Apparatus and method for obtaining media content

摘要

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to receive a request for media content from a set top box of an Internet Protocol Television System, perform a search of one or more storage devices associated with other set top boxes for the media content based at least in part on a user profile associated with the set top box where the other set top boxes are located remotely from the set top box, receive the media content, and adjust a format of the media content prior to delivery to the set top box based at least in part on the user profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.

主权项

1. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor performs operations comprising:
receiving a request for media content from a set top box of a customer premises network; performing a first search responsive to the request and without user intervention, the first search being of a local storage device associated with the customer premises network for the media content; accessing a user profile associated with the customer premises network; performing a second search responsive to the first search failing to locate the media content and without user intervention, the second search being of remote storage devices associated with other customer premises networks for the media content based at least in part on the user profile, wherein the user profile identifies the remote storage devices of the other customer premises networks that allow content sharing with the set top box, wherein the content sharing is in exchange for access to local content stored by the set top box; performing a third search responsive to the second search failing to locate the media content and without user intervention, the third search being of the Internet, an out-of-network database or a combination thereof for the media content; responsive to receiving the request for the media content, performing load balancing analysis utilizing network traffic data; receiving the media content located by one of the first, second, or third searches as received media content, wherein the received media content is a copy of the media content selected for transmission to the set top box from among a plurality of copies located at different sources based on the load balancing analysis; and performing transrating, transcoding or a combination thereof on the media content prior to delivery to the set top box when the media content is retrieved from the Internet or the out-of-network database.