Remote DVR manager

1. A method for programming a digital video recorder (DVR) associated with a subscriber account over a scheduling network comprising:

providing program schedule information to a scheduling client associated with a subscriber via the scheduling network;

receiving a request to record a program selection on the DVR from the scheduling client via the scheduling network;

receiving subscriber account data of the subscriber account associated with the subscriber;

using the subscriber account data to make a determination whether the subscriber account is entitled to receive the program selection;

when the subscriber account is entitled to receive the program selection, then acquiring state information indicative of the state of the DVR from a DVR datastore and acquiring state information indicative of a state of each component of a program provisioning system from a program provisioning system datastore, wherein the DVR datastore and the program provisioning system datastore are remote from the DVR and wherein the program provisioning system comprises a program source and a network path between the program source and the DVR;

using the DVR state information acquired from the DVR datastore to make a first determination at a time the request is received whether the state of the DVR precludes recording of the program selection at the DVR, wherein the first determination is made remotely from the DVR by a state evaluator;

using the program provisioning system state information acquired from the program provisioning system datastore to make a second determination at the time the request is received whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection to the DVR via the program provisioning system, wherein the second determination is made remotely from the DVR by a state evaluator;

denying the request when the first determination is that the recording of the program selection is precluded by the state of the DVR, wherein the denial of the request is made by a scheduling server; and

denying the request when the second determination is that the delivery of the program is precluded by the state of any one component of the program provisioning system wherein the denial of the request is made by the scheduling server.

2. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 ,

wherein receiving state information indicative of the state of the program provisioning system comprises receiving program source state information; and

wherein using the program provisioning system state information acquired from the program provisioning system datastore to make a second determination whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection via the program provisioning system comprises determining from the program source state information whether the program selection is available from the program source.

3. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 ,

wherein the program provisioning system comprises a network path;

wherein receiving state information indicative of the state of the program provisioning system comprises receiving network path state information; and

using the program provisioning system state information acquired from the program provisioning system datastore to make a second determination whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection comprises determining from network path state information whether the network path is available to deliver the program selection to the DVR.

4. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 3 , wherein the network path comprises a cable network.

5. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 4 , wherein the network path state information comprises information indicative of the performance of devices comprising the cable network.

6. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 3 , wherein the network path is determined in part using subscriber account data.

7. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 6 , wherein the subscriber account data is selected from the group consisting of a set top box (STB) IP address, an STB MAC address, a node associated with the STB, a modulator associated with the STB and the hub, a demodulator associated with the STB and the hub, a power supply associated with the node, an amplifier associated with the STB, a line extender associated with the STB, a customer account number, a customer account status, a customer address, and a customer phone number.

8. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 , wherein the program provisioning system further comprises a CPE unit interposed between the DVR and the network path and associated with the subscriber account, wherein receiving state information indicative of the state of the program provisioning system comprises receiving CPE state information, and wherein using the program provisioning system state information acquired from the datastore to make a second determination whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection comprises determining from the CPE state information whether the CPE is able to receive the program selection.

9. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 8 , wherein the CPE unit comprises a set top box (STB) and the CPE state information comprises a two-way communication status of the STB, a transmit signal level of the STB, and a receive signal level of the STB.

10. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 , wherein the DVR state information comprises a measure of available memory on the DVR relative to a memory requirement of the program selection.

11. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying the subscriber that the request is granted when recording of the program selection is not precluded by the state of the DVR and delivery of the program selection is not precluded by the state of any one component of the program provisioning system.

12. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 11 , wherein notifying the subscriber that the request is granted comprises sending the subscriber an email.

13. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 11 , wherein the program provisioning system comprises a set top box associated with the subscriber account and wherein notifying the subscriber that the request is granted comprises sending a text message to the set top box.

14. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 further comprising notifying the subscriber when the request is denied.

15. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 14 , wherein notifying the subscriber that the request is denied comprises sending the subscriber an email.

16. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 14 , wherein the program provisioning system comprises a set top box (STB) associated with the subscriber account and wherein notifying the subscriber that the request is denied comprises sending a text message to the STB.

17. The method for programming a DVR over a scheduling network of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling network comprises the Internet.

