Systems and methods for reducing cut-offs in program recording

Abstract

A media recording system may be provided. The recording system may include features for reducing recording cut-off of a particular media event due to changes in the start time and end time of what is scheduled to be recorded. The recording system may provide a user with an opportunity to select a program by for example, selecting a listing, to have that program automatically recorded at a scheduled time for presentation to viewers. Changes in the schedule of programs may be compensated manually or automatically when the recording system receives information about actual or predicted time changes. In a manual mode, a user may adjust start or end times based on time change information that is displayed. For an automatic mode, the recording system may automatically compensate for predicted or actual time changes that are known by automatically adjusting the start and end times of recording.

1 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A method for reducing incomplete recordings of scheduled programs, the method comprising:
 receiving a user selection to record a first program;   predicting a time change associated with a second program;   predicting a time change associated with the first program based on the predicted time change associated with the second program; and   recording the selected first program to compensate for a time change based on the predicted time change associated with the first program.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein predicting a time change associated with a second program comprises predicting a time change associated with the second program based on a program type of the second program. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein predicting a time change associated with the second program further comprises predicting a time change associated with the second program based on previously logged time changes for programs of a program type similar to the program type of the second program. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein:
 the second program is scheduled to end at a nominal time; and   the first program is scheduled to start at the same nominal time.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the second program is a broadcast of a live event. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the predicted time change associated with the first program comprises predicted time extension information. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the recording comprises recording the selected first program by adjusting a recording end time associated with the selected first program. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein predicting a time change associated with a second program comprises predicting a time change associated with a second program based on data provided with the second program. 
     
     
         65 . User recording equipment for reducing incomplete recordings of scheduled programs, the user recording equipment comprising:
 control circuitry that is configured to:   receive a user selection to record a first program;   predict a time change associated with a second program;   predict a time change associated with the first program based on the predicted time change associated with the second program; and   a media recording device that is responsive to the control circuitry and that is configured to record the selected first program to compensate for a time change based on the predicted time change associated with the first program.   
     
     
         66 . The user recording equipment of  claim 65 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to predict the time change associated with the second program based on a program type of the second program. 
     
     
         67 . The user recording equipment of  claim 66 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to predict the time change associated with the second program based on previously logged time changes for programs of a program type similar to the program type of the second program. 
     
     
         68 . The user recording equipment of  claim 65 , wherein:
 the second program is scheduled to end at a nominal time; and   the first program is scheduled to start at the same nominal time.   
     
     
         69 . The user recording equipment of  claim 65 , wherein the second program is a broadcast of a live event. 
     
     
         70 . The user recording equipment of  claim 65 , wherein the predicted time change associated with the first program comprises predicted time extension information. 
     
     
         71 . The user recording equipment of  claim 70 , wherein the media recording device is configured to record the selected first program by adjusting a recording end time associated with the selected first program. 
     
     
         72 . The user recording equipment of  claim 65 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to predict the time change associated with the second program based on data provided with the second program.