Method and system for providing previously recorded broadcast programming with substitute commercials
A system is disclosed for providing broadcast programming to subscriber locations including an intermediate video supplier, subscriber location equipment and one or more video sources. The intermediate video supplier includes a video buffer and a video server that processes received subscriber requests and retrieves, according to the subscriber requests, either of currently broadcast programming or broadcast programming previously buffered in the video buffer by the video server. The subscriber location equipment includes a remote control and a local control unit that transmits the subscriber requests to the video server via one or more data links and receives, from the video server, the broadcast programming for display on a local video display via the data link. A subscriber may initiate a restart command with a single action via the remote control to restart a currently viewed program from the beginning even if the currently viewed program was joined in progress.
1. A method performed at an intermediate program supplier for providing broadcast programming to subscribers, the broadcast programming being received by the intermediate program supplier from one or more program suppliers and substantially simultaneously being broadcast to subscribers, the broadcast programming being associated with a first commercial advertisement broadcast with the broadcast programming, the method comprising:
recording the broadcast programming as it is broadcast to subscribers;
receiving a request from a subscriber to receive a given portion of recorded broadcast programming other than a portion then currently being broadcast to subscribers;
in response to the received request, inserting a second commercial advertisement in the recorded broadcast programming for presentation on a display device at the subscriber's location, wherein inserting the second commercial advertisement comprises replacing the first commercial advertisement with the second commercial advertisement in the recorded broadcast programming; and
transmitting the recorded broadcast programming and second commercial advertisement to the subscriber.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a request selected from the group consisting of fast forward, rewind, replay and restart.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving a the request comprises receiving a request to fast forward through the first commercial advertisement, and wherein inserting the second commercial advertisement comprises inserting the second commercial advertisement for presentation on the display device while the subscriber fast forwards through the first commercial advertisement.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving a the request comprises receiving a request to restart or replay a given program previously broadcast, and wherein inserting the second commercial advertisement comprises inserting the second commercial advertisement for presentation on the display device prior to the restart or replay of the given program.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting a the second commercial advertisement comprises inserting the second commercial advertisement in the recorded broadcast programming in addition to the first commercial advertisement.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second commercial advertisement is not necessarily the same as the first commercial advertisement.
7. A method for providing access to a broadcast program, the method comprising:
at a scheduled time, an intermediate video supplier receiving a video program from a video supplier and broadcasting the received video program to a plurality of subscribers with a set of first commercials;
at or substantially at the scheduled time, the intermediate video supplier recording the received video program in one or more video buffers; and
in response to a request from a given one of the plurality of subscribers for at least a portion of the recorded video program other than that then currently being broadcast to subscribers, the intermediate video supplier retrieving the recorded video program or a portion thereof from the one or more video buffers, replacing one or more first commercials from the set of first commercials with a second commercial within the retrieved video programming, and transmitting the retrieved video program or portion thereof to the given subscriber with the second commercial not selected from the set of first commercials.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein recording comprises recording the received video program regardless of having received a request to record the video program from any subscriber.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the second commercial in addition to the set of first commercials.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein transmitting the second commercial is based on the given subscriber's request.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the second commercial for display at the subscriber's location while the subscriber is fast forwarding through one or more commercials.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the second commercial for display at the subscriber's location prior to replaying or restarting the recorded video program.
13. A method for accessing a video program, the video program being recorded by an intermediate video supplier as it is received by the intermediate video supplier from a video supplier and broadcast to a plurality of subscribers with a set of first commercials presented with the video program on a display device at the subscriber's location, the method comprising:
after the scheduled start time for broadcast of a video program, a first subscriber transmitting a request to the intermediate video supplier to access the video program or a portion thereof already broadcast by the intermediate video supplier; and
in response to the request, the first subscriber receiving the video program or portion thereof from the intermediate video supplier with a second commercial not selected from the set of first commercials, the second commercial replacing one or more of the first commercials.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein transmitting a request comprises transmitting a request selected from the group consisting of fast forward, rewind, replay and restart.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein transmitting a request comprises transmitting a request to fast forward through a first commercial, and wherein receiving the second commercial comprises receiving the second commercial for presentation on the display device while the subscriber fast forwards through the first commercial.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein transmitting a request comprises transmitting a request to restart or replay the recorded video program, and wherein receiving the second commercial comprises receiving the second commercial for presentation on the display device prior to the restart or replay of the video program.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein receiving the second commercial comprises receiving the second commercial with the recorded video program in addition to one or more of the first commercials.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second commercial is a replacement for a single first commercial during a presentation of the recorded video program on the display device.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second commercial is a replacement for a plurality of first commercials during a presentation of the recorded video program on the display device.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second commercial is a replacement for the first commercials when the subscriber fast forwards through the first commercials.
