation;

a request to adjust the dimensions of the inset, including minimizing and maximizing the inset;

a request to adjust the picture quality of the inset;

a request to facilitate input and output of data from the first software application;

a request to display the inset as a component within a software application;

a request to display the data representation(s) in response to an inputted key sequence;

a request for information related to a file to be presented in the inset;

a request to preserve or restore a state of the inset;

a request to terminate communication with the inset; and

a request to redirect said data representation to a communicatively coupled display component, wherein said display component includes at least one of a background display, another window, and another display device including a remote monitor.

32. The media of claim 31 , wherein receiving said one or more data sets comprises receiving one or more of the following:

an acknowledgement to activate the inset;

screen-location information related to displaying the inset;

an acknowledgement that the inset is prepared to render the data representation;

an acknowledgement that the dimensions of the inset are modified;

an input and/or output of data from the first software application; and

information related to a file to be presented in the inset.