downloaded program 2 downloading programs to the portable viewer 140 fig3 a through 3 c referring to fig3 a the first version of the portable viewer 140 uses a cradle 122 for communicating with the cable box 120 the cradle 122 has a slot 124 into which the portable viewer 140 is inserted so that the cable box can download programs to the viewer the slot includes the ends of wires leading to the cable box over which the downloaded television program is sent to the viewer and the viewer includes wires that touch the wires in the cradle when it is inserted so that it can received the downloaded television program in fig3 a the cradle 122 is shown as a being separate from the cable box 120 in another version of the system the slot 124 can be built into the cable box so that the portable viewer 140 can be inserted directly into the cable box there are other ways in which the downloaded television program can be sent to other versions of the portable viewer 140 referring to fig3 b the portable viewer 140 can be placed close to the cable box 120 without actually plugging it in or inserting it into a slot or cradle the downloaded television program is then sent through the air from a transmitter 128 on the cable box to a receiver 148 on the portable viewer 148 for example such.