Merged Program Guide

1 . A method for generating a program guide, comprising:

receiving, by a first media controller coupled to a local area network (LAN), from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs from a first content package provided by the content provider;

generating, by the first media controller, a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;

receiving, by the first media controller from a second media controller, second program metadata identifying a second program of a second plurality of programs from a second content package associated with the second media controller; and

storing the first program metadata and the second program metadata in a program guide on the first media controller, wherein the first media controller enables display of the program guide.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller;

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first media controller receives the first content package via a subscription associated with the first media controller, and wherein the first content package is different from the second content package.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second media controller receives the second content package via a subscription associated with the second media controller.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the second program metadata to the first program metadata;

determining that the second program metadata identifies a same program as the first program; and

storing the second program metadata in a second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program is identified as the same program as the first program.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving a request to present guide information;

obtaining the first program record and the second program record; and

causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the first media controller, third program metadata associated with a third program stored on the second media controller, and storing the third program metadata in a third program record in the program guide.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

comparing the third program metadata to the first program metadata;

determining that the first program comprises a same program as the third program; and

storing the third program record in association with the first program record wherein the third program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving a request to present the program guide;

obtaining the first program record and the third program record; and

causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the third program as being stored on a third media controller.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing a display of the first program on a display device;

determining that a first viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;

storing in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and

transmitting the updated first program record onto the network to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining that a second viewer is in proximity to the first media controller; and

storing in the first program record the first identifier identifying the first viewer and a second identifier identifying the second viewer to generate the updated first program record.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a request to display program guide information at a point in time after the first program has been displayed on the display device; in response to the request, obtaining the updated first program record; and displaying on the display device the first identifier and the second identifier.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising based on the program guide, causing a display on a display device that identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a notification that the second media controller has the second program metadata available for distribution;

accessing a last update timestamp associated with the second media controller that identifies a last time at which the first media controller received program metadata from the second media controller;

sending to the second media controller a request that includes the last update timestamp; and

wherein the second program metadata is received from the second media controller in response to sending the request to the second media controller.

15 . A media controller, comprising:

a network interface adapted to interface with a network; and

a control system coupled to the network interface, the control system including a processor and adapted to:

receive from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs from a first content package provided by the content provider;

generate a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;

receive a second program record comprising second program metadata of a second plurality of programs from a second content package associated with a second media controller; and

store the first program record and the second program record in a program guide, wherein the first media controller enables display of the program guide.

16 . The media controller of claim 15 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:

transmit the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller.

17 . The media controller of claim 15 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:

compare the second program metadata to the first program metadata;

determine that the second program comprises a same program as the first program; and

store the second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.

18 . The media controller of claim 17 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:

receive a request to display guide information;

obtain the first program record and the second program record; and

cause a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

19 . The media controller of claim 15 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:

cause a display of the first program on a display device;

determine that a first viewer is in proximity to the media controller;

store in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and

transmit the updated first program record onto the network via the network interface to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.

20 . A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for generating a program guide, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first media controller coupled to a local area network (LAN), from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs from a first content package provided by the content provider;

generating, by the first media controller, a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;

receiving, by the first media controller from a second media controller, second program metadata identifying a second program of a second plurality of programs from a second content package associated with the second media controller; and

storing the first program metadata and the second program metadata in a program guide on the first media controller, wherein the first media controller enables display of the program guide.

21 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

transmit the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller.

22 . The computer program product of claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the second program metadata to the first program metadata;

determining that the second program comprises a same program as the first program; and

storing the second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.

23 . The computer program product of claim 22 , further comprising:

receiving a request to display guide information;

obtaining the first program record and the second program record; and

causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.

24 . The computer program product of claim 20 , further comprising:

causing a display of the first program on a display device;

determining that a first viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;

storing in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and

transmitting the updated first program record onto the network via a network interface to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.

25 . The computer program product of claim 24 , wherein the method further comprises receiving a request to display information about the first program after the first program has been displayed on the display device; in response to the request, obtaining the first program record; and displaying on the display device the first identifier.