Patent Publication Number: US-8977112-B2

Title: Media content recording, management, and distribution systems and methods

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Certain consumer electronic devices include a digital video recorder (“DVR”) application capable of recording a live transmission (e.g., a broadcast or multicast) of a television program to local storage for subsequent access and viewing by users of the devices. For example, a DVR-equipped user device, such as a set-top box that includes a DVR application, may be used by a user to record a television program to local memory and to access and view the locally-stored recording of the television program in a time-shifted manner. 
     Such architectures for local recording of television programs have certain limitations. For example, a DVR-equipped user device typically has limited resources that impose limitations on the number of television programs that can be recorded simultaneously by the device and/or the amount of recorded television content data that can be stored by the device. In addition, user options for accessing or otherwise using television programs recorded locally by a DVR-equipped user device are limited. For example, the user may be limited to accessing recorded television programs only from the same DVR-equipped user device and/or device platform that recorded the television programs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments and are a part of the specification. The illustrated embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Throughout the drawings, identical or similar reference numbers designate identical or similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary media content distribution system according to principles described herein. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates exemplary components of a media content provider subsystem according to principles described herein. 
         FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate examples of a recorded media content program tagged with multiple user identifiers according to principles described herein. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates another exemplary media content distribution system according to principles described herein. 
         FIGS. 5-6  illustrate exemplary methods of recording, managing, and distributing media content according to principles described herein. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary computing device according to principles described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Exemplary media content recording, management, and distribution systems and methods are disclosed herein. In certain exemplary systems and methods described herein, a media content provider subsystem 1) provides a recording manager service for access by a user, 2) provides a content management service for access by the user, 3) receives, through the recording manager service, a recording request initiated by the user to record a media content program, and 4) publishes, in response to the recording request received through the recording manager service, a recording of the media content program to the content management service for hosted access by the user through the content management service. The user may use any user device associated with the user and configured to access the content management service to access (e.g., playback, manage, delete, etc.) the recording of the media content program by way of the content management service. 
     As used herein, the term “media content program” refers to an instance of media content that may be presented (e.g., played back) by a user device over time for experiencing by a user. For example, a media content program may include a television program, a movie, an audio program, a song, an audio book, a radio broadcast program, a video program, and/or an audio/video program. Typically, such a media content program has a finite duration (e.g., a presentation of the media content program lasts a finite length of time). 
     One or more services provided by the exemplary system and methods described herein may be referred to as “online” or “hosted” services. This may refer to the services, including a recording manager service (e.g., a remote DVR manager service) and a content management service described herein, as being provided by one or more remote sources for access by one or more users over one or more data communication networks. For example, the services may be provided by one or more server computing devices as cloud-based services that may be accessed by one or more user devices over a data communication network such as the Internet. 
     By publishing recorded media content programs to an online content management service for user access, as described herein, the exemplary systems and methods described herein may provide a media content recording, management, and distribution architecture that allows users to conveniently obtain access to and/or manage recorded media content programs without being restricted by one or more of the limitations associated with conventional local DVR architectures. Exemplary media content recording, management, and distribution architectures described herein may provide efficiency, scalability, and/or one or more new features not provided by conventional local DVR architectures. 
     These and/or other benefits provided by the disclosed exemplary systems and methods will be made apparent herein. Examples of media content recording, management, and distribution systems and methods will now be described in reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary media content distribution system  100  (“system  100 ”) that includes a media content provider subsystem  102  (“provider subsystem  102 ”) and a media content access subsystem  104  (“access subsystem  104 ”) configured to communicate with one another by way of a network  106 . Provider subsystem  102  may include or be implemented by one or more computing devices of one or more server-side computing systems controlled by (e.g., operated by) one or more service providers such as one or more media content distribution service providers. Access subsystem  104  may include or be implemented by one or more client-side computing devices controlled by (e.g., operated by) a user  108  (e.g., an end user of one or more services provided by provider subsystem  102 ). Examples of such devices, which may be referred to as “user devices” herein, may include, without limitation, a personal computer, a mobile phone device, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a set-top box device, a digital video recorder (“DVR”) device, a gaming device, and any other computing device or combination of computing devices (e.g., computing devices of various device platforms) configured to access services and/or media content provided by provider subsystem  102 . 
     Provider subsystem  102  and access subsystem  104  may communicate using any remote communications technologies suitable to support distribution of and access to services and/or media content provided by provider subsystem  102 . Examples of such communication technologies include, without limitation, Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”) technologies, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) technologies, Code Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) technologies, Time Division Multiple Access (“TDMA”) technologies, Evolution Data Optimized Protocol (“EVDO”) (e.g., “1xEVDO”), radio frequency (“RF”) signaling technologies, radio transmission technologies (e.g., One Times Radio Transmission Technology (“1xRTT”)), Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), Internet Protocol (“IP”), Session Initiation Protocol (“SIP”), Real-Time Transport Protocol (“RTP”), User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”), Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (“HTTPS”), Ethernet, wireless communications technologies, media content transport technologies, media content streaming technologies, other suitable communications technologies, and any combination or sub-combination thereof. 
