System and method for controlling video inputs to a computer

1. A method for configuring ports on a computer, comprising:

using an operating system to generate a visual user interface, said operating system comprising a registry and said user interface comprising a plurality of icons representing video input sources coupled to a tuner and a plurality of icons representing tuner output channels, the plurality of icons representing video input sources coupled to the tuner and the plurality of icons representing tuner output channels being presented via a single user interface presentation so as to allow configuration of a plurality of ports via the single user interface presentation, the single user interface presentation further comprising a preview display portion;

receiving input data to associate plural individual video input sources in said plurality of video input sources with plural individual tuner output channels in said plurality of tuner output channels,

processing said input data to directly generate a set of video source-channel associations, said set of video source-channel associations being stored in said registry; and

receiving input data to retrieve individual video source-channel associations within said set of video source-channel associations from said registry, said set of video source-channel associations being used to generate control signals to control said tuner to process video data in accordance with said video source-channel associations; and wherein said preview display portion presenting video content of a selected input of the video input sources; one of said plural individual video input sources is automatically assigned and labeled in an initial default configuration screen of the single user interface presentation as a primary channel; said input data to associate plural individual video input sources comprises keyboard input data and radio button interface input data; and when said control signals to control said tuner indicate said tuner to a channel change, said registry is checked to determine if said channel change is associated with said set of video source-channel associations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said registry comprises a database.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said operating system further comprises a media state aggregation service module operable to broadcast information relating to said set of video source-channel associations.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said operating system further comprises a control application operable to receive said broadcast information and to generate control codes in response thereto.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said computer comprises a processor operable to use said control codes to generate control signals to control the capture of video data by said tuner.

6. A system for capturing video data, comprising:

a plurality of ports for receiving video data;

a tuner comprising a switch operable to control individual ports in said plurality of ports;

a processor operable to generate control signals to control said switch and to execute an operating system to generate a visual user interface, said operating system comprising a registry and said user interface comprising a plurality of icons representing video input sources coupled to said tuner and a plurality of icons representing tuner output channels, the plurality of icons representing video input sources coupled to the tuner and the plurality of icons representing tuner output channels being presented via a single user interface presentation so as to allow configuration of a plurality of ports via the single user interface presentation, the single user interface presentation further comprising a preview display portion; and

a user data input device operable to generate data to directly associate plural individual video input sources in said plurality of video input sources with plural individual tuner output channels in said plurality of tuner output channels, thereby generating a set of video source-channel associations, said source-channel associations being stored in said registry;

wherein upon receiving input data to retrieve individual video source-channel associations within said set of video source-channel associations from said registry, said set of video source-channel associations is used by said processor to generate said control signals used to process video data in accordance with said video source-channel associations; and wherein said preview display portion presenting video content of a selected input of the video input sources; one of said plural individual video input sources is automatically assigned and labeled in an initial default configuration screen of the single user interface presentation as a primary channel; said input data to associate plural individual video input sources comprises keyboard input data and radio button interface input data; and when said control signals to control said tuner indicate said tuner to a channel change, said registry is checked to determine if said channel change is associated with said set of video source-channel associations.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said registry comprises a database.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein said operating system further comprises a media state aggregation service module operable to broadcast information relating to said set of video source-channel associations.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said operating system further comprises a control application operable to receive said broadcast information and to generate control codes in response thereto.

10. A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for use by a computer comprising a plurality of ports for receiving video data, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

using an operating system to generate a visual user interface, said operating system comprising a registry and said user interface comprising a plurality of icons representing video input sources coupled to a tuner and a plurality of icons representing tuner output channels, the plurality of icons representing video input sources coupled to the tuner and the plurality of icons representing tuner output channels being presented via a single user interface presentation so as to allow configuration of a plurality of ports via the single user interface presentation, the single user interface presentation further comprising a preview display portion;

receiving input data to associate plural individual video input sources in said plurality of video input sources with plural individual tuner output channels in said plurality of tuner output channels,

processing said input data to directly generate a set of video source-channel associations, said set of video source-channel associations being stored in said registry; and

receiving input data to retrieve individual video source-channel associations within said set of video source-channel associations from said registry, said set of video source-channel associations being used to generate control signals to control said tuner to process video data in accordance with said video source-channel associations; and wherein said preview display portion presenting video content of a selected input of the video input sources; one of said plural individual video input sources is automatically assigned and labeled in an initial default configuration screen of the single user interface presentation as a primary channel; said input data to associate plural individual video input sources comprises keyboard input data and radio button interface input data; and when said control signals to control said tuner indicate said tuner to a channel change, said registry is checked to determine if said channel change is associated with said set of video source-channel associations.

11. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 10 , wherein said registry comprises a database.

12. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 10 , wherein said operating system further comprises a media state aggregation service module operable to broadcast information relating to said predetermined set of video source-channel associations.

13. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 12 , wherein said operating system further comprises a control application operable to receive said broadcast information and to generate control codes in response thereto.

14. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 13 , wherein said computer comprises a processor operable to use said control codes to generate control signals to control the capture of video data by said tuner.