Content alert upon availability for internet-enabled TV

1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing;

display on the housing;

audio speaker;

network interface;

processor controlling the display and speaker and communicating with the Internet through the network interface;

the processor executing logic including:

receiving user preferences and/or keywords via a user interface (UI) presented on the display;

periodically communicating with one or more content servers via the network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content;

searching the program metadata received from the content servers using the preferences/keywords;

responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, presenting on the display a visual alert and/or presenting on the speaker an audible alert indicative of a match to indicate to a user that new content conforming to the preferences and/or keywords is available for play on the CE device.

2. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further includes, responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, adding a name of a program found to match on a “current alert” list and presenting the current alert list upon invocation thereof on the display.

3. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list at the elapse of a user-defined expiration period.

4. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list upon user command to delete.

5. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list when the entry is selected from list for play.

6. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further comprises initiating communication with the content servers to access the metadata.

7. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further comprises waiting until a content server that has updated the content available communicates new metadata to the CE device.

8. The CE device of claim 1 , wherein the logic further comprises providing preferences/keywords to the content server which performs search and match logic and return an indication thereof to the CE device.

9. Apparatus comprising:

housing;

display on the housing;

audio speaker;

network interface;

processor controlling the display and speaker and communicating with the Internet through the network interface;

the processor executing logic including:

presenting on the display a user preferences and/or keywords entry user interface (UI);

responsive to a determination that content satisfying the user preferences and/or keywords which was not available at the time of entering the user preferences and/or keywords has become available at an Internet server, presenting on the display an alert icon to indicate the availability of content; and

responsive to an invocation of a current alert UI, presenting on the display a UI listing a name of the content in a current list, the current alert UI being usable to select the content for presentation on the display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the logic further includes:

periodically communicating with one or more content servers via the network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content;

searching the program metadata received from the content servers using the preferences/keywords; and

responsive to a determination that a match exists between the metadata of an Internet-sourced piece of content and the preferences/keywords, presenting on the display the visual alert and presenting on the speaker an audible alert indicative of a match to indicate to a user that new content conforming to the preferences and/or keywords is available for play on the apparatus.

11. Apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list at the elapse of a user-defined expiration period.

12. Apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list upon user command to delete.

13. Apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic further comprises deleting an entry on the current list when the entry is selected from list for play.

14. Apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic further comprises initiating communication with the content servers to access the metadata.

15. Apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic further comprises waiting until a content server that has updated the content available communicates new metadata to the apparatus.

16. Method comprising:

receiving from a user of an Internet-enabled consumer electronics (CE) device search terms describing desired Internet-sourced programs;

monitoring at least one Internet source to detect when if the desired programs become available; and

responsive to a determination that a desired program is detected, generating a signal representative thereof useful for presenting an alert a corresponding message on a screen of the a device of the user.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method is executed by an Internet server.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method is executed by the CE device and the method further includes:

responsive to selection of the alert, presenting on the screen a current alert user interface (UI); and

responsive to selection of an entry on the current alert UI, playing content underlying the entry on the device.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

periodically communicating with one or more content servers via a network interface to retrieve program metadata of audio video content; and

searching the program metadata received from the content servers using user-entered preferences and/or keywords describing the desired Internet-sourced programs.

20. The method of claim 17 , deleting an entry at the elapse of a user-defined expiration period and/or when the entry is selected for play.