     Provider subsystem  102  may distribute, and access subsystem  104  may access, media content by way of network  106 . Network  106  may include any network or combination of networks provided by one or more appropriately configured network devices (and communication links thereto) and over which communications and data (e.g., media content data) may be transported between provider subsystem  102  and access subsystem  104 . For example, network  106  may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular phone network, a 3G network, a 4G network, etc.), a satellite media network (e.g., a broadcasting network, a terrestrial media broadcasting network, etc.), a media content distribution network (e.g., a subscriber television network, a media broadcasting, multicasting, and/or narrowcasting network, etc.), a telecommunications network, the Internet, the World Wide Web, a wide area network, any other network capable of transporting communications and data between provider subsystem  102  and access subsystem  104 , and/or any combination or sub-combination thereof. 
     Provider subsystem  102  may be configured to provide an online content management service for access by access subsystem  104  over network  106 . Provider subsystem  102  may be further configured to record media content programs during transmission of the media content programs in accordance with a predefined transmission schedule, provide an online recording manager service through which users of access subsystem  104  may provide requests to obtain access to recorded media content programs, and publish recorded media content programs to the online media content management service for access by users. Users may utilize user devices included in or implementing access subsystem  104  to access the online content management service provided by provider subsystem  102  in order to access and/or manage recorded media content programs that have been published to the online media content management service and to which the users are entitled access. 
     To illustrate,  FIG. 2  shows provider subsystem  102  to include an online media content recording manager and publisher service subsystem  202  (“recording service subsystem  202 ”) and an online media content management and distribution service subsystem  204  (“management service subsystem  204 ”), which may communicate one with another using any suitable data communications technologies. 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to record media content programs during transmission of the media content programs in accordance with a predefined transmission schedule. Recording service subsystem  202  may receive transmissions of media content programs from one or more sources, such as one or more sources transmitting streams of media content programs in accordance with the predefined transmission schedule. In certain embodiments, the media content programs may include television content programs transmitted by one or more sources of live television content streams carrying the television content programs. 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may receive streams of media content programs from a source and record the media content programs carried by the streams over time. The recording of the media content programs may include storing recording data  206  representing the recorded media content programs to a data storage facility  208  included in recording service subsystem  202 . 
     In certain embodiments, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to record a plurality of media content programs transmitted by a source (e.g., all media content programs transmitted by the source) and to store recording data  206  representative of the recorded media content programs in data storage facility  208  for a predetermined, configurable length of time (e.g., for two days). After the predetermined length of time, recording service subsystem  202  may automatically remove the recording data  206  representing the recorded media content programs from data storage facility  208 , which may allow data storage resources to be used to store more recent recordings of media content programs. 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to perform one or more operations on recorded media content programs. For example, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to encrypt recorded media content programs. Additionally or alternatively, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to tag recorded media content programs with unique identifiers. In certain embodiments, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to generate a unique identifier for each recorded media content program based at least in part on information associated with the media content program and to tag each recorded media content program with the corresponding unique identifier. For example, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to generate a unique identifier based on a channel identifier for a media content channel associated with a media content program, a program identifier for the media content program, and time information associated with a scheduled transmission time of the media content program. In embodiments in which the media content programs comprise television content programs, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to generate a unique identifier based on a channel identifier for a television channel associated with a television content program, a television program identifier, and time information associated with a scheduled transmission time (e.g., a scheduled broadcast or multicast time) of the television content program. 
     Recording data  206  stored in data storage facility  208  may include data representative of the unique identifiers with which the recorded media content programs are tagged and relationships between the unique identifiers and the recorded media content programs. Recording data  206  may also include data representative of any other information associated with the recorded media content programs, including metadata associated with the recorded media content programs. 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to provide an online recording manager service  210  for access and use by a user to request to obtain access to recorded media content programs stored in data storage facility  208 . As part of the online recording manager service  210 , recording service subsystem  202  may provide a user interface with which a user may interact to initiate a request to record one or more media content programs. In certain embodiments, for example, a user interface provided by recording service subsystem  202  as part of the online recording manager service  210  may provide an electronic media program guide configured to present information representative of a predefined media content transmission schedule. In some examples, the media program guide may include a television program guide that presents information representative of a predefined television schedule. A user accessing the online recording manager service  210  may use the user interface and/or the media program guide information presented therein to initiate requests to record specific media content programs associated with specific predefined transmission timeslots and/or channels. 
