Abstract: A method and system for providing information about recorded media content having a beginning and end time. A progress bar including a first portion is displayed on a display device. The first portion graphically represents the duration of the recorded media content and has a first color. The progress bar also includes a second portion having a second color. The second portion graphically represents a section of the recorded media content that is viewed during a viewing session. The second color is distinct from the first color.

Abstract: A method of generating a set of clear packets, involves receiving a selectively encrypted stream of data, detecting encrypted packets within the selectively encrypted stream of data, creating the set of clear packets by decrypting the encrypted packets detected within the selectively encrypted stream of data, and storing the set of clear packets as a computer file separate from the selectively encrypted stream of data. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract without departing from the invention.

Abstract: A method of increasing the available storage space on an electronic storage medium comprising the steps of providing a free memory list for the electronic storage medium; selecting a portion of a file stored on the electronic storage medium; and adding the selected portion of the file to the free memory list. A method of increasing the available storage space on a personal video recorder comprising the steps of storing a media file on a memory of the personal video recorder; receiving a signal for marking a starting flag for the media file; receiving a signal for marking an ending flag for the media file; and freeing the memory of the personal video recorder that contains a portion of the media file between the starting flag and the delete flag.

Abstract: A method and system for providing information about recorded media content having a beginning and end time. A progress bar including a first portion is displayed on a display device. The first portion graphically represents the duration of the recorded media content and has a first color. The progress bar also includes a second portion having a second color. The second portion graphically represents a section of the recorded media content that is viewed during a viewing session. The second color is distinct from the first color.

Abstract: A readable and writable radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is attached to a physical medium such as a CDROM or DVD. Each time a copy of the medium is created, a variable or count stored in the writable RFID is updated. In cases where the mechanism for reading and writing the RFID is in communication with the device making a copy of the medium, the created copy can have its permitted number of copies set to zero, or other restrictions put in place. Or the device can be prevented from making any copies. In this manner the total number of copies of an original product can be regulated. The RFID can be read or written from a mechanism in a CDROM or DVD player or the read/write mechanism can be in a different device such as in a computer, or in another device.

Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a selectively encrypted data stream in a manner consistent with certain embodiments has a filter that selects a set of packets from the selectively encrypted data stream based upon packet identifier values to produce a stream of packets having clear packets and encrypted packets. A packet substituter inserts a clear version of the encrypted packets into the stream of packets in place of the encrypted packets to produce a stream of clear data. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract without departing from the invention.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for utilizing a plurality of RFID readers as proximity sensors to detect one or more RFID tagged assets. In one embodiment, an array of RFID readers provides a coverage area and polls one or more tagged assets at a predetermined interval. If a tagged asset is removed from the coverage area, it will not be able to respond to the next RFID-reader poll, thereby indicating that it has been removed from the coverage area. One or more of the RFID readers may then provide a notification of this fact. In another embodiment, one or more RFID readers operating in combination with one or more RFID tags can be used to detect whether expendable items should be replaced, or whether a device should be allowed to be activated.

Abstract: A readable and writable radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is attached to a physical medium such as a CDROM or DVD. Each time a copy of the medium is created, a variable or count stored in the writable RFID is updated. In cases where the mechanism for reading and writing the RFID is in communication with the device making a copy of the medium, the created copy can have its permitted number of copies set to zero, or other restrictions put in place. Or the device can be prevented from making any copies. In this manner the total number of copies of an original product can be regulated. The RFID can be read or written from a mechanism in a CDROM or DVD player or the read/write mechanism can be in a different device such as in a computer, or in another device.

Abstract: Portions of a single channel can be received from two separate sources and combined for simultaneous display. Thus, for example, a channel with video stream and two different language streams might be received from a TV transponder, but the viewer might elect to receive a third language stream from, e.g., the Internet. The third language stream is combined with the video. By providing an alternate source for additional channel portions, broadcast bandwidth can be conserved.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a preview of content in a content preview screen that is available for viewing. The step for providing the preview of content include receiving from a user a request to preview video content that is stored in a memory, locating the video content in the memory, retrieving a portion of the video content from the memory and displaying, prior to the user requesting to view the video content, the portion of the video content. In variations, the system provides a preview of content from a point in the content where the user previously stopped viewing the content.

Abstract: A method of increasing the available storage space on an electronic storage medium comprising the steps of providing a free memory list for the electronic storage medium; selecting a portion of a file stored on the electronic storage medium; and adding the selected portion of the file to the free memory list. A method of increasing the available storage space on a personal video recorder comprising the steps of storing a media file on a memory of the personal video recorder; receiving a signal for marking a starting flag for the media file; receiving a signal for marking an ending flag for the media file; and freeing the memory of the personal video recorder that contains a portion of the media file between the starting flag and the delete flag.

Abstract: A recording of a televised content stream that has been recorded by a digital recorder is periodically refreshed with updated commercials by pushing the updates down to the viewer's device or pulling the updates from the source, so that when the viewer plays back the recording, he may view, if desired, commercials that are more timely than those that were originally recorded.

Abstract: A media reading apparatus is described. In one embodiment, a media reading apparatus is comprised of a reading component adapted to read data from a media storage device. The reading can be at a selectable accelerated playback speed. The media reading apparatus also includes a digital encoder, coupled with the reading component and a data pump, adapted to digitally encode data read by the reading component. The encoding is performed at a corresponding selectable accelerated speed. The data pump is for synchronizing encoded media with and for transferring encoded media to a data storage device of a digital terminal device and for receiving encoded data from the data storage device and transferring the encoded data back to the digital encoder. The media reading apparatus also includes a high speed communication channel, coupled to said data pump and the digital terminal device, which enables high speed transference of the encoded data to and from the data storage device of the digital terminal device.