The present invention relates to a method and a system for controlling and/or exchanging data for multimedia appliances and an appliance suitable therefor According to prior art, methods and systems for controlling and exchanging data for multimedial appliances have the disadvantage that said methods, systems and appliances are very simple with regard to the requirements and the possibilities at hand and involve considerable hardware requirements. The invention is based upon the fact that each appliance which is integrated into the system sends a message at regular intervals and by means of the bus as soon as said appliance has been activated The type of the appliance can be detected by means of said message which also reveals that the appliance is switched on, i.e. active. All the remaining active appliances in the system evaluate said messages and send such messages themselves as long as said appliances are active. The active appliances can control other active appliances or exchange data with other active appliances if required because each active appliance is thus provided with information on the other active appliances in the system.