     In this or an alternative manner, a user may provide input, through online recording manager service  210 , to request that a media content program be recorded. In some examples, the request may include a request to schedule a future recording of a media content program in conjunction with transmission of the media content program in a future timeslot. In other examples, the request may include a request to initiate recording of a media content program that is currently being transmitted in accordance with the predefined transmission schedule. In other examples, the request may include a request to record a media content program that has already been transmitted during a past timeslot. In certain embodiments, recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to fulfill each of these types of recording requests. 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may store data representing recording requests as recording manager data  212  in data storage facility  208 . Recording manager data  212  may represent recording requests, including requests to schedule past, present, and/or future recordings of media content programs. 
     In certain embodiments, recording service subsystem  202  may record received media content programs automatically as described above, regardless of whether or when requests to record the media content programs are received through online recording manager service  210 . In such embodiments, the actual recording of media content programs by recording service subsystem  202  is not tied to recording requests initiated by users of online recording manager service  210 . Because a user may provide recording requests for past, present, and/or future transmissions of media content programs, as described above, the actual recording of the media content programs may be performed by recording service subsystem  202  before and/or after a recording request is received from the user. If the recording request is for a past transmission of a media content program, recording service subsystem  202  receives the request after the actual recording of the media content program has already been performed. If the recording request is for a present transmission of a media content program, recording service subsystem  202  receives the request after the actual recording of the media content program has already started but has not yet completed (meaning that actual recording of the media content program occurs both before and after the request is received). If the recording request is for a future transmission of a media content program, recording service subsystem  202  receives the request before the actual recording of the media content program is performed. 
     In cases in which a recording request is to record a media content program that has already been recorded by and is currently stored by recording service subsystem  202 , system  100  provides the user with a feature for obtaining access to previously recorded content. This may be referred to as “retroactive recording” and may allow a user to obtain “back-dated” access to any media content program that has been aired (e.g., broadcast) and recorded within a predefined, configurable time window. 
     In response to a recording request initiated by a user to record a media content program, recording service subsystem  202  may publish a recording of the media content program identified by the request to management service subsystem  204  for access by the user. Arrow  214  shown in  FIG. 2  represents a publishing of one or more recorded media content programs from recording service subsystem  202  to management service subsystem  204 . This publishing of recorded media content from recording service subsystem  202  to management service subsystem  204  may also be referred to herein as a publishing, by recording service subsystem  202 , to an online or hosted content management service provided by management service subsystem  204 . 
     In certain embodiments, recording service subsystem  202  may conditionally publish a recorded media content program in response to a user request based on entitlement rights of the user. For example, recording service subsystem  202  may maintain or have access to data representative of user entitlement rights to media content programs recorded by recording service subsystem  202 . The entitlement rights data may be in any suitable form, including subscription information specifying specific media content programs and/or channels that users are entitled to access. 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may receive a request initiated by a user to record a media content program. In response to the request, recording service subsystem  202  may determine, based on the entitlement rights data, whether the user is entitled to access the media content program. If recording service subsystem  202  determines that the user is not entitled to access the media content program, recording service subsystem  202  may refuse to publish the recorded media content program to management service subsystem  204  for access by the user. If, on the other hand, recording service subsystem  202  determines that the user is entitled to access the media content program, recording service subsystem  202  may publish the recorded media content program to management service subsystem  204 . 
     Recording service subsystem  202  may be configured to publish a recorded media content program by providing an actual copy of the recorded media content program to management service subsystem  204 , which may store the copy of the recorded media content program as hosted content data  216  in a data storage facility  218  included in management service subsystem  204 . In certain embodiments, management service subsystem  204  may be configured to selectively store a recorded media content program received from recording service subsystem  202  such that management service subsystem  204  stores only a single copy of the same recorded media content program. To this end, when recording service subsystem  202  publishes a copy of a recorded media content program to management service subsystem  204 , management service subsystem  204  may determine whether a copy of the same recorded media content program (e.g., a copy of the media content program recorded on the same channel and/or in the same timeslot of a predefined transmission schedule) is already stored in data storage facility  218  of management service subsystem  204 . 
     The determination may be made in any suitable way, such as by searching data storage facility  218  for a match. In certain embodiments, management service subsystem  204  may be configured to search for a matching unique identifier. To illustrate, when recording service subsystem  202  publishes the media content program to management service subsystem  204 , recording service subsystem  202  may provide the unique identifier generated by recording service subsystem  202  for the recorded media content program. Management service subsystem  204  may identify and use the unique identifier to search data storage facility  218  for a matching unique identifier. If a match is not found, management service subsystem  204  determines that the same recorded media content program is not already stored in data storage facility  218  of management service subsystem  204  and stores a copy of the recorded media content program and the unique identifier for the recorded media content program to data storage facility  218 . If, on the other hand, a match is found, management service subsystem  204  determines that the same recorded media content program is already stored in data storage facility  218  of management service subsystem  204  and does not store an additional copy of the recorded media content program to data storage facility  218 . In this or a similar manner, management service subsystem  204  may maintain only a single copy of each unique recorded media content program. This may support a highly scalable media content recording, management, and distribution architecture. 
