Entertainment consumers are increasingly demanding instant access to entertainment content. Video-on-demand (VOD)-type systems allow consumers to view (or listen to) remotely-served content in the same manner as if the content resided on a local video tape or digital versatile disk (DVD). However, such on-demand service is very expensive for broadcast companies since large streaming servers each capable of concurrently streaming manner different streams to manner different customers is required. With satellite delivery, the problem is worse because the bandwidth to the consumer is shared across the entire service range (millions of consumers) rather than the hundreds served in equivalent (e.g., cable) systems.
As a way of offering similar capabilities, both cable and satellite companies offer near video-on-demand (NVOD), which employs a dedicated portion of bandwidth to delivery popular programs repeatedly on several channels, staggering the program starts in a carousel approach so that consumers may begin watching a program within a relatively short period of time (e.g., typically 30 minutes).
Hard disk drive-based personal video recorders (PVRs) are becoming increasingly popular, working like traditional video cassette recorders (VCRs) but recording on hard drives rather than on video tape and with a few advantages including simultaneous recording and playback, repeated use of the same recording medium with little wear, and large storage capacity. These devices are commonly employed to “time shift” programs (record of later watching), giving the same effect as local video on demand (VOD).
Typically these two systems (NVOD and PVR), which are generally utilized for different applications, are widely considered as competitive, and traditionally only one system or the other is employed, with the systems functioning together or being interoperative.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for merging near video-on-demand and personal video recorder systems to give the consumer the effect of having true on-demand content presentation.