Systems and methods for mirroring and transcoding media content

1. A method for synchronizing media content across various user equipment devices without requiring external transcoding hardware, the method comprising:

determining, at a remote server coupled to a first user equipment over a network, that a recording of the media content has been completed, wherein the recording of the media content is in a first format:

determining that the media content recorded on the first user equipment fulfills a pre-defined user criteria of media content to be mirrored, wherein the pre-defined user criteria of media content to be mirrored is based upon one or more user query criteria comprising at least one of content title, actor name, content theme or category, text within content information fields, or audio content;

in response to the determining that the recording of the media content has been completed, determining, at the remote server, that a predetermined maximum amount of storage allocated for a user is not exceeded by recordings that are associated with the user, wherein the user is associated with the first user equipment;

in response to the determining that the predetermined maximum amount of storage allocated for the user is not exceeded by recordings that are associated with the user and based on the determining that the media content recorded on the first user equipment fulfills the pre-defined user criteria of media content to be mirrored automatically mirroring, at the remote server, the media content recorded on the first user equipment to create a mirrored copy of the media content recorded on the first user equipment;

determining, at the remote server, a second user equipment that is authorized to receive the media content;

transcoding, at the remote server, the mirrored copy to a second format that is appropriate for a second user equipment; and

automatically providing the transcoded, mirrored copy to the second user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing, on the remote server, the mirrored copy of the media content with a pointer to a current playback position in the mirrored copy of the media content.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adjusting, on the remote server, the pointer to the current playback position based on a user-interaction, on the second user equipment, with the mirrored copy of the media content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second user equipment that is authorized to receive the media content comprises:

determining that the second user equipment is included in a list of previously registered user equipment devices; and

transmitting the mirrored copy of the media content, from the remote server, to the second user equipment in response to the determining that the second user equipment is included in the list of previously registered user equipment devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transcoding the mirrored copy by the remote server is performed in real-time, in concurrence with playing, on the second user equipment, the mirrored copy transcoded for the second user equipment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein mirroring, at the remote server, the media content recorded on the first user equipment further comprises mirroring the media content in a user designated media content format.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote server comprises a first application resident on the remote server and a second application resident on the remote server, and wherein:

mirroring the media content recorded on the first user equipment comprises mirroring the media content using the first application; and

transcoding the mirrored copy comprises transcoding the mirrored copy using the second application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transcoding of the mirrored copy to the media content format that is appropriate for the second user equipment is performed prior to receiving a user input from the second user equipment requesting to access the mirrored copy.

9. A system for synchronizing media content across various user equipment devices without requiring external transcoding hardware, the system comprising a server, coupled to a first user equipment over a network, configured to:

determine that a recording of the media content has been completed, wherein the recording of the media content is in a first format;

determine that the media content recorded on the first user equipment fulfills a pre-defined user criteria of media content to be mirrored, wherein the pre-defined user criteria of media content to be mirrored is based upon one or more user query criteria comprising at least one of content title, actor name, content theme or category, text within content information fields, or audio content;

in response to determining that the recording of the media content has been completed, determine, at the remote server, whether a predetermined maximum amount of storage allocated for a user is exceeded by recordings that are associated with the user, wherein the user is associated with the first user equipment;

in response to determining that the predetermined maximum amount of storage allocated for the user is not exceeded by recordings that are associated with the user and based on determining that the media content recorded on the first user equipment fulfills the pre-defined user criteria of media content to be mirrored;

automatically mirror the media content recorded on the first user equipment to create a mirrored copy of the media content recorded on the first user equipment;

determine a second user equipment that is authorized to receive the media content;

transcode the mirrored copy to a second format that is appropriate for a second user equipment; and

automatically provide the transcoded, mirrored copy to the second user equipment.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to store the mirrored copy of the media content with a pointer to a current playback position in the mirrored copy of the media content.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the server is further configured to adjust the pointer to the current playback position based on a user-interaction, on the second user equipment, with the mirrored copy of the media content.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein determining the second user equipment that is authorized to receive the media content comprises:

determine whether the second user equipment is included in a list of previously registered user equipment devices; and

transmit the mirrored copy of the media content, from the remote server, to the second user equipment in response to determining that the second user equipment is included in the list of previously registered user equipment devices.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to transcode the mirrored copy on the remote server in real-time, in concurrence with playing, on the second user equipment, the mirrored copy transcoded for the second user equipment.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to, when mirroring the media content recorded on the first user equipment, mirror the media content in a user designated media content format.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server comprises a first application and a second application, and wherein:

the server is further configured, when mirroring the media content recorded on the first user equipment, to mirror the media content using the first application; and

the server is further configured, when transcoding the mirrored copy, to transcode the mirrored copy using the second application.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to transcode the mirrored copy to the media content format that is appropriate for the second user equipment prior to receiving a user input from the second user equipment requesting to access the mirrored copy.