Apple was recently granted a patent (no. 8,243,017) that describes a video device with an onscreen menu, a recording feature and a channel navigation system. Patently Apple hypothesizes that this patent describes a way the Apple TV could be used to display, record and control the playback of cable TV programming.
One figure in the document clearly shows a video device that sits in between your cable set top box and your TV. It includes menu options to display an on