21. A method for accessing a video program, the video program having been recorded during broadcast to subscribers at a scheduled time with a set of first commercials, the method comprising:
using a local control unit, a subscriber requesting a function related to the recorded video program, the function being selected from the group consisting of fast forward, rewind, replay and restart; and in response to the subscriber's requested function, the local control unit performing the requested function and receiving the recorded video program with a second commercial not selected from the set of first commercials, the second commercial replacing one or more of the first commercials and displaying the recorded video program with the second commercial on a display device.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the requested function is for a fast forward and wherein displaying the second commercial comprises displaying the second commercial while the fast forward function is being performed.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the requested function is for a replay or restart of the recorded video, and wherein displaying the second commercial comprises displaying the second commercial prior to performing the replay or restart function.
24. A system comprising an intermediate video supplier for receiving data from and transmitting data to a subscriber location equipment comprising a local control unit, the system configured to:
record a broadcast programming as it is broadcast to subscribers, the broadcast programming being associated with a first commercial advertisement broadcast with the broadcast programming;
receive a request from a subscriber for a given portion of recorded broadcast programming other than a portion then currently being broadcast to subscribers;
insert a second commercial advertisement in the recorded broadcast programming for presentation on a display device at the subscriber's location in response to the received request, wherein the second commercial advertisement replaces the first commercial advertisement with the second commercial advertisement in the recorded broadcast programming; and
transmit the recorded broadcast programming and second commercial advertisement to the subscriber.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a request selected from the group consisting of fast forward, rewind, replay and restart.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a request to fast forward through the first commercial advertisement, and wherein inserting the second commercial advertisement comprises inserting the second commercial advertisement for presentation on the display device while the subscriber fast forwards through the first commercial advertisement.
27. The system of claim 25 , wherein receiving a request comprises receiving a request to restart or replay a given program previously broadcast, and wherein inserting the second commercial advertisement comprises inserting the second commercial advertisement for presentation on the display device prior to the restart or replay of the given program.
28. The system of claim 24 , wherein inserting a second commercial advertisement comprises inserting the second commercial advertisement in the recorded broadcast programming in addition to the first commercial advertisement.
29. The system of claim 24 , wherein the second commercial advertisement not necessarily being the same as the first commercial advertisement.
30. A system for accessing a video program previously broadcast by an intermediate video supplier to a plurality of subscribers with a set of first commercials presented with the video program for display at the subscriber's location, the system comprising a video server coupled over a computer network to at least one local control unit, the video server configured to:
record the video program as it is being broadcast to the subscribers;
after the scheduled start time for broadcast of the video program previously broadcast by the intermediate video supplier, receive a request for at least a portion of the recorded video program other than that then currently being broadcast to subscribers from a first subscriber to access the video program or a portion thereof; and
in response to the request, transmit to the first subscriber the video program or portion thereof with a second commercial not selected from the set of first commercials, the second commercial replacing one or more of the first commercials.
31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the request from the first subscriber comprises a request selected from the group consisting of fast forward, rewind, replay and restart.
32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the request from the first subscriber comprises a request to fast forward through a first commercial, and wherein the second commercial is transmitted to the first subscriber for display while the subscriber fast forwards through the first commercial.
33. The system of claim 31 , wherein the request from the first subscriber comprises a request to restart or replay the video program, and wherein the second commercial is transmitted to the first subscriber for display prior to the restart or replay of the video program.
34. The system of claim 30 , wherein the second commercial is a replacement for a single first commercial during a presentation of the recorded video program on a display device at the subscriber's location.
35. The system of claim 30 , wherein the second commercial is a replacement for a plurality of first commercials during a presentation of the recorded video program on a display device at the subscriber's location.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the second commercial is a replacement for the first commercials when the subscriber fast forwards through the first commercials.
37. A system for providing access to a broadcast program, the system comprising an intermediate video supplier coupled over a computer network to at least one local control unit, the system configured to:
at a scheduled time, receive a video program from a video supplier and broadcast the received video program to a plurality of subscribers with a set of first commercials;
at or substantially at the scheduled time, record the received video program in one or more video buffers; and
in response to a request for at least a portion of the recorded video program other than that then currently being broadcast to subscribers from a given one of the plurality of subscribers, retrieve the recorded video program or a portion thereof from the one or more video buffers, replace one or more first commercials from the set of first commercials with a second commercial within the retrieved video programming, and transmit the retrieved video program or portion thereof to the given subscriber with the second commercial not selected from the set of first commercials.
38. The system of claim 37 , wherein the received video program is recorded regardless of having received a request to record the video program from any subscriber.
39. The system of claim 37 , wherein the second commercial is transmitted in addition to the set of first commercials.
40. The system of claim 37 , wherein the second commercial is transmitted based on the given subscriber's request.
41. The method of claim 40 , wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the second commercial for display at the subscriber's location while the subscriber is fast forwarding through one or more commercials.
42. The system of claim 40 , wherein the second commercial is transmitted for display at the subscriber's location prior to replaying or restarting the recorded video program.