Portable content container displaying A/V files in response to a command received from a consumer device

1. A portable content container comprising:

a decoder operable to decode an audio/video (A/V) file into an A/V stream;

a first interface operable to transmit the A/V stream to a display device;

a second interface operable to communicate with a consumer device; and

control circuitry operable to:

transmit file directory information identifying one or more A/V files to the consumer device over the second interface;

receive a display command over the second interface from the consumer device to display a selected one of the A/V files on the display device; and

decode the selected A/V file into an A/V stream and transmit the A/V stream over the first interface to the display device in response to the display command,

wherein the consumer device is operable to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) in response to the file directory information and transmit the GUI to the display device.

2. The portable content container as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first interface comprises an un-recordable protocol.

3. The portable content container as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first interface comprises a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

4. The portable content container as recited in claim 3 , wherein the second interface comprises a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) of the HDMI.

5. The portable content container as recited in claim 2 , wherein the second interface comprises a peripheral interface.

6. The portable content container as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second interfaces comprises a wireless interface.

7. The portable content container as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

receive a playback-related command over the second interface from the consumer device; and

execute the playback-related command by modifying the transmission of the A/V stream to the display device.

8. The portable content container as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a third interface operable to receive a removable storage device comprising the selected A/V file.

9. The portable content container as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further operable to receive an A/V file from a kiosk.

10. The portable content container as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a local memory operable to store the one or more audio/video (A/V) files.

11. A consumer device comprising:

a first interface operable to couple to a display device;

a second interface operable to couple to a portable content container (PCC), the portable content container comprising:

a local memory operable to store audio/video (A/V) files; and

a decoder operable to decode one or more of the A/V files into an A/V stream; and

the consumer device further comprising control circuitry operable to:

receive file directory information identifying the A/V files from the PCC over the second interface;

generate a graphical user interface (GUI) in response to the file directory information;

transmit the GUI over the first interface to the display device;

receive a play command from a user to play a selected file; and

transmit the play command over the second interface to the PCC to decode and display the selected A/V file on the display device, the play command causing an A/V stream associated with the selected A/V file to be transmitted from the PCC to the display device, the A/V stream bypassing the consumer device.

12. The consumer device as recited in claim 11 , further comprising a switch for selecting between the first interface and an output of the PCC for communicating with the display device.

13. The consumer device as recited in claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

configure the switch to display the GUI over the first interface; and

configure the switch to display the output of the PCC after transmitting the play command to the PCC.

14. The consumer device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first interface comprises an un-recordable protocol.

15. The consumer device as recited in claim 14 , wherein the first interface comprises a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).

16. The consumer device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the second interface comprises a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) of the HDMI.

17. The consumer device as recited in claim 14 , wherein the second interface comprises a peripheral interface.

18. The consumer device as recited in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and second interfaces comprises a wireless interface.

19. The consumer device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

receive a playback related command from the user; and

transmit the playback related command to the PCC over the second interface.

20. A consumer device comprising:

a first interface coupled to a display device;

a second interface coupled to a portable content container (PCC), the portable content container comprising:

a local memory operable to store audio/video (A/V) files;

a decoder operable to decode one or more of the A/V files into an A/V stream;

a PCC output interface coupled to the display device; and

the consumer device further comprising control circuitry operable to:

receive file directory information identifying the A/V files from the PCC over the second interface;

generate a graphical user interface (GUI) in response to the file directory information;

transmit the GUI over the first interface to the display device;

receive a play command from a user to play a selected A/V file; and

transmit the play command over the second interface to the PCC to decode and display the selected A/V file on the display device, wherein an A/V stream associated with the selected A/V file is transmitted from the PCC directly to the display device via the PCC output interface.

21. A method of operating a portable content container, the method comprising:

transmitting file directory information identifying one or more audio/video (A/V) files to a consumer device;

receiving a display command from the consumer device to display a selected one of the A/V files on the display device; and

decoding the selected A/V file into an A/V stream and transmitting the A/V stream to a display device in response to the display command, the A/V stream bypassing the consumer device,

wherein the consumer device is operable to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) in response to the file directory information and transmit the GUI to the display device.

22. A method of operating a consumer device comprising a first interface coupled to a display device and a second interface coupled to a portable content container (PCC), the portable content container comprising a local memory storing audio/video (A/V) files, and a decoder for decoding one or more of the A/V files into an A/V stream, the method comprising:

receiving file directory information identifying the A/V files from the PCC over the second interface;

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) in response to the file directory information;

transmitting the GUI over the first interface to the display device;

receiving a play command from a user to play a selected A/V file; and

transmitting the play command over the second interface to the PCC to decode and display the selected A/V file on the display device, the play command causing an A/V stream associated with the selected A/V file to be transmitted from the PCC to the display device, the A/V stream bypassing the consumer device.