Method and apparatus for providing virtual channels

1. A method comprising:

presenting, on a display associated with a set-top box, a user interface that permits a user to search for media content that is accessible by way of the set-top box, the user interface comprising

a navigation field that displays a plurality of tabs indicating a browsing thread for a current browsing session, each of the tabs included in the plurality of tabs is selectable by the user to return to a previous tab without having to restart the current browsing session, and one of the tabs included in the plurality of tabs corresponding to a share content tab that facilitates sharing by the user of the media content with an additional set-top box over a network,

a first interactive pane that includes a plurality of navigable directories associated with the share content tab, and

a second interactive pane that includes a listing of media content instances that are associated with a particular directory included in the plurality of navigable directories and that are available to be shared with the additional set-top box over the network;

receiving a first input from the user to select a particular media content instance included in the listing of the media content instances;

presenting, in response to the first input, a pop up information box within the second interactive pane;

receiving a second input from the user specifying, within the pop up information box presented within the second interactive pane, a sharing policy that indicates that the particular media content instance is to be made available to the additional set-top box; and

transmitting, in response to the second input specifying of the sharing policy, a link to the particular media content instance to the additional set-top box, wherein the link facilitates access by the additional set-top box to the particular media content instance.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the media content is video content accessible by way of a video-sharing site.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the media content is audio content accessible by way of an audio-sharing site.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the link is transmitted to the additional set-top box by way of an end terminal that includes a computing device, a mobile device, or a telephony device.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising

presenting the particular media content instance to the user via the additional set-top box.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the link generates a virtual channel to the particular media content instance among broadcast channels accessible via the additional set-top box, the virtual channel provided through one of an in-band adjacent-channel to the broadcast channels, a sideband, a vertical blanking interval, a subchannel, and an out-of-band signal.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the link is transmitted to the additional set-top box from an end terminal or a facility of a service provider.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the additional set-top box is associated with another user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the link identifies the particular media content instance with at least a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

10. A set-top box apparatus comprising:

a presentation module that presents a user interface for display on a display associated with the set-top box apparatus, the user interface receives a first input from a user, during a current browsing session, to select a particular media content instance included in media content accessible by way of the set-top box apparatus,

wherein the user interface comprises

a navigation field that displays a plurality of tabs indicating a browsing thread for the current browsing session, each of the tabs included in the plurality of tabs is selectable by the user to return to a previous tab without having to restart the current browsing session, and one of the tabs included in the plurality of tabs corresponding to a share content tab that facilitates sharing by the user of the media content with an additional set-top apparatus box over a network,

a first interactive pane that includes a plurality of navigable directories associated with the share content tab, and

a second interactive pane that includes a listing of media content instances that are associated with a particular directory included in the plurality of navigable directories and that are available to be shared with the additional set-top box apparatus over the network,

wherein the presentation module further presents, in response to the first input, a pop up information box within the second interactive pane;

wherein the user interface further receives a second input from the user specifying, within the pop up information box presented within the second interactive pane, a sharing policy that indicates that the particular media content instance is to be made available to the additional set-top box apparatus; and

a communication interface that transmits, in response to the second input specifying of the sharing policy, a link to the particular media content instance to the additional set-top box apparatus, wherein the link facilitates access by the additional set-top box apparatus to the particular media content instance.

11. The set-top box apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the media content is video content accessible by way of a video-sharing site.

12. The set-top box apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the media content is audio content accessible by way of an audio-sharing site.

13. The set-top box apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

14. The set-top box apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the link generates a virtual channel to the particular media content instance among broadcast channels accessible via the additional set-top box apparatus, the virtual channel provided through one of an in-band adjacent-channel to the broadcast channels, a sideband, a vertical blanking interval, a subchannel, and an out-of-band signal.

15. The set-top box apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the additional set-top box apparatus is associated with another user.