18. A digital video recorder (DVR) remote scheduling system comprising:

a scheduling network;

a scheduling client, wherein the scheduling client is associated with a subscriber;

a DVR datastore remote from the DVR, wherein the DVR datastore comprises state information indicative of the state of the DVR;

a provisioning system datastore remote from the DVR, wherein the provisioning system datastore comprises state information indicative of a state of a program provisioning system and wherein the program provisioning system comprises a program source, and a network path between the program source and the DVR; and

a scheduling server, wherein the scheduling server comprises instructions for:

providing program schedule information to the scheduling client via the scheduling network;

receiving a request to record a program selection on the DVR from the scheduling client via the scheduling network; and

providing the request to a state evaluator, wherein the state evaluator is remote from the DVR; and

wherein the state evaluator comprises instructions for:

receiving subscriber account data of a subscriber account associated with the subscriber;

making a determination whether the subscriber account is entitled to receive the program selection using the subscriber account data;

when the subscriber account is entitled to receive the program selection, then acquiring DVR state information from the DVR datastore and acquiring program provisioning system state information from the program provisioning system datastore;

using the DVR state information acquired from the DVR datastore to determine at a time the request is received whether the state of the DVR precludes recording of the program selection at the DVR;

using the program provisioning system state information acquired from the program provisioning system datastore to determine at the time the request is received whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection to the DVR via the program provisioning system; and

sending the determinations to a scheduling server; and

the scheduling server comprising instructions for:

receiving the determinations from the state evaluator;

denying the request when recording of the program selection is precluded by the state of the DVR; and

denying the request when delivery of the program is precluded by the state of any one component of the program provisioning system.

19. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 ,

wherein the program provisioning system comprises a program source;

wherein state information indicative of the state of the program provisioning system comprises program source state information; and

wherein the instruction for using the program provisioning system state information to determine whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection to the DVR comprises an instruction for using the program source state information to determine whether the program selection is available from the program source.

20. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 ,

wherein the program provisioning system comprises a network path;

wherein state information indicative of the state of the program provisioning system comprises network path state information; and

wherein the instruction for using the program provisioning system state information to determine whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection to the DVR comprises an instruction for using the network path state information to determine whether the network path is available to deliver the program selection to the DVR.

21. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 20 , wherein the network path comprises a cable network.

22. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 21 , wherein the network path state information comprises information indicative of the performance of devices comprising the cable network.

23. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 20 , wherein the state evaluator further comprises instructions for determining the network path and wherein the network path is determined in part using the subscriber account data.

24. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 23 , wherein the subscriber account data is selected from the group consisting of a set top box (STB) IP address, an STB MAC address, a node associated with the STB, a modulator associated with the STB and the hub, a demodulator associated with the STB and the hub, a power supply associated with the node, an amplifier associated with the STB, a line extender associated with the STB, a customer account number, a customer account status, a customer address, and a customer phone number.

25. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 ,

wherein the program provisioning system further comprises a CPE unit interposed between the DVR and the network path and associated with the subscriber account;

wherein state information indicative of the state of the program provisioning system comprises CPE state information; and

wherein the instruction for using the program provisioning system state information to determine whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection to the DVR comprises an instruction for using the CPE state information to determine whether the CPE associated with the DVR is able to receive the program selection.

26. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 25 , wherein the CPE unit comprises a set top box (STB) and the CPE state information comprises a two-way communication status of the STB, a transmit signal level of the STB, and a receive signal level of the STB.

27. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 , wherein the DVR state information comprises a measure of available memory on the DVR relative to a memory requirement of the program selection.

28. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 , wherein the scheduling server further comprises instructions for notifying the subscriber that the request is granted when recording of the program is not precluded by the state of the DVR and delivery of the program selection is not precluded by the state of any one component of the program provisioning system.

29. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 28 , wherein the notification to the subscriber that the request is granted comprises an email sent to the subscriber.

30. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 28 , wherein the program provisioning system comprises a set top box associated with the subscriber and wherein the notification to the subscriber that the request is granted comprises a text message sent to the set top box.

31. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 , wherein the scheduling server further comprises instructions for notifying the subscriber that the request is denied.

32. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 31 , wherein the notification to the subscriber that the request is denied comprises an email sent to the subscriber.

33. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 31 , wherein the program provisioning system comprises a set top box (STB) associated with the subscriber and wherein the notification to the subscriber that the request is denied comprises a text message sent to the set top box.

34. The DVR remote scheduling system of claim 18 , wherein the scheduling network comprises the Internet.