Client-server based interactive guide with server recording
An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.
1. A method for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program;
processing the record request;
scheduling a recording of the program for storage in a storage device, in the location remote to users, in response to processing the record request;
recording the program to the storage device in a first video format;
receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;
processing the playback request;
converting the recorded program from the first video format to a second video format; and
causing the converted recorded program to be transmitted to the user equipment in response to processing the playback request.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs recorded in response to receiving record requests from a user of the user equipment; and
transmitting, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment in response to receiving the access request.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
causing an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and
in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmitting the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an information request, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and
in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmitting information about the program to the user equipment.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the record request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for recording the program; and
recording the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.
8. A system for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
a server in the location remote to the users comprising:
a storage device;
communications circuitry configured to:
receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program,
receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, and
transmit programs, over the communications, to the user equipment; and
control circuitry configured to:
process the record request,
schedule a recording of the program for storage in the storage device in response to processing the record request,
record the program to the storage device in a first video format,
process the playback request,
convert the recorded program from the first video format to a second video format, and
cause the converted recorded program to be transmitted by the communications circuitry, over the communications path, in response to processing the playback request.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs recorded in response to receiving record requests from a user of the user equipment, and
transmit, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment in response to receiving the access request.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the control circuitry is further configured to:
cause an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and
in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmit the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive an information request using IP, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and
in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmit information about the program to the user equipment.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
transmit media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the record request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for recording the program; and
wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
record the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.
15. A method for storing programs in a location remote to users comprising:
receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a storage request, generated by a user equipment, to store a program;
processing the storage request;
storing the program to a storage device, in the location remote to the users, in a first video format;
receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;
processing the playback request;
converting the stored program from the first video format to a second video format; and
causing the converted stored program to be transmitted to the user equipment in response to processing the playback request.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs stored in response to receiving storage requests from a user of the user equipment; and
transmitting, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
causing an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and
in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmitting the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving an information request using IP, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and
in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmitting information about the program to the user equipment.
20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transmitting media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the storage request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.
21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for storing the program; and
storing the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.
22. A system for storing programs in a location remote to users comprising:
a server in the location remote to the users comprising:
a storage device;
communications circuitry configured to:
receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a storage request, generated by a user equipment, to store a program,
receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, and
transmit programs, over the communications path, to the user equipment; and
control circuitry configured to:
process the storage request,
store the program to the storage device in a first video format,
process the playback request,
convert the stored program from the first video format to a second video format, and
cause the converted stored program to be transmitted by the communications circuitry in response to processing the playback request.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs stored in response to receiving storage requests from a user of the user equipment, and
transmit, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment in response to receiving the access request.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein:
the control circuitry is further configured to:
cause an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.
25. The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and
in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmit the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.
26. The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive an information request using IP, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and
in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmit information about the program to the user equipment.
27. The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
transmit media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the storage request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.
28. The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the communications circuitry is further configured to:
receive, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for storing the program; and
wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
store the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.