Client-server based interactive guide with server recording

摘要

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.

主权项

1. A method for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a first record request, generated by a first user equipment, to record a first program; receiving, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the first user equipment of a video format for recording the first program; processing the first record request; scheduling a first recording of the first program for storage in a storage device, in the location remote to the users, in response to processing the first record request; recording the first program to the storage device using the indicated video format; receiving, over the communications path using IP, a first playback request for the first program from the first user equipment; processing the first playback request; causing the recorded first program to be transmitted to the first user equipment in response to processing the first playback request; receiving, over the communications path using IP, a second record request, generated by a second user equipment, to record a second program; processing the second record request; scheduling a second recording of the second program for storage in the storage device in response to processing the second record request; recording the second program to the storage device; receiving, over the communications path using IP, a second playback request for the second program from the second user equipment; processing the second playback request; and causing the recorded second program to be transmitted to the second user equipment in response to processing the second playback request.