Systems and methods for managing stored programs

1. A method for managing previously recorded programs, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of previously recorded programs;

determining a viewing history of each one of the plurality of previously recorded programs;

categorizing each one of the plurality of previously recorded programs into at least one of a plurality of recorded program categories based upon the viewing history;

determining an amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of previously recorded programs;

for each one of the plurality of recorded program categories, determining an amount of memory capacity utilized by each one of the recorded program categories, wherein the amount of memory capacity utilized by each recorded program category corresponds to the amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the previously recorded programs categorized as members of that respective recorded program category; and

generating a recorded program category-based graphical user interface (GUI),

wherein the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts a chart showing each of the plurality of recorded program categories as an icon, and

wherein a size of each of the respective icons of the chart of the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts the amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded program categories.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing information corresponding to the viewing history category of each one of the plurality of previously recorded programs.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

retrieving the stored information corresponding to the viewing history category of each one of the plurality of previously recorded programs in response to a request for presentation of the recorded program category-based GUI.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to a viewing of one of the selected previously recorded programs, further comprising:

determining an updated viewing history of the selected previously recorded program; and

re-categorizing the selected previously recorded programs based upon the viewing history.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts the amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded program categories using a pie chart format.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts an amount of memory capacity available for recording of at least one program.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

specifying a category type of the at least one of a plurality of recorded program categories.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a category-based recorded program listing GUI in response to receiving a selection of one of the plurality of recorded program categories, wherein the category-based recorded program listing GUI lists the previously recorded programs that have been categorized into the selected recorded program category; and

presenting the category-based recorded program listing GUI on a display.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein presenting the category-based recorded program listing GUI on the display comprises:

presenting the amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded programs that have been categorized into the selected recorded program category.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

deleting at least one of the plurality of previously recorded programs listed on the category-based recorded program listing GUI in response to receiving a selection identifying the deleted at least one previously recorded program.

11. The method of claim 10 , in response to deleting the at least one of the plurality of previously recorded programs listed on the category-based recorded program listing GUI, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of remaining previously recorded programs that have been categorized into the selected recorded program category; and

generating an updated recorded program category-based GUI;

wherein the updated recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts the plurality of recorded program categories, and

wherein the updated recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts an updated amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded program categories based upon an amount of memory capacity utilized by the remaining previously recorded programs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the updated recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts an updated amount of memory capacity available for recording of at least one program.

13. A program recording management system, comprising:

a program content stream interface configured to receive a plurality of programs;

a digital video recorder (DVR) configured to store a plurality of selected ones of the received plurality of programs; and

a processor system that manages the stored plurality of programs on the DVR, wherein the processor system is configured to:

determine a viewing history of each one of the plurality of programs stored in the DVR;

categorize each one of the stored plurality of programs as a member of one of a plurality of recorded program categories based upon the viewing history;

determine an amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of previously recorded programs;

for each one of the plurality of recorded program categories, determine an amount of memory capacity utilized by each one of the recorded program categories, wherein the amount of memory capacity utilized by each recorded program category corresponds to the amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the previously recorded programs categorized as members of that respective recorded program category; and

generate a recorded program category-based graphical user interface (GUI),

wherein the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts the plurality of recorded program categories, and

wherein the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts an amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded program categories based upon an amount of memory capacity utilized by the stored plurality of programs.

14. The program recording management system of claim 13 , further comprising:

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the processor system, configured to communicatively couple to a media presentation device, and configured to communicate the recorded program category-based GUI to a display of the media presentation device; and

a remote interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to receive a request signal from a remote control device,

wherein in response to receiving the request signal from the remote control device, the recorded program category-based GUI is communicated from the presentation device interface to the media presentation device.

15. The program recording management system of claim 14 , wherein the processor system is further configured to:

generate a category-based recorded program listing GUI in response to receiving a selection of one of the plurality of recorded program categories in a second signal received by the remote control device, wherein the category-based recorded program listing GUI lists the previously recorded programs that have been categorized into the selected recorded program category; and

output the category-based recorded program listing GUI to a display.

16. The program recording management system of claim 13 , wherein the program recording management system is implemented in a set top box.

17. A method for managing previously recorded programs, the method comprising:

determining a viewing history of each one of the previously recorded programs;

categorizing each one of the plurality of previously recorded programs into at least one of a plurality of recorded program categories based upon the viewing history;

presenting a recorded program category-based GUI on a display,

wherein the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts a chart showing each of the plurality of recorded program categories as an icon, and

wherein a size of each of the respective icons of the chart of the recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts a sum of an amount of memory capacity corresponding to an amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded program categories based upon an amount of memory capacity utilized by previously recorded programs that have been categorized as members of the respective ones of the plurality of recorded program categories, and

wherein the plurality of recorded program categories are defined based upon the viewing history;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of recorded program categories; and

presenting the category-based recorded program listing GUI,

wherein the category-based recorded program listing GUI lists the previously recorded programs that have been categorized into the selected recorded program category.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

deleting at least one of the plurality of previously recorded programs listed on the category-based recorded program listing GUI in response to receiving a selection identifying the at least one previously recorded program.

19. The method of claim 18 , in response to deleting the at least one of the plurality of previously recorded programs listed on the category-based recorded program listing GUI, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of remaining previously recorded programs that have been categorized into the selected recorded program category;

generating an updated recorded program category-based GUI;

wherein the updated recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts the plurality of recorded program categories; and

wherein the updated recorded program category-based GUI graphically depicts an updated amount of memory capacity utilized by each of the plurality of recorded program categories based upon an amount of memory capacity utilized by the remaining previously recorded programs.