Method and system for securely providing content to a portable media player device

1. A method comprising:

registering a unique identifier of a portable device to a user account at a head end;

transmitting, from the head end, the unique identifier to a storage device controller of a storage device of a content receiving device, said head end remotely located from the storage device controller;

storing the unique identifier of the portable device in a memory associated with the storage device controller to form a stored identifier;

coupling the portable device to the storage device controller;

communicating an identifier from the portable device to the storage device controller;

comparing, at the storage device controller, the identifier from the portable device with the stored identifier in the memory;

receiving a content file at the content receiving device;

storing the content file in the storage device; and

enabling a transfer of the content file from the storage device of the content receiving device to the portable device in response to comparing.

2. A method as in claim 1 disabling the transfer of the file in response to a non-equal result in the step of comparing.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting a serial number to the storage device controller through a satellite.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein prior to transmitting, associating the serial number to a storage device controller.

5. A method as in claim 3 wherein prior to transmitting, associating the serial number to a plurality of storage device controllers.

6. A method as in claim 3 wherein prior to transmitting associating the serial number to a plurality of storage device controllers associated with a single account.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein the storage device comprises a digital video recorder.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein the portable device comprises a portable media player.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein the portable device comprises a personal computer.

10. A method comprising:

registering a portable device identifier to a user account at a central location located remotely from a storage device controller of a content receiving device to form a registered portable device identifier;

generating a conditional access signal at the central location corresponding to the registered portable device identifier and a revocation list in response to registering;

communicating the conditional access signal from the central location to the storage device controller of a storage device;

coupling the portable device to the storage device controller of the content receiving device;

communicating a received portable device identifier from the portable device to the storage device controller;

comparing, at the content receiving device, the received portable device identifier to the registered portable device identifier and the revocation list;

enabling communicating files from the storage device to the portable device in response to comparing; and

communicating files stored in the storage device to the portable device after enabling.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein communicating the conditional access signal comprises communicating the conditional access signal through a satellite.

12. A method as in claim 10 wherein communicating the conditional access signal comprises communicating the conditional access signal through a terrestrial-based system.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the terrestrial-based system comprises a public service telephone network.

14. A method as in claim 10 wherein the conditional access signal comprises a seed signal.

15. A method as in claim 10 wherein the conditional access signal comprises a seed signal and a serial number signal.

16. A method as in claim 10 wherein the conditional access signal comprises a serial number signal.

17. A method as in claim 10 wherein the conditional access signal comprises a seed signal and, a serial number signal corresponding to a serial number, and wherein communicating files to the portable device is performed in response to the serial number not on the revocation list.

18. A method as in claim 10 wherein the storage device comprises a digital video recorder.

19. A method as in claim 10 wherein the portable device comprises a portable media player.

20. A method as in claim 10 wherein the portable device comprises a personal computer.

21. A system comprising:

a portable device having a unique identifier associated therewith;

a central location registering the unique identifier of the portable device to an account, generating a conditional access signal comprising the unique identifier corresponding to the portable device in response to registering and transmitting the conditional access signal to a set top box in communication with the portable device and having a storage device controller;

a set top box located remotely from the central location receiving the conditional access signal, receiving a received identifier from the portable device, comparing the received identifier and the unique identifier of the conditional access signal and enabling a transfer of a file stored in the storage device to a portable device in response to comparing; and

the portable device receiving the file when coupled to the set top box in response to comparing.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the set top box comprises a satellite television set top box and further comprising a storage device is associated with the satellite television set top box, said storage device controller in communication with the storage device.

23. A system as recited in claim 21 further comprising an interface coupling the set top box or storage device controller to the portable device.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the interface comprises a wired interface.

25. A system as recited in claim 24 wherein the wired interface comprises a USB interface.

26. A system as recited in claim 24 wherein the wired interface comprises an Ethernet interface.

27. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the interface comprises a wireless interface.

28. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the wireless interface comprises a local area network interface.