Moving content between set top box and end devices in home

Abstract

A content moving device which enables providing content stored on a first user device, such as a DVR, in a first format and resolution to be provided to a second user device, such as a portable media player (PMP) in a second format and resolution. The content moving device identifies content on the first user device as candidate content which may be desired by the PMP and receives the candidate content from the DVR. The content moving device transcodes the candidate content at times independent of a request from the PMP for the content. The content moving device may provide a list of available transcoded content to the PMP for selection, and provide selected content to the PMP. The content moving device may also provide information relating to any protection schemes of the content provided to the PMP, such as DRM rights and decryption keys. The content moving device performs the often computationally intense and time consuming transcoding of user content to enable the user to move content between different user devices in a convenient manner.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for transferring content between devices, the system comprising:
 a hardware processor of a first media device that:
 determines media content items that are selectable for retrieval by a second media device, wherein the media content items are in a first format corresponding to the first media device; 
 determines a second format corresponding to the second media device for receiving at least one of the media content items based on a capability of the second media device; 
 in response to receiving a request for a transcoded media content item from the transcoded media content items, generates transcoded media content items by transcoding the media content items from the first format to the second format; and 
 transmits the transcoded media content items to the second media device. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the request for the transcoded media content item is received via a user interface presented on the second media device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the hardware processor further:
 determines that more than a predetermined threshold of memory of the first media device used to store media content items has been filed; and   selects a subset of the media content items for deletion from the memory of the first media device used to store the media content items.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the subset of the media content items are selected based on user configuration settings that indicate episodic content that is to be deleted. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein determining the second format comprises selecting a resolution based on a bandwidth of a network connection between the first media device and the second media device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the hardware processor further presents a list of second media content items that indicates that the transcoded media content items have been transmitted to the second media device and that indicates a remaining portion of the second media content items that have not been transmitted to the second media device. 
     
     
         8 . A method for transferring content between devices, the method comprising:
 determining media content items that are selectable for retrieval by a second media device, wherein the media content items are in a first format corresponding to the first media device;   determining a second format corresponding to the second media device for receiving at least one of the media content items based on a capability of the second media device;   in response to receiving a request for a transcoded media content item from the transcoded media content items, generating transcoded media content items by transcoding the media content items from the first format to the second format; and   transmitting the transcoded media content items to the second media device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the request for the transcoded media content item is received via a user interface presented on the second media device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that more than a predetermined threshold of memory of the first media device used to store media content items has been filed; and   selecting a subset of the media content items for deletion from the memory of the first media device used to store the media content items.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the subset of the media content items are selected based on user configuration settings that indicate episodic content that is to be deleted. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining the second format comprises selecting a resolution based on a bandwidth of a network connection between the first media device and the second media device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises presenting a list of second media content items that indicates that the transcoded media content items have been transmitted to the second media device and that indicates a remaining portion of the second media content items that have not been transmitted to the second media device. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method for transferring content between devices, the method comprising:
 determining media content items that are selectable for retrieval by a second media device, wherein the media content items are in a first format corresponding to the first media device;   determining a second format corresponding to the second media device for receiving at least one of the media content items based on a capability of the second media device;   in response to receiving a request for a transcoded media content item from the transcoded media content items, generating transcoded media content items by transcoding the media content items from the first format to the second format; and   transmitting the transcoded media content items to the second media device.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the request for the transcoded media content item is received via a user interface presented on the second media device. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that more than a predetermined threshold of memory of the first media device used to store media content items has been filed; and   selecting a subset of the media content items for deletion from the memory of the first media device used to store the media content items.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the subset of the media content items are selected based on user configuration settings that indicate episodic content that is to be deleted. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein determining the second format comprises selecting a resolution based on a bandwidth of a network connection between the first media device and the second media device. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises presenting a list of second media content items that indicates that the transcoded media content items have been transmitted to the second media device and that indicates a remaining portion of the second media content items that have not been transmitted to the second media device.