     The publishing of a recorded media content program by recording service subsystem  202  to management service subsystem  204  may also include recording service subsystem  202  providing, to management service subsystem  204 , entitlement data specifying user privileges to access the recorded media content program. Management service subsystem  204  may store the entitlement data for the media content program as entitlement data  220  in data storage facility  218 . To illustrate, the publishing of the media content program to management service subsystem  204  may include recording service subsystem  202  providing a user identifier representing a user who is entitled to access the recorded media content program. The user associated with the user identifier may be the same user who initiated a request to record the media content program through online recording manager service  210 , which request triggered the publishing of the media content program to management service subsystem  204 . Accordingly, entitlement data  220  may indicate any users who are entitled to access a copy of a recorded media content program that is published to and stored by management service subsystem  204 . The entitlement data  220  may include any other information configured to facilitate entitled user access to a recorded media content program. For example, entitlement data  220  may include license information and/or encryption/decryption keys associated with a recorded media content program and provided by recording service subsystem  202  in conjunction with the publishing of the recorded media content program to management service subsystem  204 . 
     In certain embodiments, entitlement data  220  may represent relationships of users to recorded media content programs represented by content data  216 . For example, based on entitlement data received from recording service subsystem  202  in conjunction with a publishing of a recorded media content program to management service subsystem  204 , management service subsystem  204  may tag the recorded media content program with one or more user identifiers to indicate one or more particular users who are entitled to access the recorded media content program stored by management service subsystem  204 . 
       FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate examples of a recorded media content program  302  having a unique identifier  304  and associated with multiple user identifiers  306  to indicate that the users associated with the user identifiers  306  are entitled to access the recorded media content program  302 . In  FIG. 3A , three user identifiers  306 - 1  through  306 - 3  are associated with the recorded media content program  302  to indicate that three users corresponding to the user identifiers  306 - 1  through  306 - 3  are entitled to access the recorded media content program  302 . 
     If an additional user requests, through the online recording manager service  210 , to record the recorded media content program  302 , recording service subsystem  202  may receive the request and respond by publishing the recorded media content program  302  to management service subsystem  204  as described above. Management service subsystem  204  may determine that a copy of the recorded media content program  302  is already stored in data storage facility  218  and elect, based on this determination, not to store an additional copy of the recorded media content program  302  to data storage facility  218 , such as described above. Instead, management service subsystem  204  may identify the existing copy of the recorded media content program  302  in data storage facility  218  and, as illustrated in  FIG. 3B , associate an additional user identifier  306 - 4  associated with the user who initiated the request to the recorded media content program  302  to indicate that the additional user is entitled to access the recorded media content program  302  stored in data storage facility  218 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 2 , management service subsystem  204  may be configured to maintain count data  222  for each recorded media content program published by recording service subsystem  202  to management service subsystem  204  and stored in data storage facility  218 . The count data  222  may indicate a number of different users entitled to access each recorded media content program. To illustrate,  FIG. 3A  shows a counter  308  indicating that three users (i.e., users associated with user identifiers  306 - 1  through  306 - 3 ) are entitled to access the recorded media content program  302 . When management service subsystem  204  associates user identifier  306 - 4  with the recorded media content program  302 , as described above, management service subsystem  204  may increment counter  308  to indicate that four users (i.e., users associated with user identifiers  306 - 1  through  306 - 4 ) are entitled to access the recorded media content program  302 , as shown in  FIG. 3B . 
     Returning again to  FIG. 2 , management service subsystem  204  may be configured to provide users access to and/or tools for managing recorded media content programs that have been published to management service subsystem  204  and to which the users are entitled access. Management service subsystem  204  may provide the access and tools by way of an online content management service  224 , which management service subsystem  204  may provide for access and use by the users. Through the online content management service  224 , users may upload content (e.g., media content and/or other digital content) from user devices for hosted storage by management service subsystem  204 , manage the hosted content (e.g., organize, edit, delete, etc. the hosted content), and access the hosted content (e.g., play back or otherwise present the hosted content) for experiencing by the users. Hence, online content management service  224  may comprise a hosted content management service (e.g., cloud-storage-based content management service) that allows users of the service to upload, manage, and access digital content hosted by management service subsystem  204  and to which the users are entitled access. 
     Recorded media content programs published by recording service subsystem  202  to management service subsystem  204  as described herein may be included in the content hosted by management service subsystem  204  as part of the online content management service  224 . Accordingly, a user of the online content management service  224  may access any recorded media content programs hosted by management service subsystem  204  and to which the user is entitled access. For example, through the online content management service  224 , the user may access and play back, with a user device, any recorded media content program hosted by management service subsystem  204  and to which the user is entitled access. 
