AUDIO VISUAL PLAYER APPARATUS AND SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTENT DISTRIBUTION USING THE SAME
A system is presented providing content to a plurality of handheld devices (including musical selections). The devices can access a server over the Internet via a Wi-Fi or other similar wireless interconnection and can download songs requested by a user from the server or from other users using, e.g., a P2P protocol. All downloads may be governed by applicable DRM rules. Content and playlists may also be pushed by a server from other sources and means including, e.g., podcasting, based on predetermined rules, favorite preferences of users, and other criteria.
1 . A system for distributing and playing musical selections comprising:
a server;
a plurality of portable devices, each device including a music selector and a music player, said devices being selectively connected to said server through a distributed computer network;
wherein said server provides lists of musical selections to said devices;
wherein a user can select specific musical selections for his device using said music selector, said selections being transmitted to said server; and
wherein said server sends musical selections to the devices based on the specific musical selections selected by each user.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the user makes his specific selection while his device is offline.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein said server communicates external sources for the transmission of musical selections to said devices.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein said musical selections are podcasts.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein said server pushes musical selections to said device.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein said server delivers and updates playlists of musical content.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein said content incorporates content-protection security means.
8 . A system providing content to multiple users, wherein said content is protected by DRM rules comprising:
a plurality of devices, each device having input members receiving content requests from respective end-users; and
an intermediate server connected between said devices and at least one content provider, said intermediate server receiving a request from one of said end-users, translating said request into a new request compatible with DRM rules and transmitting said new request to a content provider.
9 . The system of claim 6 wherein said intermediate server exchanges information with several content providers and wherein said intermediate server sends said new request to the content provider associated with the requested content.
10 . The system of claim 6 wherein said intermediate server receives requests from several devices, said intermediate server generating said new request by aggregating the requests from the several devices.
11 . The system of claim 6 wherein an alternate security means or access protocol is utilized in place of or in addition to the DRM system.