Abstract: A method and system for earning credits from a content rights provider/issuer (10) for obtaining content rights includes, in response to a trigger event (20), prompting (24) a user to provide a service in exchange for credits and receiving (26) a service performed by the user in favor of the content rights provider Credits from the content rights provider/issuer (10) are provided (28) to the user (18), and the credits may be redeemable (30) from the content rights provider/issuer (10) for a further product or service.

Abstract: A method for distributing media rights includes obtaining (102) media rights for distribution by a media rights holder and transmitting (103) media content to one or more conditional users from the media rights holder. Upon termination of a condition related to a status of the media rights holder, the media rights are revoked (112) for the one or more conditional users.

Abstract: Playlist retrieval based on a universal identification is provided. A selected entry on a playlist is identified (S2). A universal unique media identification for the entry is extracted (S3) and based on the universal identification, a medium storing the selected content item is located (S5) and content data corresponding to the selected entry of the playlist is retrieved (S7) via a network, for example, from a remote server, and stored (S8) or output (S9). The universal identification can be generated using a hash algorithm from the content data, and a hash table can be used to identify the content data based on the universal identification by the remote server.

Abstract: An entertainment system includes a receiver having a tuner which is tunable to a various channels to receive various input signals. A controller is configured to generate a control signal to tune the tuner to a different channel. The controller detects an advertisement on the current channel, and generates the control signal to select a different channel in response to control criteria. The control criteria include similarity between the content programming of the current channel and the content programming of next channel to be tuned to. The similarity may be determined from analyzing the contents of the available channels, electronic program guide or metadata information included in the signal. The control criteria may also include the selected channel not having another advertisement. The control signal may be generated in response to detecting an advertisement on the current channel, or in response to a user action.