Importance

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Abstract

A dedicated apparatus for playing unmodified software, housed in a home entertainment system chassis, for playing in a home entertainment environment the existing body of interactive multimedia software that has been formatted and published for compatibility with standard personal computer platforms. Video and audio output signals are generated in response to the processing of the multimedia software program, which are fed to the home entertainment system for presentation to an audience. A further aspect is the provision of a drop & play feature which automatically initiates playing of multimedia software in a sequence that appears to be similar to playing on a videogame console, i.e., without requiring any further action from a user after inserting the media or selecting play. This feature is in part provided by a table containing installation information for each of numerous multimedia software titles; entries in this table are preferably indexed by an identifier that can be uniquely derived from a given CD-ROM/DVD or other portable media. The multimedia software may alternatively be provided via a network, such as the Internet.

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First Claim