Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a PVR server for storing and playing back TV programs, in particular to an improved method for operating a network PVR and to an improved PVR server (102). The inventive method consists in determining the number of users storing in the personal archives thereof a determined TV program, which is stored in the memory (108) of the PVR server (102). When the user number is less than a predefined limit value, an erasing signal occurs to them and the program is cleared during a configurable period of time if no user selects said program as to be preserved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and arrangement (100) for storing and playing back TV programs, in particular to the improved method and device (100) for operating a PVR, in particular a network PVR (102). The inventive device for storing and playing back the TV programs comprises means for selecting a storable TV program, means (102, 108) for recording a TV program and means (104, 102, 108) for playing back, in a time delayed manner, said recording during a recordable TV program. Said arrangement also comprises means for determining the beginning time of transmission of the recordable TV program and means for determining the total advertising duration which passes on the screen during the TV program transmission. Said invention makes it possible to determine, as soon as possible, a time to start an advertising-free playing back according to the beginning of transmission, the total duration of the advertising and to advise a user thereabout.

Abstract: A method and configuration allows storing and playing back TV programs, in particular an improved method and configuration for operating a network PVR. The novel configuration for storing and playing back TV programs includes a PVR server capable of receiving several digitally encoded TV channels, of feeding several terminals, and of recording storable TV programs. The terminals are provided with means for selecting storable TV programs and means for transmitting the choice to the PVR server. The inventive configuration also comprises means for detecting particular contents (for example, advertising) associated with received TV programs and means for identifying said contents in the recordings of said TV programs. Said identifications can be used for preventing said particular content jump during playing back the TV programs recorded on the terminal and for substituting the particular contents by updated particular contents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and arrangement for storing and playing back TV programmes, in particular to an improved method and arrangement (100) for operating a network PVR (102). The inventive arrangement (100) for storing and playing back TV programmes comprises a PVR server (102) provided with means for receiving several digitally encoded TV channels, for feeding several terminals (104) and for recording storable TV programmes. The terminals (104) are provided with means for selecting storable TV programmes (106) and means for transmitting the choice to the PVR server. The inventive system also comprises means making it possible to playing back the TV programmes which are selected for storing by the terminal (104) in the form of a continuous TV programme on said terminal (104).

Abstract: A method and a configuration for storing and playing back TV transmissions, in particular an improved method and configuration for operating a network PVR, include a PVR server for receiving digitally encoded TV channels. Terminals select TV transmissions to be stored and transmit the selection to the PVR server. The PVR server records the TV transmissions to be stored, wherein a small part of data items to be stored during recording is transmitted to the memory of the selecting terminal and a main part of the data items to be stored is recorded in a mass storage device coupled to the PVR server. The parts of the recording stored in the memory of the selecting terminal and in the mass storage device are combined in such a way that they can be played back through the use of the selecting terminal, either by the selecting terminal or by the PVR server.

Abstract: An improved method and configuration for operating a network containing a personal video recorder server having measures for receiving several digitally encoded TV channels, for feeding several terminals and for recording storable TV programs. The terminals have measures for selecting storable TV programs and measures for transmitting the choice to the PVR server. The configuration contains a first database in which the index of TV programs stored by the PVR in response to the selection produced by the terminal is recorded. The first database controls authorization or refusal to play back the stored programs on the terminal. A second database stores, for the first terminal, the other terminals authorized to play back the TV programs selected by the user of the first terminal or all TV programs associated therewith by the first data base index. Terminals that are not contained in the second database are not authorized.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a PVR server for storing and playing back TV programmes, in particular to an improved method for operating a network PVR and to an improved PVR server (102). The inventive method consists in determining the number of users storing in the personal archives thereof a determined TV programme, which is stored in the memory (108) of the PVR server (102). When the user number is less than a predefined limit value, an erasing signal occurs to them and the programme is cleared during a configurable period of time if no user selects said programme as to be preserved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and arrangement (100) for storing and playing back TV programmes, in particular to the improved method and device (100) for operating a PVR, in particular a network PVR (102). The inventive device for storing and playing back the TV programmes comprises means for selecting a storable TV programme, means (102, 108) for recording a TV programme and means (104, 102, 108) for playing back, in a time delayed manner, said recording during a recordable TV programme. Said arrangement also comprises means for determining the beginning time of transmission of the recordable TV programme and means for determining the total advertising duration which passes on the screen during the TV programme transmission. Said invention makes it possible to determine, as soon as possible, a time to start an advertising-free playing back according to the beginning of transmission, the total duration of the advertising and to advise a user thereabout.

Abstract: An improved method and an improved arrangement for video on demand is provided. It is provided according to the invention that a VoD user can select media contents from the multiplicity (“library”) of media contents offered by a VoD provider and add said contents to a virtual loan resource assigned to him or, as the case may be, his terminal device (104). The user can view contents contained in this virtual loan resource as often as desired; charge tickets for the subsequent charging for the use are generated at regular intervals, for example for each day or every 24 hours, for as long as the media content to be charged for resides in the virtual loan resource of the user. The user can terminate the loan by means of a “virtual” return of the borrowed media content; the media content is removed from his virtual loan resource and is then no longer available to the user. The virtual loan resource is formed by means of pointers to the media contents borrowed in each case.