Electronic program guide with digital storage
View Patent ↗An interactive television program guide system with digital storage is provided. The program guide gives users the ability to store information associated with recorded programs in a directory in the digital storage device thereby providing easy access to program information. The program guide may also provide a global media library for indicating the programs stored on removable storage media used with the program guide. The guide may also allow the user to manage and maintain a user media library to do the same. Non-time-sensitive data associated with recorded programs may be stored in a way that allows the user to interact with the data on playback as if the program were being originally aired. The program guide also allows the user to define “super-programs” for playback of a sequence of stored programs or program segments.
1. A method for allowing a user to select storage options for storing programs using an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment, the method comprising:
providing the user with an opportunity to select at least one storage option for storing a program to be recorded, wherein the at least one storage option relates to at least one storage setting configured to control how programs are to be digitally stored on a random access digital storage device;
in response to a user selection of the at least one storage option, modifying the at least one storage setting;
displaying in the interactive television program guide at least one program listing related to at least one program;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a program listing from the at least one displayed program listing for recording on the random access digital storage device; and
recording the program on the random access digital storage device based on the modification of the at least one storage setting.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language track for storing with programs when a program is recorded.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one video format for recording programs.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one video format comprises at least one of high definition television, normal television and digital format.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one storage option is for setting at least one parental control criterion that prevents the program from being recorded to the digital storage device when the program does not meet the at least one parental control criterion.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one storage option is for automatically erasing programs from the digital storage device once the programs are viewed by the user.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language of subtitles for storing with programs when the programs are recorded.
8. A method for recording programs using an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment, the method comprising:
displaying in a display screen at least one program listing relating to at least one program;
providing a user with an opportunity to indicate a program to be recorded on a random access digital storage device by selecting a program listing from the at least one displayed program listing, wherein the selected program listing corresponds to the program to be recorded;
providing the user with an opportunity to select at least one storage option for storing the program to be recorded, wherein the at least one storage option relates to at least one storage setting configured to control how the program is to be digitally stored on the random access digital storage device;
in response to receiving the user selection of the at least one storage option, modifying the at least one storage setting for the program to be recorded; and
recording the program on the random access digital storage device based on the modification of the at least one storage setting for the program.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language track for storing with the program when the program is recorded.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one video format for recording.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one video format comprises at least one of high definition television, normal television and a digital format.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one storage option is for setting at least one parental control criterion that prevents the program from being recorded to the digital storage device when the program does not meet the at least one parental control criterion.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one storage option is for automatically erasing the program from the digital storage device once the program is viewed by the user.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language of subtitles for storing with the program when the program is recorded.
15. A system for allowing a user to select storage options for storing programs, the system comprising:
a display screen;
a random access digital storage device; and
an interactive television program guide implemented at least partially on circuitry, wherein the interactive television program guide is programmed to:
provide the user with an opportunity to select at least one storage option for storing a program to be recorded, wherein said at least one storage option relates to at least one storage setting configured to control how programs are to be digitally stored on the random access digital storage device;
in response to a user selection of the at least one storage option, modify the at least one storage setting;
display in the display screen at least one program listing related to at least one program;
provide the user with an opportunity to select a program listing from the at least one displayed program listing for recording on the random access digital storage device; and
record the program on the random access digital storage device based on the modification of the at least one storage setting.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language track for storing with programs when a program is recorded.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one video format for recording programs.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one video format comprises at least one of high definition television, normal television and digital format.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one storage option is for setting at least one parental control criterion that prevents the program from being recorded to the digital storage device when the program does not meet the at least one parental control criterion.
20. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one storage option is for automatically erasing programs from the digital storage device once the programs are viewed by the user.
21. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language of subtitles for storing with programs when the programs are recorded.
22. A system for recording programs, the system comprising:
a display screen;
a random access digital storage device; and
an interactive television program guide implemented at least partially on circuitry, wherein the interactive television program guide is programmed to:
display in the display screen at least one program listing related to at least one program;
provide a user with the opportunity to indicate a program to be recorded on the random access digital storage device by selecting a program listing from the at least one displayed program listing, wherein the selected program listing corresponds to the program to be recorded;
provide the user with an opportunity to select at least one storage option for storing a program to be recorded, wherein the at least one storage option relates to at least one storage setting configured to control how the program is to be digitally stored on the random access digital storage device;
modify said at least one storage setting in response to said user selection;
in response to receiving the user selection of the at least one storage option, modify the at least one storage setting for the program to be recorded; and
record the program on the random access digital storage device based on the modification of the at least one storage setting for the program.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language track for storing with the program when the program is recorded.
24. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one video format for recording.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one video format comprises at least one of high definition television, normal television and a digital format.
26. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one storage option is for setting at least one parental control criterion that prevents the program from being recorded to the digital storage device when the program does not meet the at least one parental control criterion.
27. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one storage option is for automatically erasing the program from the digital storage device once the program is viewed by the user.
28. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one storage option is for selecting at least one language of subtitles for storing with the program when the program is recorded.