SIMULTANEOUS VIDEO STREAMING ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS

1 . A media controller subsystem comprising:

a microprocessor executable distributed network control server operable to access selected content on a public network external to a vehicle comprising the media controller subsystem, the distributed network control server having at least one of an assigned Internet Protocol address and global unicast address;

a microprocessor executable media server operable to receive requests for content from a vehicle occupant and provide requested content to a portable computational device associated with the vehicle occupant, the media server having a contactable electronic address on a local area network maintained by the vehicle;

microprocessor readable memory to store content; and

a microprocessor executable virtual network console operable to provide the computational device with remote access to the media server.

2 . The media controller subsystem of claim 15 , wherein the distributed network control server, media server, and virtual network console are on a common media processing board mounted on the vehicle and wherein the portable computational device is discrete from, remote from, and in wireless communication with the media processing board.

3 . The media controller subsystem of claim 16 , wherein the virtual network console operates in accordance with the Remote Frame Buffer protocol on top of the TCP/IP suite of protocols, thereby causing the remote computational device to appear to a computer mounted in the vehicle as if the remote computational device is part of the on board vehicle control system comprising the computer.

4 . The media controller of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle occupant, through the remote computational device, can control one or more of the following media presentation features of a screen and sound system mounted on the vehicle: volume, contrast, resolution, and channel selection.

5 . A method, comprising:

determining, by a microprocessor executable media server, at least one of an identity of a vehicle occupant requesting media content, an identity of a portable computational device associated with the vehicle occupant, and a spatial location of the vehicle occupant and/or remote computational device;

based on the at least one of the identity of the vehicle occupant requesting media content, the identity of a portable computational device associated with the vehicle occupant, and the spatial location of the vehicle occupant and/or remote computational device, applying, by the microprocessor executable media server, at least one of a filter and restriction to the requested media content to form filtered and/or permitted media content to be provided to the portable computational device; and

providing, by a microprocessor executable media server, the filtered and/or permitted media content to the portable computational device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the portable computational device is discrete from, remote from, and in wireless communication with the media processing board, wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is applied to a media request of the vehicle occupant before the requested media content is accessed and wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is one or more of an age-related content filter and/or restriction, a vehicle occupant seating location filter and/or restriction, and a privacy filter and/or restriction.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction bans a type of content requested, bans a source of the content, redirects the request to a different source of the content, and/or limits the vehicle occupant to content from an approved source.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the portable computational device is discrete from, remote from, and in wireless communication with the media processing board, wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is applied after the requested media content is accessed and wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is one or more of an age-related content filter and/or restriction, a vehicle occupant seating location filter and/or restriction, and a privacy filter and/or restriction.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a menu displayed to each occupant enables access to media content and wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction determines a content and/or configuration of the menu presented to each occupant.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein application of the at least one of a filter and restriction is based on an electronic address of the portable computational device on a network of the vehicle.

11 . A vehicle, comprising:

a microprocessor executable media server operable to:

determine, at least one of an identity of a vehicle occupant requesting media content, an identity of a portable computational device associated with the vehicle occupant, and a spatial location of the vehicle occupant and/or remote computational device;

based on the at least one of the identity of the vehicle occupant requesting media content, the identity of a portable computational device associated with the vehicle occupant, and the spatial location of the vehicle occupant and/or remote computational device, apply at least one of a filter and restriction to the requested media content to form filtered and/or permitted media content to be provided to the portable computational device; and

provide the filtered and/or permitted media content to the portable computational device.

12 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the portable computational device is discrete from, remote from, and in wireless communication with the media processing board, wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is applied to a media request of the vehicle occupant before the requested media content is accessed and wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is one or more of an age-related content filter and/or restriction, a vehicle occupant seating location filter and/or restriction, and a privacy filter and/or restriction.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction bans a type of content requested, bans a source of the content, redirects the request to a different source of the content, and/or limits the vehicle occupant to content from an approved source.

14 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the portable computational device is discrete from, remote from, and in wireless communication with the media processing board, wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is applied after the requested media content is accessed and wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction is one or more of an age-related content filter and/or restriction, a vehicle occupant seating location filter and/or restriction, and a privacy filter and/or restriction.

15 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein a menu displayed to each occupant enables access to media content and wherein the at least one of a filter and restriction determines a content and/or configuration of the menu presented to each occupant.

16 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein application of the at least one of a filter and restriction is based on an electronic address of the portable computational device on a network of the vehicle.

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . (canceled)

21 . (canceled)

22 . (canceled)