     Online content management service  224  may be accessed through various user devices and/or user device platforms. This may allow a user to use any of a variety of user devices and/or user device platforms (e.g., mobile phone devices, tablet computers, personal computers, etc.) to provide an access request to access and play back a recorded media content program by way of the online content management service  224 . Accordingly, by publishing recorded media content programs to management service subsystem  204  such that the recorded media content programs are accessible through the online content management service  224 , the accessibility of the recorded media content programs may be enhanced as compared to conventional media content recording architectures. 
     As mentioned, a user may upload content from a user device to management service subsystem  204  through the online content management service  224 . Rather than uploading recorded media content programs from a user device as a user may do for other content, however, the user may access and use the online recording manager service  210  provided by recording service subsystem  202  to provide requests to record media content programs. Recording service subsystem  202  may receive the requests and respond by publishing the recorded media content programs and appropriate entitlement data to management service subsystem  204 , as described herein, such that the recorded media content programs are hosted by management service subsystem  204  as part of the online content management service  224 . The user may then go through the online content management service  224  to access the hosted, recorded media content programs. 
     Through the online content management service  224 , users may manage the recorded media content programs hosted by management service subsystem  204 . For example, after a user has played back a recorded media content program by way of the online content management service  224 , the user may provide user input indicating that the user wants to delete the recorded media content program from the user&#39;s collection of content stored in hosted storage. Management service subsystem  204  may receive the user input and respond by disassociating the user from the recorded media content program in hosted storage. The disassociation may be performed in any suitable way, such as by disassociating a user identifier for the user from the recorded media content program. After the disassociation is performed, the user is no longer entitled to access the recorded media content program through the online content management service  224 , and, from the user&#39;s perspective, the recorded media content program is no longer included in the user&#39;s collection of hosted content. Management service subsystem  204  may continue to maintain a copy of the recorded media content program for access by any other users entitled to access the recorded media content program. 
     When a user deletes a recorded media content program from the user&#39;s hosted collection of digital content, management service subsystem  204  may adjust count data  222  for the recorded media content program. For example, referring to  FIG. 3B , if a user associated with user identifier  306 - 4  elects to delete recorded media content program  302  from the user&#39;s hosted content collection, management service subsystem  204  may disassociate user identifier  306 - 4  from the recorded media content program  302  and decrement counter  308 . As a result of these operations, the hosted data would appear as shown in  FIG. 3A . 
     In certain embodiments, management service subsystem  204  may be configured to determine when count data  222  specifies that no users are entitled to access a recorded media content program by way of the online content management service  224  and, in response to the determination, delete data representative of the recorded media content program from hosted storage of the online content management service  224 . For example, if all users entitled to access recorded media content program  302  provide delete requests indicating that the users want to delete the recorded media content program  302  from their content collections, management service subsystem  204  may update entitlement data  220  to disassociate the users from the recorded media content program  302  as described above and decrement counter  308  to reflect the changes. Counter  308  will then indicate that no users are entitled to access recorded media content program  302 . Management service subsystem  204  may detect this and, in response, delete data representative of recorded media content program  302  from content data  216  in data storage facility  218 . 
     In certain embodiments, provider subsystem  102  may be configured to support sharing and/gifting features that allow a user to share and/or gift a recorded media content program hosted by management service subsystem  204  with one or more additional users. For example, through the online content management service  224 , a user may provide a share request to indicate that the user wants to share a recorded media content program hosted by management service subsystem  204  and to which the user is entitled access with an additional user. Management service subsystem  204  may receive the share request and determine whether the additional user is entitled to access the recorded media content program. This determination may be made in any suitable way, including by management service subsystem  204  using entitlement data, subscriber and/or subscription data, and/or other data maintained by management service subsystem  204  or accessed from recording service subsystem  202  to determine whether the user is entitled to access the recorded media content program and/or a channel associated with the recorded media content program. 
     If management service subsystem  204  determines that the additional user is entitled to access the recorded media content program, management service subsystem  204  may share the recorded media content program with the additional user. The sharing may include management service subsystem  204  updating entitlement data  220  to specify that the additional user is entitled to access the recorded media content program by way of the online content management service  224  (e.g., by associating a user identifier for the additional user with the recorded media content program in the entitlement data  220 ). 
     If, on the other hand, management service subsystem  204  determines that the additional user is not entitled to access the recorded media content program, management service subsystem  204  may prompt the user to gift the recorded media content program to the additional user by paying a fee to share the recorded media content program with the additional user. The user may pay the fee in any suitable way. After payment of the fee, management service subsystem  204  may share the recorded media content program with the additional user, such as by updating entitlement data  220  to specify that the additional user is entitled to access the recorded media content program by way of the online content management service  224  (e.g., by associating a user identifier for the additional user with the recorded media content program in the entitlement data  220 ). 
