Client-server based interactive television program guide system with remote server recording

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.

1 - 329 . (canceled) 
     
     
         330 . A system for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
 a remote server at the location remote to the users, comprising:
 storage circuitry configured to store programs; 
 a communications device configured to:
 receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program, wherein the record request comprises an indicator; 
 receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment; 
 
 control circuitry configured to:
 process the record request; 
 select, based on the indicator, a format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment; 
 schedule a recording of the program for storage in the storage circuitry, based on processing the record request; 
 record the program as a file to the storage circuitry using the selected format; 
 process the playback request; and 
 cause the recorded program to be transmitted to the user equipment based on the processing of the playback request. 
 
   
     
     
         331 . The system of  claim 330 , wherein the indicator indicates a video format comprising at least one of regular definition television, high definition television, wide screen television, and narrow screen television. 
     
     
         332 . The system of  claim 330 , wherein the indicator indicates an audio format comprising method at least one of mono audio, stereo audio, and surround sound audio. 
     
     
         333 . The system of  claim 330 , wherein the indicator indicates a language in which to record the program. 
     
     
         334 . The system of  claim 330 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine, based on the indicator and program guide data for the program, that the program is available for recording in the format; and   record the program as the file to the storage circuitry using the selected format, based on the determining that the program is available for recording in the format.   
     
     
         335 . A method for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
 receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program, wherein the record request comprises an indicator;   processing the record request;   selecting, based on the indicator, a format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment;   scheduling a recording of the program for storage in storage circuitry located at the location remote to the users, based on processing the record request;   recording the program as a file to the storage circuitry using the selected format;   receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;   processing the playback request; and   causing the recorded program to be transmitted to the user equipment based on the processing of the playback request.   
     
     
         336 . The method of  claim 335 , wherein the indicator indicates a video format comprising at least one of regular definition television, high definition television, wide screen television, and narrow screen television. 
     
     
         337 . The method of  claim 335 , wherein the indicator indicates an audio format comprising at least one of mono audio, stereo audio, and surround sound audio. 
     
     
         338 . The method of  claim 335 , wherein the indicator indicates a language in which to record the program. 
     
     
         339 . The method of  claim 335 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the indicator and program guide data for the program, that the program is available for recording in the format; and   recording the program as the file to the storage circuitry using the selected format, based on the determining that the program is available for recording in the format.   
     
     
         340 . A system for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
 a remote server at the location remote to the users, comprising:
 a communications device configured to:
 receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program; 
 receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, wherein the playback request comprises an indicator; 
 
 control circuitry configured to:
 process the record request; 
 schedule a recording of the program for storage in storage circuitry located at the location remote to the users, based on processing the record request; 
 record the program to the storage circuitry; 
 process the playback request; 
 select, based on the indicator, a format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment; and 
 cause the recorded program to be transmitted in at least a first transmission to the user equipment using the selected format, based on the processing of the playback request. 
 
   
     
     
         341 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein the indicator indicates a video format comprising at least one of regular definition television, high definition television, wide screen television, and narrow screen television, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 convert, based on the selecting of the format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment, the recorded program into the format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment.   
     
     
         342 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein the indicator indicates an audio format comprising at least one of mono audio, stereo audio, and surround sound audio. 
     
     
         343 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein the indicator indicates a language in which to play back the program. 
     
     
         344 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine, based on the indicator and program guide data for the program, that the program is available for play back in the format; and   cause the recorded program to be transmitted in the at least the first transmission to the user equipment using the selected format, based on the determining that the program is available for play back in the format.   
     
     
         345 . A method for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
 receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program;   processing the record request;   scheduling a recording of the program for storage in storage circuitry located at the location remote to the users, based on processing the record request;   recording the program to the storage circuitry;   receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, wherein the playback request comprises an indicator;   processing the playback request;   selecting, based on the indicator, a format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment;   causing the recorded program to be transmitted in at least a first transmission to the user equipment based on the processing of the playback request, using the selected format.   
     
     
         346 . The method of  claim 345 , wherein the indicator indicates a video format comprising at least one of regular definition television, high definition television, wide screen television, and narrow screen television, and wherein the method further comprises
 converting, based on the selecting of the format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment, the recorded program into the format that is suitable for playback by the user equipment.   
     
     
         347 . The method of  claim 345 , wherein the indicator indicates an audio format comprising at least one of mono audio, stereo audio, and surround sound audio. 
     
     
         348 . The method of  claim 345 , wherein the indicator indicates a language in which to play back the program. 
     
     
         349 . The method of  claim 345 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the indicator and program guide data for the program, that the program is available for play back in the format; and   causing the recorded program to be transmitted in the at least the first transmission to the user equipment using the selected format, based on the determining that the program is available for play back in the format.