Abstract: When a set-top box determines to enter a low-power state, the set-top box determines a wake-up time based on a recording schedule, a maintenance schedule, and a boot spread. Before transitioning to the low-power state, the set-top box sends a message to a schedule server with the wake-up time. The server provides services to many set-top boxes. The server uses a wake-up time schedule that includes the wake-up times for the set-top boxes that it services to determine if the wake-up time will create too much load for the server given the set-top boxes already scheduled to wake-up around the wake-up time. If the proposed wake-up time will not create too much load, the server may respond to the set-top box that the proposed wake-up is acceptable. If not, the server may propose a new wake-up time based on the schedule.