Abstract: Methods and systems for an interactive media guidance application to prevent a user from experiencing an episodic advertisement out of order. Each episodic advertisement includes a plurality of advertisements intended to be viewed in an ordered sequence, and each advertisement of the sequence is part of a story that the episodic advertisement tells. The interactive media guidance application determines whether the user's viewing activity may cause the user to experience a particular advertisement of an episodic advertisement out of order, identifies an alternative advertisement of the episodic advertisement to present in place of the particular advertisement, and presents the alternative advertisement so as to prevent the user from experiencing the particular advertisement out of the ordered sequence of advertisements.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing recordings with a network recording device when a user's equipment fails are provided. The network recording device may determine that a user's equipment has failed in any suitable manner. In response to determining that the user's equipment has failed, the network recording device may perform recordings that were originally scheduled or selected to be performed with the user's equipment. The network recording device may identify which recordings to perform by communicating with the user's equipment. In some embodiments, the user's equipment may anticipate a failure, or fail while maintaining a communications link with the network recording device. In such embodiments, the user's equipment may direct the network recording device to perform certain recordings. The network recording device may provide recordings to the user's equipment as on-demand offerings, or may transfer the recordings to the user's equipment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for transitioning from buffering video to recording video. The control application receives a video and causes the video to be buffered until it detects a buffer full condition. Upon receiving the buffer full condition, the control application causes the media recorder to begin recording the newly received video as a recording, and designates the buffered video as part of the recording. In one method, the control application can be set to either record or play when the buffer becomes full. In other methods, the control application prompts the user for input indicating whether the video should be recorded or played when the buffer becomes full. In still other methods, the control application alerts the user as to how long a program may be paused before the buffer will become full.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving or suggesting alternatives to content surfing are provided. When it is detected that a user wishes to surf, a pipeline tuning sequence is implemented where by storing one or more frames of a first content selection to the user equipment and acquiring a subsequent content selection while concurrently displaying the previously stored one or more frames. Content suggestions, program listing grids, media guidance application and tuning hints, advertisements, digital audio, and live video may also be presented to user while content surfing. In some embodiments, content surf landing channels may be anticipated based on user history, user profiles, or any other suitable information. In some embodiments, thumbnails of the user's recently tuned, or paused on, content are displayed to the user while content surfing. In multiple tuner systems, more than one thumbnail may be displayed in full motion video.

Abstract: Systems and methods for transitioning from buffering video to recording video. The control application receives a video and causes the video to be buffered until it detects a buffer full condition. Upon receiving the buffer full condition, the control application causes the media recorder to begin recording the newly received video as a recording, and designates the buffered video as part of the recording. In one method, the control application can be set to either record or play when the buffer becomes full. In other methods, the control application prompts the user for input indicating whether the video should be recorded or played when the buffer becomes full. In still other methods, the control application alerts the user as to how long a program may be paused before the buffer will become full.

Abstract: Systems and methods for allocating bandwidth in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on channel interest. In some embodiments, bandwidth is deallocated from channels and allocated to requested channels having a higher interest. Tiered approaches for allocating bandwidth are disclosed. Embodiments in which QAMs are allocated across services in a multi-service system based on interest are also disclosed. Embodiments for accommodating emergency access system (EAS) functionality in a SDV system are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ranking assets relative to a group of viewers. A group is formed by a user by selecting a number of different viewer preference profiles or automatically by the system as a function of analyzing similarities among viewer preference profiles. Individual preference values are computed for each viewer in the group relative to an asset. A group preference value is then computed by performing a function on the individual preference values. A display is generated that represents the individual preference values and the group preference value relative to an asset. Based on the information provided in the display, the asset most relevant to the group may be selected.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing custom video mosaic pages are provided. The custom pages may be locally-generated, remotely-generated, or partially locally-generated and partially remotely-generated. The custom pages may include local content, such as content recorded to a digital video recorder (DVR), overlaid on a multi-video composite feed. A local compositing system may render the mosaic pages and dynamically customize the pages based on user profile data, user preferences, and active user monitoring.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing media planners for planning a user's media content viewing activities are provided. The media planner may include an interactive grid of content with scheduled viewing, recording, or reminders set within a user-selectable time window. The media planner may prioritize content within the planner grid and automatically resolve conflicts when the number of available tuners within the user equipment device has been exceeded. Programs matching a user's viewing interests may also be automatically recorded in the user's absence. Coming-soon announcements may be received for programming outside the current program schedule window. Conditional media guidance application functions may be scheduled based on preliminary availability and attribute data associated with a coming-soon asset.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing the storage of recordings in a recording device in which the recordings were requested by several users are provided. Each user may be assigned a storage space limit defining the amount of storage space each user is entitled to use. In some embodiments, the storage space limit may be flexibly increased to take advantage of extra space available from other users. The system may intelligently borrow space from other users to limit the risk that a requested recording is canceled due to unavailable storage resources. In some embodiments, the system may jointly allocate a recording to several users who commonly requested a recording. The system may also set aside space in the recording device that is saved exclusively for a particular user. In some embodiments, the recording device may allocate the storage resources based on the usage of the recordings.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing the storage of recordings in a recording device in which the recordings were requested by several users are provided. Each user may be assigned a storage space limit defining the amount of storage space each user is entitled to use. In some embodiments, the storage space limit may be flexibly increased to take advantage of extra space available from other users. The system may intelligently borrow space from other users to limit the risk that a requested recording is canceled due to unavailable storage resources. In some embodiments, the system may jointly allocate a recording to several users who commonly requested a recording. The system may also set aside space in the recording device that is saved exclusively for a particular user. In some embodiments, the recording device may allocate the storage resources based on the usage of the recordings.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for rewinding a video to a point before the video was first viewed. Video transmitted by a media source is cached by a remote server. Upon a trick-play request for the video, the server generates a rewind stream that includes the video that was transmitted by the media source before the user started to view the video. Upon receiving the rewind stream, the user's equipment may cache the rewind stream in a rewind buffer and rewind or play from the rewind buffer. The server may also generate and transmit a forward stream of the video that the media source has not yet transmitted. The user's equipment may cache the forward stream in a forward buffer. To perform trick-play operations with the video, the user's equipment may migrate the playback of the video to the rewind and forward buffers and rewind or fast-forward the video from the buffers.