Program guide system for recording television programs
View Patent ↗An interactive program guide system is provided. The system facilitates recording of programs selected from the program guide. The system handles the recording and viewing of pay programs, parentally-controlled programs, consecutive programs on different television channels, and programs with and without copy protection. Programs may be recorded using combination television videocassette recorder (TV/VCR) units.
1. A method for presenting a media asset at user equipment of a user, comprising:
receiving a user request to access a media asset;
generating, for display, a first option to purchase the media asset with a storage restriction and a second option to purchase the media asset without the storage restriction;
providing the media asset with the storage restriction when the user selects the first option; and
providing the media asset without the storage restriction when the user selects the second option.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first option is associated with a first fee and the second option is associated with a second fee.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first fee is less than the second fee.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the media asset without the storage restriction comprises enabling the user to store the media asset for a user requested time duration.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating a message for display indicating that the media asset cannot be stored when the user selects the first option.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving user selection of the second option at the user equipment; and
control circuitry removing the storage restriction from the media asset in response to the user selection of the second option.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media asset is scheduled to become available at a future time.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating, for display, a parental control option for locking the media asset.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
receiving a user selection of the parental control option to lock the media asset; and
control circuitry blocking access to the media asset in response to receiving the user selection of the parental control option.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media asset is not stored at the user equipment if the user declines to purchase the media asset.
11. A system for presenting a media asset, the system comprising:
circuitry configured to:
receive a user request to access a media asset;
generate, for display, a first option to purchase the media asset with a storage restriction and a second option to purchase the media asset without the storage restriction;
provide the media asset with the storage restriction when the user selects the first option; and
provide the media asset without the storage restriction when the user selects the second option.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first option is associated with a first fee and the second option is associated with a second fee.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first fee is less than the second fee.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the media asset without the storage restriction by enabling the user to store the media asset for a user requested time duration.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate a message for display indicating that the media asset cannot be stored when the user selects the first option.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive user selection of the second option; and
remove the storage restriction from the media asset in response to the user selection of the second option.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the media asset is scheduled to become available at a future time.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate, for display, a parental control option for locking the media asset.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
receive a user selection of the parental control option to lock the media asset; and
block access to the media asset in response to receiving the user selection of the parental control option.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to not store the media asset at the user equipment if the user declines to purchase the media asset.