Audio and video program recording, editing and playback systems using metadata

Abstract

A system for utilizing metadata created either at a central location for shared use by connected users, or at each individual user's location, to enhance user's enjoyment of available broadcast programming content. A variety of mechanisms are employed for automatically and manually identifying and designating programming segments, associating descriptive metadata which the identified segments, distributing the metadata for use at client locations, and using the supplied metadata to selectively record and playback desired programming.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for selectively reproducing recorded video program segments comprising the steps of: 
 storing said video program segments in a mass storage device, storing playlist metadata specifying a selected set of said stored segments and the ordered sequence in which the segments in said set are to be reproduced on a display device in the absence of an intervening control command from the viewer, said playlist metadata further including a text description of each segment in said set,    reproducing said set of stored segments on said display device in the ordered sequence specified by said playlist,    at the request of a viewer, displaying a segment guide listing on said display device, said guide listing containing the text description of each segment in said set with the text description of the segment currently being reproduced being visually identified on said guide listing,    visually identifying a different selected one of said text descriptions on said guide listing in response to a selection command from a viewer, and    reproducing the video segment described by said selected one of said text descriptions in response to further command from said viewer.