Patent ID: 8832757
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system that supports a plurality of subscriber systems via data communication over a network, the plurality of subscriber systems providing media content to a plurality of subscribers, the method comprising: receiving a media content file at the RS-DVR system; prior to storing recorded versions of the media content file, estimating a number of playback requests to be received for the media content file to obtain a predicted number; storing the predicted number of recorded versions of the media content file in a storage architecture of the RS-DVR system without assigning any of the predicted number of recorded versions of the media content file to any of the plurality subscribers, resulting in a pool of unassigned recorded versions of the media content file; maintaining the pool of unassigned recorded versions of the media content file in an unassigned state until receiving at least one request for playback of the media content file; receiving, at the RS-DVR system, a request for the media content file, the request originating at a requesting subscriber system assigned to one of the plurality of subscribers; and in response to receiving the request, the RS-DVR system assigning one of the unassigned recorded versions of the media content file to a requesting subscriber associated with the requesting subscriber system, resulting in an assigned recorded version of the media content file.