     In certain embodiments, online recording manager service  210  and online content management service  224  are separate and distinct services, each of which may be accessed separately and independently by access subsystem  104 . Online recording manager service  210  and online content management service  224  may be provided by the same or different service providers. 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , access subsystem  104  may be configured to access online recording manager service  210  and online content management service  224  over network  106 . Accordingly, a user of access subsystem  104  may provide recording requests through online recording manager service  210  to initiate publication, by recording service subsystem  202 , of recorded media content programs to management service subsystem  204 . Management service subsystem  204  may host the recorded media content programs and provide the user of access subsystem  104  with access to the hosted, recorded media content programs through online content management service  224 , as described herein. The access to the hosted, recorded media content programs may allow the user to play back, share, gift, delete, and/or otherwise manage the hosted, recorded media content programs, such as described herein. Access to the hosted, recorded media content programs through the online content management service  224  may allow the user time-shifted and/or place-shifted access from a variety of different user devices and/or user device platforms. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates another exemplary media content distribution system  400  (“system  400 ”). In certain embodiments, system  400  may be an implementation of system  100 . For example, one or more components of system  400  may be included in one or more components of system  100 . 
     System  400  may include a live television (“TV”) streams source  402  (“source  402 ”), a live television capture subsystem  404  (“capture subsystem  404 ”), a recording publisher subsystem  406  (“publisher subsystem  406 ”), a digital video recorder (“DVR”) manager subsystem  408  (“manager subsystem  408 ”), a user device  410 , an online media content management service subsystem  412  (“management service subsystem  412 ”), and a content distribution network (“CDN”)  414  communicatively coupled as shown in  FIG. 4 . Any suitable communications technologies may be employed to support communications between the components of system  400 . In certain embodiments in which system  400  is an implementation of system  100 , capture subsystem  404 , publisher subsystem  406 , and manager subsystem  408  may be included in or implement recording service subsystem  202 , management service subsystem  412  and content distribution network  414  may be included in or implement management service subsystem  204 , and user device  410  may be included in or implement access subsystem  104 . 
     Capture subsystem  404  may be configured to receive live television content streams carrying live television content programs from source  402 . Source  402  may include any suitable source of live television content. For example, source  402  may include one or more components of a subscriber television network, such as a super head-end facility, a head-end facility, a video hub office (“VHO”) facility, a video service facility (“VSO”), a television content broadcast facility, and/or a satellite broadcast facility. In certain embodiments, source  402  may include the same source from which a subscriber television content provider obtains television content that the subscriber television content provider distributes to subscribers of a live television content distribution service (e.g., a cable or satellite subscriber television service). In certain embodiments, the streams of television content programs provided by source  402  may be associated with television channels. 
     Capture subsystem  404  may capture the live television content streams carrying live television content programs received from source  402 . The capture may include recording streams of live television content programs over time, including storing data representative of the recorded television content programs to data storage within capture subsystem  404 . In certain embodiments, capture subsystem  404  may store recorded media content programs in memory for a predetermined length of time, after which capture subsystem  404  may delete the recorded media content programs from its data storage. In certain embodiments, capture subsystem  404  may continuously record channel streams of live television content programs for all channels provided by source  402 . 
     The capturing may include further processing recorded television content programs. For example, the capturing may include encrypting the recorded television content programs and/or tagging the recorded television content programs with unique identifiers, such as described herein. 
     In certain embodiments, capture subsystem  404  may include or be implemented by one or more components of a subscriber television network, such as a super head-end facility, a head-end facility, a VHO facility, a VSO, and/or a television content broadcast facility. 
     Manager subsystem  408  may be configured to provide an online DVR manager service for access by user device  410 . Through the service, manager subsystem  408  may provide a television program guide and/or one or more tools for use by a user to manage a DVR recording schedule. Accordingly, through the service, a user of user device  410  may provide input to initiate a request to record a television content program. Manager subsystem  408  may receive and notify publisher subsystem  406  of the request to record a television content program. In response to the notification, publisher substance system  406  may communicate with capture subsystem  404  to obtain a copy of the requested television content program, which has been recorded and stored by capture subsystem  404  as described herein. 
     Publisher subsystem  406  may then publish the television content program, along with appropriate user entitlement data (e.g., user identifier data identifying the user who initiated the request to record the television content program), the unique identifier for the recorded television content program, and/or any other related data, for hosting by an online content management service provided by management service subsystem  412  and content distribution network  414 . In certain embodiments, the publishing may include publisher subsystem  406  providing the entitlement data, unique identifier data, and/or other related data to management service subsystem  412 . 
     Management service subsystem  412  may be configured to receive and maintain the data and/or any other information that may be used to selectively provide access to the published television content program only to users entitled to access the television content program. For example, management service subsystem  412  may be configured to maintain account data representative of user accounts (e.g., subscriber and/or subscription account data), user device data representative of one or more user devices registered with management service subsystem  412  and/or associated with user accounts, entitlement data representative of user entitlements to specific television content programs, digital rights management data representative of digital rights associated with television content programs, and recordings information data representative of a catalogue of recorded television content programs published to and hosted by management service subsystem  412 . 
