Abstract: A method for retrieving metadata for use in a content guide is disclosed. The method includes: crawling one or more crawlable data sources; storing metadata extracted from the one or more crawlable data sources in an indexed cache; receiving a search request from a client according to search criteria, the search request requesting metadata for use in the content guide; searching a subset of the indexed cache according to the search criteria; extracting metadata from the indexed cache as results of the searching; identifying relevant metadata in the results, the relevant metadata including metadata suitable for use by the client in the content guide; and transmitting the relevant metadata to the client for use in the content guide.

Abstract: A content sharing system, for implementation in a requesting peer, to receive at least a part of a chunk from a serving peer, the chunk being part of a content item, the requesting peer being operationally connected to a plurality of peers including the serving peer via a communications network, the content item being media content originally broadcast in a media stream by a Headend to at least some of the peers, the system including a metadata module to receive chunk metadata identifying the location of the chunk based on an identifier in the media stream originally broadcast by the Headend, a content transfer module to request the at least part of the chunk from the serving peer based on the chunk metadata, and receive the at least part of the chunk from the serving peer. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: A method for identifying additional content information to a content consumer, is disclosed. The additional content information relates to a content item selected for consumption by the content consumer. The method comprises: receiving data published by a content provider (203,205), wherein said data describes content information (207) available from said content provider; indexing said data thereby producing indexed data; storing said indexed data in a database (217); receiving a search request from a content consumer, said search request requesting said additional content information; searching said database (217) for data describing said additional content information; and identifying said additional content information by returning data identified during said searching to said content consumer.