System and method for optimizing storage and transcoding costs in network DVR

1. A method for storing selected formats of a requested content in a network digital video recorder system having a network storage device, network digital video recorder scheduler, and a network digital video recorder, the network digital video recorder system for storing unique copies of the requested content for requesting accounts, each copy in at least one format selected for the respective requesting account, the method comprising:

storing, via the network storage device, information related to a playback history for each of a plurality of accounts, wherein each account is associated with at least one content playing device;

receiving, via the network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content;

receiving the requested content in a plurality of formats, wherein the network digital video recorder system couples the network storage device with the network digital video recorder to base a determination of which of the one or more of the received plurality of formats to store the requested content for each account on the playback history stored for each account;

determining, for each account, which of the one or more plurality of formats to store by:

comparing the requested content to the playback history of the at least one content playing device associated with the respective account;

selecting which of the received plurality of formats of the requested content to store for the respective account based on the comparison of the requested content to the playback history of the at least one content playing device associated with the account; and

storing uniquely for the respective account the requested content in the format(s) selected within the received plurality of formats, discarding for that respective account any unselected formats of the requested content.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a period of time after which a probability of playback of the requested content in the selected format is unlikely; and

discarding a stored format of the requested content after the period of time has lapsed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a probability of playback of a recorded content may be determined over multiple configurable periods of time, and the discard of the stored format is discarded in one of the multiple configurable periods of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a playback history for no more than a first period of time is used for the comparison to the requested content to make an initial decision whether to store the requested content in at least one of the plurality of formats.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising evaluating existing recordings stored to determine whether the uniquely stored formats should be maintained or deleted based on expected future viewing probabilities.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the playback history associated with the account when an additional content playing device is added to the account.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising on-demand transcoding a requested content for a requesting content playing device where the requested content in the requested format is not stored for the account.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing an on-demand transcoding cost to a storage cost, and

storing the requested content in at least one of the plurality of formats if the on-demand transcoding cost to transcode the recorded content in the at least one of the plurality of formats is greater than the cost to store the requested content in the at least one of the plurality of formats.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing information related to a playback history of a content device comprises storing an array of program playback metadata.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the requested content to the playback history of the content playback history comprises quantifying a match between similar prior playback operations and the requested content.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the playback metadata includes a title of a content, a description of the content, a genre of the content.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the playback history includes information related to at least one of a content playing device capabilities, previous content requested, a time or date of session start, or a trick play usage.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein no more than a single format in the plurality of formats is selected for storage of the requested content.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the single format selected is the highest available format.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the requested content in a first format, storing the requested content in a second format, and subsequently deleting the content in one of the first format or the second format after a predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein a device is associated with an account if the content playing device is registered with the content provider.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the playback history includes characteristics of a delivery network used to fulfill the playback request.

18. A network digital video recorder system for storing unique copies of requested content for selected formats of a requested content for requesting accounts, each copy in at least one format selected for the respective requesting account, the network digital video recorder system comprising:

a storage component for storing information related to a playback history of a plurality of accounts, wherein each account is associated with at least one content playing device;

a network digital video recorder scheduler for receiving a request to record requested content;

a network digital video recorder for receiving the requested content in a plurality of formats, wherein the network digital video recorder system couples the storage component with the network digital video recorder to couple the stored playback history for each account with a determination of which of the one or more of the received plurality of formats to store the requested content for each account; and

a processor for determining, for each account, which of the one or more plurality of formats to store by:

comparing the requested content to the playback history of the at least one content playing device associated with the account;

selecting which of the plurality of formats of the requested content to store based on the comparison of the requested content to the playback history of the at least one content playing device associated with the account; and

storing uniquely for the respective account the requested content in the selected format(s), discarding for that respective account any unselected formats of the requested content.