     The publishing of the television content program by publisher subsystem  406  may further include providing a copy of the television content program to content distribution network  414 . In certain embodiments, publisher subsystem  406  may be configured to selectively provide a copy of the television content program to content distribution network  414  only when the content distribution network  414  does not already have a copy of the same television content program stored therein. For example, publisher subsystem  406  may publish data (e.g., a unique identifier for the television content program) to management service subsystem  412 , which may be configured to search a catalogue of recorded television content programs hosted by management service subsystem  412  for a matching television content program. If a match is found, management service subsystem  412  may notify publisher subsystem  406 , which may respond by not providing a copy of the recording of the television content program to content distribution network  414 . In such examples, the publishing of the television content program includes only publishing data to management service subsystem  412 . On the other hand, if a match is not found, management service subsystem  412  may notify publisher subsystem  406 , which may then elect to provide a copy of the recording of the television content program to content distribution network  414  for hosted storage and distribution by content distribution network  414  to user device  410  associated with a user entitled to access the television content program. 
     In alternative embodiments, publisher subsystem  406  may be configured to provide a copy of a television content program to content distribution network  414  as part of publishing the television content program. Content distribution network  414  may be configured to selectively store or not store the television content program. For example, management service subsystem  412  may use data received from publisher subsystem  406  as part of the publishing to search a catalogue of recorded television content programs hosted by management service subsystem  412  to determine whether content distribution network  414  already contains a copy of the same television content program. Management service subsystem  412  may notify content distribution network  414  of the result of the search such that content distribution network  414  may elect to store a copy of the television content program received from publisher subsystem  406  if the same television content program is not already stored by content distribution network  414 , or not to store a copy of the television content program received from publisher subsystem  406  because content distribution network  414  already contains a copy of the same television content program. 
     Management service subsystem  412  and content distribution network  414  may be configured to provide an online content management service that may be accessed by a user through user device  410 . Through the service, a user of user device  410  may access recorded television content programs published to and hosted by the online content management service and to which the user is entitled access. For example, the user of user device  410  may want to play back a recorded television content program. The user may utilize user device  410  to access the online content management service provided by management service subsystem  412  and content distribution network  414 . Through the service, the user may provide input to request that the recorded television content program be played back by user device  410 . User device  410  may transmit the request to management service subsystem  412 , which may receive the request, verify that the user is entitled to access the recorded television content program, use data (e.g., entitlement data, usage rights data, etc.) maintained by management service subsystem  412  to generate an appropriate access license for the recorded television content program, and provide the license, appropriate decryption keys, and/or any other information (e.g., an address at which the recorded television content program may be accessed within content distribution network  414 ) configured to allow the user device  410  to access the recorded television content program. User device  410  may receive the license and/or other access data from management service subsystem  412  and use the data to send a request to access the recorded television content program to content distribution network  414 . Content distribution network  414  may receive the request and distribute the recorded television content program to user device  410 . Content distribution network  414  may employ any suitable technologies for distributing digital content over a network for access by one or more user devices. For example, content distribution network  414  may be configured to stream and/or download digital content to one or more user devices. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate exemplary media content recording, management, and distribution methods  500  and  600 , respectively. While  FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate exemplary steps according to certain embodiments, other embodiments may omit, add to, reorder, combine, and/or modify any of the steps shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In certain embodiments, one or more of the steps shown in  FIGS. 5  and/or  6  may be performed by provider subsystem  102 , recording service subsystem  202 , management service subsystem  204 , and/or one or more components of system  400 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , in step  502 , provider subsystem  102  provides an online recording manager service for access by a user, such as described herein. 
     In step  504 , provider subsystem  102  provides an online content management service for access by the user, such as described herein. 
     In step  506 , provider subsystem  102  receives, through the online recording manager service, a recording request initiated by the user to record a media content program, such as described herein. 
     In step  508 , provider subsystem  102  records the media content program during a transmission of the media content program in accordance with a predefined transmission schedule. As described herein, the recording in step  508  may be performed before and/or after the receipt of the recording request in step  506 . 
     In step  510 , provider subsystem  102  publishes a recording of the media content program to the online content management service for access by the user through the online content management service, such as described herein. 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , in step  602 , provider subsystem  102  receives and maintains a published recording of a media content program for hosted access through an online content management service. Step  602  may be performed in response to a publishing of the recording of the media content program to the online content management service as described in step  510  of  FIG. 5 . 
     In step  604 , provider subsystem receives a request initiated by a user to manage the recording of the media content program. As described herein, the request may be received by provider subsystem  102  through the online content management service provided by provider subsystem  102 . 
     In step  606 , provider subsystem  102  determines that the user is entitled to manage the recording of the media content program. The determination may be made in any of the ways described herein, including based on entitlement data published to and maintained by provider subsystem  102 , such as described herein. 
