Real-time on demand server

1. A method of providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one source of real-time content;

identifying a first set of live broadcast video content that should be provided to a subscriber;

obtaining the identified first set of live broadcast video content;

providing the identified first set of live broadcast video content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the identified first set of live broadcast video content is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber;

identifying a second set of live broadcast video content that should be provided to the subscriber;

obtaining the second set of live broadcast video content;

determining that the second set of live broadcast video content supercedes the first set of live broadcast video content, wherein determining that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content comprises determining whether the second set of live broadcast video content is an update of the first set of live broadcast video content that should replace the first set of live broadcast video content, by receiving and analyzing new entries in a rich site summary (“RSS”) feed, periodically checking the second set of live broadcast video content against the first set of live broadcast video content, and analyzing filenames of the first and second sets of live broadcast video content; and

providing the second set of live broadcast video content through the content-on-demand environment, based on the determination that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content, such that the second set of live broadcast video content replaces the first set of live broadcast video content and is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber.

2. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

maintaining the first set of live broadcast video content so that the first set of live broadcast video content is also available on-demand to the subscriber.

3. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 2 , the method further comprising:

determining that the first set of live broadcast video content has expired; and

based on a determination that the first set of live broadcast video content has expired, discontinuing the maintenance of the first set of live broadcast video content,

such that the first set of live broadcast video content is no longer available on-demand to the subscriber.

4. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 3 , wherein determining that the first set of live broadcast video content has expired comprises

determining that a relevance window associated with the first set of live broadcast video content has expired.

5. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein the content-on-demand environment comprises a video-on-demand distribution network.

6. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 5 ,

wherein the video-on-demand distribution network comprises at least one of a group consisting of: a cable television distribution network; a satellite television distribution network; and an xDSL video distribution network.

7. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 5 , wherein providing the first set of live broadcast video content comprises:

displaying the first set of live broadcast video content on a real-time channel provided by the video-on-demand distribution network.

8. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 , wherein providing the first set of live broadcast video content comprises:

notifying the subscriber that the first set of live broadcast video content is available.

9. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 8 ,

wherein notifying the subscriber comprises displaying an indicator on a consumer device.

10. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 9 , further comprising

providing the subscriber with an option to make visible a link embedded in the indicator,

wherein the link refers to other content related to the link,

such that when the option is selected, the link will remain visible at all times while the indicator is displayed,

while if the option is not selected, the link will be visible only when an area associated with the link is selected.

11. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 9 ,

wherein the indicator is at least one of a group consisting of:

a picture-in-picture window;

a pop-up window; and

a notification icon.

12. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 8 ,

wherein notifying the subscriber comprises transmitting a text message for reception by at least one of a pager, a wireless telephone and an online chat application.

13. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 8 ,

wherein notifying the subscriber comprises transmitting an e-mail message for reception by the subscriber.

14. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 8 ,

wherein notifying the subscriber comprises initiating a telephone call to a telephone associated with the subscriber.

15. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

storing the first set of live broadcast video content.

16. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 15 ,

wherein storing the first set of live broadcast video content comprises storing the first set of live broadcast video content on a network storage device selected from the group consisting of: a network media recorder; and a network content library.

17. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 15 ,

wherein storing first set of live broadcast video content comprises storing the first set of live broadcast video content on a personal video recorder.

18. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein providing the first set of live broadcast video content comprises inserting the first set of live broadcast video content into a stream of on-demand content.

19. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein providing the first set of live broadcast video content comprises transmitting the first set of live broadcast video content for reception by a consumer device in communication with the content-on-demand environment.

20. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 19 ,

wherein the consumer device is at least one device selected from the group consisting of: a wired telephone; a wireless telephone; a personal digital assistant; a television; a personal computer; a set-top box; an Internet Protocol network interface device; a personal video recorder; and a portable media device.

21. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein the first set of live broadcast video content comprises a video stream.

22. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 21 ,

wherein the video stream is selected from the group consisting of: a high-bit-rate digital video stream; a low-bit-rate digital video stream; an MPEG video; a proprietary video format; a digital video file; and an analog video stream.

23. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein the first set of live broadcast video content comprises an audio stream.

24. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein the first set of live broadcast video content further comprises a report selected from the group consisting of: a traffic report; a stock report; a news report; a weather report; and urgent public information.

25. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein the first set of live broadcast video content is formatted in a first format, the method further comprising converting the first set of live broadcast video content to a second format.

26. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 25 ,

wherein the second format is specified by a profile for first set of live broadcast video content.

27. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 25 , further comprising:

charging the subscriber a fee for converting the set of downloadable content.

28. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 27 ,

wherein charging the subscriber a fee comprises charging the subscriber a monthly fee.

29. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 27 ,

wherein charging the subscriber a fee comprises charging the subscriber a per-transaction fee.

30. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

inserting an advertisement into the first set of real-time content.

31. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 30 , wherein the advertisement is associated with an advertiser, the method further comprising:

billing the advertiser an advertising fee associated with the provision of the first set of live broadcast video content.

32. A method of providing real-time content as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

filtering the first set of live broadcast video content according to an option specified in a subscriber profile,

such that the first set of live broadcast video content, when provided to the subscriber, does not include any material that the subscriber has indicated the subscriber does not wish to receive.

33. A system for providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the system comprising one or more computers having instructions executable to perform the method of claim 1 .

34. A method of providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the method comprising:

receiving at a server a first set of live broadcast video content;

determining that the first set of live broadcast video content should be provided to a subscriber; and

providing the identified set of live broadcast video content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the live broadcast video content is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber;

receiving a second set of live broadcast video content;

determining that the second set of live broadcast video content should be provided to the subscriber;

determining that the second set of live broadcast video content supercedes the first set of live broadcast video content, wherein determining that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content comprises determining whether the second set of live broadcast video content is an update of the first set of live broadcast video content that should replace the first set of live broadcast video content, by of receiving and analyzing new entries in a rich site summary (“RSS”) feed, periodically checking the second set of live broadcast video content against the first set of live broadcast video content, and analyzing filenames of the first and second sets of live broadcast video content; and

providing the second set of live broadcast video content through the content-on-demand environment, based on the determination that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content, such that the second set of live broadcast video content replaces the first set of live broadcast video content and is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber.

35. A system for providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the system comprising one or more computers having instructions executable to perform the method of claim 34 .

36. A system for providing real-time content in a content-on-demand environment, the system comprising:

a real-time content monitor server configured to:

monitor at least one source of real-time content; and

identify a first set of live broadcast video content that should be provided to a subscriber;

a network update transmission server configured to:

obtain the first set of live broadcast video content; and

a subscriber interface configured to:

provide the first set of live broadcast video content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the first set of live broadcast video content is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber;

wherein the real-time content monitor server is further configured to identify a second set of live broadcast video content that should be provided to the subscriber;

the network update transmission server is further configured to obtain the second set of live broadcast video content; and

determine that the second set of live broadcast video content supercedes the first set of live broadcast video content, wherein determining that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content comprises determining whether the second set of live broadcast video content is an update of the first set of live broadcast video content that should replace the first set of live broadcast video content, by receiving and analyzing new entries in a rich site summary (“RSS”) feed, periodically checking the second set of live broadcast video content against the first set of live broadcast video content, and analyzing filenames of the first and second sets of live broadcast video content; and

the subscriber interface is further configured to provide the second set of live broadcast video content through the content-on-demand environment, based on the determination that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content, such that the second set of live broadcast video content replaces the first set of live broadcast video content and is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber.

37. A system for providing real-time content as recited in claim 26 , the system further comprising:

a network storage device configured to store the first set of live broadcast video content.

38. A system for providing real-time content as recited in claim 37 ,

wherein the network storage device comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of:

a network media recorder; and

a network content library.

39. A system for providing real-time content as recited in claim 36 ,

wherein the subscriber interface comprises a networked personal video recorder.

40. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for providing real-time content to a subscriber, the computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by one or more processors, the set of instructions comprising:

instructions to cause a real-time content monitor server to monitor at least one source of live broadcast video content;

instructions to cause the real-time content monitor server to identify a first set of live broadcast video content that should be provided to a subscriber;

instructions to cause a network update transmission server to obtain the identified first set of live broadcast video content;

instructions to cause a subscriber interface to provide the identified first set of live broadcast video content through a content-on-demand environment, such that the identified first set of live broadcast video content is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber;

instructions to cause the real-time content monitor server to identify a second set of live broadcast video content that should be provided to the subscriber;

instructions to cause the network update transmission server to obtain the second set of live broadcast video content;

instructions to cause the network update transmission server to determine that the second set of live broadcast video content supercedes the first set of live broadcast video content, by determining whether the second set of live broadcast video content is an update of the first set of live broadcast video content that should replace the first set of live broadcast video content, by receiving and analyzing new entries in a rich site summary (“RSS”) feed, periodically checking the second set of live broadcast video content against the first set of live broadcast video content, and analyzing filenames of the first and second sets of live broadcast video content; and

instructions to cause the subscriber interface to provide the second set of live broadcast video content through the content-on-demand environment, based on the determination that the second set of live broadcast video content supersedes the first set of live broadcast video content, such that the second set of live broadcast video content replaces the first set of live broadcast video content and is available in real-time or at a later time to the subscriber.