Systems and methods for recording overlapping media content during scheduling conflicts
In many aspects, systems and methods for recording overlapping media content using interactive media guidance applications are provided. The systems and methods for recording overlapping media content generally relate to cropping overlapping portions of the media content thereby allowing a user to enjoy most of the recording wile only forgoing a portion of the beginning or the end of a program.
1. A method of managing program recording schedules, comprising:
retrieving from memory a schedule of recordings for a plurality of programs during a first time interval;
determining whether a number of programs in the plurality of programs exceeds a predetermined number during the first time interval; and
in response to determining that the number of programs exceeds the predetermined number:
determining a recording priority of the plurality programs;
retrieving a user-specified cropping threshold, wherein the user specified cropping threshold identifies a maximum amount permissible to crop from a program; and
recording the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the plurality of programs based on the recording priority such that a number of programs scheduled to be recorded during the first time interval is equal to or less than the predetermined number in response to determining that a size of the portion of the at least one of the plurality of programs that is cropped is less than the user-specified cropping threshold.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request for recording a program that at least partially overlaps, during a first time interval, with the plurality of programs previously scheduled for recording, wherein the plurality of programs includes the predetermined number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously during the time interval.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a recording priority of the program for which the recording is requested in comparison with the plurality of programs; and
recording the requested program and the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the requested and plurality of programs during the time interval based on the recording priority of the requested program in response to determining that a size of the portion of the at least one of the requested and the plurality of programs that is cropped is less than the user-specified cropping threshold.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a portion of a start time of a program overlaps with a portion of an end time of another one of the plurality of programs.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the recording priority includes assigning a highest priority to the most recent program scheduled for recording in the schedule of recordings.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a lowest recording priority program of the plurality of programs during the first time interval is cropped.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the program recording schedule is managed by an interactive media guidance application.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the recording priority of the plurality of programs is based on a recording priority ranking list.
9. A system for managing program recording schedules comprising:
control circuitry; and
a recording device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
retrieve from memory a schedule of recordings for a plurality of programs during a first time interval;
determine whether a number of programs in the plurality of programs exceeds a predetermined number during the first time interval; and
in response to determining that the number of programs exceeds the predetermined number:
determine a recording priority of the plurality programs;
retrieve a user-specified cropping threshold, wherein the user specified cropping threshold identifies a maximum amount permissible to crop from a program; and
direct the recording device to record the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the plurality of programs based on the recording priority such that a number of programs scheduled to be recorded during the first time interval is equal to or less than the predetermined number in response to determining that a size of the portion of the at least one of the plurality of programs that is cropped is less than the user-specified cropping threshold.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a request for recording a program that at least partially overlaps, during a first time interval, with the plurality of programs previously scheduled for recording, wherein the plurality of programs includes the predetermined number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously during the time interval.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
determine a recording priority of the program for which the recording is requested in comparison with the plurality of programs; and
direct the recording a device to record the requested program and the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the requested and plurality of programs during the time interval based on the recording priority of the requested program in response to determining that a size of the portion of the at least one of the requested and the plurality of programs that is cropped is less than the user-specified cropping threshold.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein a portion of a start time of a program overlaps with a portion of an end time of another one of the plurality of programs.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to assign a highest priority to the most recent program scheduled for recording in the schedule of recordings.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to crop a lowest recording priority program of the plurality of programs during the first time interval.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured with an interactive media guidance application for managing the program recording schedule.
16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the recording priority of the plurality of programs based on a recording priority ranking list.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on the recording priority, identifying a first program of the plurality of programs and a second program of the plurality of programs, wherein the first program has a first priority that is lower relative to a second priority of a second program; and
recording the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of the first program.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
retrieving a user-specified limit associated with the first program, wherein the user specified limit identifies a maximum amount permissible to crop from the first program;
identifying a portion of the first program such that cropping the portion of the first program causes reducing the number of programs scheduled to be recorded;
determining whether a size of the portion of the first program exceeds the user-specified limit associated with the first program;
in response to determining that the size of the portion of the first program does not exceed the user-specified limit associated with the first program, recording the plurality of programs while cropping the portion of the first program; and
in response to determining that the size of the portion of the first program exceeds the user-specified limit associated with the first program, recording each of the plurality of programs excluding the first program, wherein each recording is not cropped.
19. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
based on the recording priority, identify a first program of the plurality of programs and a second program of the plurality of programs, wherein the first program has a first priority that is lower relative to a second priority of a second program; and
record the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of the first program.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
retrieve a user-specified limit associated with the first program, wherein the user specified limit identifies a maximum amount permissible to crop from the first program;
identifying a portion of the first program such that cropping the portion of the first program causes reducing the number of programs scheduled to be recorded;
determine whether a size of the portion of the first program exceeds the user-specified limit associated with the first program;
in response to determining that the size of the portion of the first program does not exceed the user-specified limit associated with the first program, record the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of the first program; and
in response to determining that the size of the portion of the first program exceeds the user-specified limit associated with the first program, record each of the plurality of programs excluding the first program, wherein each recording is not cropped.