The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
The introduction of the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to the consumer world has revolutionized the way viewers watch and record television programs. DVRs eliminate the complications of VCRs and the need for video tapes. DVRs record television programs on a hard drive that is capable of storing a large number of television programs. Because DVRs are usually box-like in shape, and are often found sitting on top of the television sets to which they are connected, DVRs typically are included in the broad category of devices now called “set-top boxes.” Much like VCRs, DVRs receive one or more television signals as input from cables or satellite dishes, (or, in some cases, unlike VCRs, from broadband network connections) and also output television signals to a television set or other display.
At least one such DVR automatically records several television programs in advance of the time that a user will watch those television programs. After one or more television programs have been recorded and stored on a hard drive, the DVR presents, to the user, through the television set, a user interface that identifies the television programs which currently are available for viewing. This user interface comprises a menu that allows the user to select, using a remote control device for the DVR, one of the currently recorded television programs. In DVRs produced by TiVo Inc., this menu is often called the “now playing” menu.
After a user selects a recorded television program, the DVR plays the selected television program to the user by reading the appropriate digital recording from the hard drive and sending a corresponding signal to the television set. While the television program is being played to the user, the DVR also receives signals from the user's remote control. Through the remote control, a user may instruct the DVR to perform various operations relative to the television program. For example, the user may instruct the DVR to play the television program backward for a desired period of time (“rewind”). The user may play the television program forward with greater than usual speed (“fast forward”). The user may play the television program forward with slower than usual speed. The user may cause the currently displayed video frame of the television program to be displayed indefinitely (“pause”), or stop the playing of the television program entirely. In this manner, the user may temporally traverse the television program however the user likes.