     In step  608 , provider subsystem  102  manages the recording of the media content program in accordance with the request. Step  608  may include provider subsystem  102  performing one or more operations to manage the recording of the media content program in accordance with the request. For example, if the request received in step  604  is an access request, then in step  608 , provider subsystem  102  may perform one or more operations to distribute the recording of the media content program for access by a user device associated with the user. As another example, if the request received in step  604  is a delete request, then in step  608 , provider subsystem  102  may perform one or more operations to disassociate the user from the recording of the media content program in hosted entitlement data and/or to delete the recording of the media content program from hosted storage, such as described herein. As another example, if the request received in step  604  is a share request, then in step  608 , provider subsystem  102  may perform one or more operations to share and/or facilitate gifting of the recording of the media content program to one or more additional users, such as described herein. 
     In certain embodiments, one or more of the components and/or processes described herein may be implemented and/or performed by one or more appropriately configured computing devices. To this end, one or more of the systems and/or components described above may include or be implemented by any computer hardware and/or computer-implemented instructions (e.g., software) embodied on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to perform one or more of the processes described herein. In particular, system components may be implemented on one physical computing device or may be implemented on more than one physical computing device. Accordingly, system components may include any number of computing devices, and may employ any of a number of computer operating systems. 
     In certain embodiments, one or more of the processes described herein may be implemented at least in part as instructions executable by one or more computing devices. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, from a tangible computer-readable medium, (e.g., a memory, etc.), and executes those instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions may be stored and/or transmitted using any of a variety of known non-transitory computer-readable media. 
     A non-transitory computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that may be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a non-transitory medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”), which typically constitutes a main memory. Common forms of non-transitory computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other non-transitory medium from which a computer can read. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary computing device  700  that may be configured to perform one or more of the processes described herein. As shown in  FIG. 7 , computing device  700  may include a communication interface  702 , a processor  704 , a storage device  706 , and an input/output (“I/O”) module  708  communicatively connected via a communication infrastructure  710 . While an exemplary computing device  700  is shown in  FIG. 7 , the components illustrated in  FIG. 7  are not intended to be limiting. Additional or alternative components may be used in other embodiments. Components of computing device  700  shown in  FIG. 7  will now be described in additional detail. 
     Communication interface  702  may be configured to communicate with one or more computing devices. Examples of communication interface  702  include, without limitation, a wired network interface (such as a network interface card), a wireless network interface (such as a wireless network interface card), a modem, and any other suitable interface. Communication interface  702  may additionally or alternatively provide such a connection through, for example, a local area network (such as an Ethernet network), a personal area network, a telephone or cable network, a satellite data connection, a dedicated URL, an Internet access network, or any other suitable connection. Communication interface  702  may be configured to interface with any suitable communication media, protocols, and formats. 
     Processor  704  generally represents any type or form of processing unit capable of processing data or interpreting, executing, and/or directing execution of one or more of the instructions, processes, and/or operations described herein. Processor  704  may direct execution of operations in accordance with one or more applications  712  or other computer-executable instructions such as may be stored in storage device  706  or another non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     Storage device  706  may include one or more data storage media, devices, or configurations and may employ any type, form, and combination of data storage media and/or device. For example, storage device  706  may include, but is not limited to, a hard drive, network drive, flash drive, magnetic disc, optical disc, random access memory (“RAM”), dynamic RAM (“DRAM”), other non-volatile and/or volatile data storage units, or a combination or sub-combination thereof. Electronic data, including data described herein, may be temporarily and/or permanently stored in storage device  706 . For example, data representative of one or more executable applications  712  (which may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the software applications described herein) configured to direct processor  704  to perform any of the operations described herein may be stored within storage device  706 . In some examples, data may be arranged in one or more databases residing within storage device  706 . 
     I/O module  708  may be configured to receive user input and provide user output and may include any hardware, firmware, software, or combination thereof supportive of input and output capabilities. For example, I/O module  708  may include hardware and/or software for capturing user input, including, but not limited to, a keyboard or keypad, a touch screen component (e.g., touch screen display), a receiver (e.g., an RF or infrared receiver), and/or one or more input buttons. 
     I/O module  708  may include one or more devices for presenting output to a user, including, but not limited to, a graphics engine, a display (e.g., a display screen, one or more output drivers (e.g., display drivers), one or more audio speakers, and one or more audio drivers. In certain embodiments, I/O module  708  is configured to provide graphical data to a display for presentation to a user. The graphical data may be representative of one or more graphical user interfaces and/or any other graphical content as may serve a particular implementation. 
     In some examples, any of the subsystems, facilities, and/or other components of systems described herein may be implemented by or within one or more components of computing device  700 . For example, one or more applications  712  residing within storage device  706  may be configured to direct processor  704  to perform one or more processes or functions associated with one or more of the subsystems described herein. Likewise, one or more of the storage facilities described herein may be implemented by or within storage device  706 . 
     In the preceding description, various exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. For example, certain features of one embodiment described herein may be combined with or substituted for features of another embodiment described herein. The description and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.