Patent Publication Number: US-10769704-B2

Title: Content recommendations

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/900,912 filed Feb. 21, 2018 and since issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,290,042, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/874,539 filed Oct. 5, 2015 and since issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,922,362, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/415,771 filed Mar. 31, 2009 and since issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,172,482, with all applications incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to presenting assets related to multimedia content and, more particularly, to providing recommendations for multimedia content. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Modern multimedia content distribution networks provide a vast array of multimedia content assets to customers. Customers may be unaware of certain multimedia content available for purchase, or may have difficulty selecting multimedia content, such as video-on-demand, from a myriad of choices. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of selected elements of an embodiment of a multimedia content distribution network; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of selected elements of an embodiment of a multimedia content distribution network; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of selected elements of an embodiment of a multimedia content distribution network; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of selected elements of an embodiment of a multimedia content distribution network; 
         FIG. 5  is an embodiment of a method for presenting assets related to multimedia content; 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of selected elements of an embodiment of a multimedia content distribution network; 
         FIG. 7  is an embodiment of a method for recommending assets related to multimedia content; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment of a multimedia handling device; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of a method for recommending multimedia content; and 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of a method for recommending multimedia content. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     In one aspect, a disclosed method for recommending multimedia content in a unified storefront (USF) application of a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN) may include retrieving consumption information collected for a plurality of users, wherein the consumption information is associated with multimedia content provided over the MCDN, and using the consumption information to generate a collection of recommended multimedia content, including at least one obtainable multimedia asset. The method may further include offering the collection of recommended multimedia content to a user having a registered account for the MCDN, and making the offered collection accessible to the user via at least one of: a web portal, an Internet-protocol television (IPTV) portal provided by the MCDN, and a mobile portal. 
     The consumption information may include rankings based on most purchased multimedia assets, most viewed multimedia assets, rated multimedia assets, or a combination thereof. The rated multimedia assets may be ranked based on ratings provided by at least some of the plurality of users. The rankings may be determined from consumption information collected over a predefined time span. 
     The user may provide user input for purchasing a selected multimedia asset. The user may then be provided access to the multimedia asset via at least one of: a web portal, an IPTV portal provided by the MCDN, and a mobile portal. 
     In yet another aspect, a disclosed method for recommending multimedia content in a MCDN may include retrieving consumption information describing multimedia content provided by the MCDN that is associated with a user, and obtaining contextual information describing a real-time interaction by the user with the MCDN. Based on the consumption information and the contextual information, the method may further include generating recommended multimedia content including at least one obtainable multimedia asset, and making the recommended multimedia collection accessible to the user via at least one of: a web portal, an IPTV portal provided by the MCDN, and a mobile portal. The user may be associated with a registered account for the MCDN. 
     The consumption information may include includes information about at least one of a browsing history, a viewing history, a recording history, a deletion history, and an MCDN account history. The contextual information may include information about at least one of: current browsing, current viewing, current recording, and current MCDN account activity. The consumption information and/or the contextual information may be collected over a predefined time span. A USF application may be used to make the recommended multimedia content accessible. 
     Responsive to receiving user input to the USF application, the method may further include selecting for a purchase request a multimedia asset from the recommended multimedia content, and submitting the purchase request, wherein the purchase request includes billing information. The billing information may specify an MCDN account associated with the user. In response to receiving approval for the purchase request, the method may further include providing the user with access to the selected multimedia asset via at least one of: a web portal, an IPTV portal provided by the MCDN, and a mobile portal. 
     In some embodiments, an MCDN server may aggregate consumption information and contextual information for a plurality of user premises equipment (CPE) clients, while maintaining a personalized profile for users of the plurality of CPE clients. 
     In a further aspect, a disclosed CPE for use within a client configuration of an MCDN includes a processor, a network adapter configured to receive multimedia content, and memory media accessible to the processor, including instructions executable by the processor. The instructions may be executable by the processor to execute a USF application, as described herein. 
     In yet another aspect, disclosed computer-readable memory media include executable instructions for implementing an MCDN according to the operations described herein. The instructions may be executable to implement a recommendation engine, according to the operations described herein. 
     In the following description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate discussion of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed embodiments are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a particular illustrative embodiment of system  100  to present assets related to media content. System  100  includes content source  102  that communicates with CPE  104  (which may include, for example, a set-top box (STB) device) via network  106 . Content source  102  includes a memory to store media content  114 . CPE  104  can receive input from remote control device  110  and can communicate audio and video to display device  112 . In a particular embodiment, network  106  may be a public network, such as the Internet, or a private access network, such as an MCDN. 
     Content source  102  and CPE  104  can communicate with electronic store server  108  via network  106 . Electronic store server  108  includes data related to one or more assets  116 , which may be related to media content  114 . In an illustrative embodiment, server system  118  can include both content source  102  and electronic store server  108 , providing a single interface for media content distribution and for presenting assets related to the media content. 
     In one embodiment, server system  118  receives a request for an electronic storefront from a destination device, such as CPE  104 . Server system  118  can identify media content received at CPE  104  based on the request or based on data from content source  102 . Server system  118  (or electronic store server  108 ) can generate an electronic storefront that includes selectable indicators related to assets selected from assets  116  based on the media content. In certain embodiments, assets  116  can include data related to physical assets and electronic assets that are related to the media content. For example, the physical assets may include articles of clothing (hats, shirts, jackets, other articles of clothing, or any combination thereof), posters (movie posters, actor photographs, other images, or any combination thereof), soundtracks (e.g., compact discs (CDs)), other physical products, or any combination thereof. The electronic assets can include digital wallpaper (movie images, actor images, other images, or any combination thereof), ring tones (audio clips from media content, soundtrack clips, other audio clips, or any combination thereof), downloadable soundtracks, Video on Demand (VOD) content, video clips, other electronic assets, or any combination thereof. In general, each of the assets may have different associated access rights. For example, a ring tone electronic asset may allow unrestricted use of the ring tone after purchase, while a movie download may allow a limited number of viewings or unlimited access for a period of time. 
     In a particular illustrative embodiment, server system  118  generates an electronic storefront including a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI includes multiple selectable indicators related to assets that are associated with media content that is received at CPE  104 . Server system  118  can target specific assets to CPE  104  based on media content received at CPE  104 . 
     In some embodiments, the GUI may include information describing selected assets  116  or describing a plurality of purchase options related to the selected assets. The information may be personalized to a user or subscriber of CPE  104 . In another particular embodiment, the information describing the asset or the information describing the plurality of purchase options may be personalized to an account associated with CPE  104 . 
     In an embodiment, server system  118  may provide a plurality of purchase options, including non-exclusive offers and exclusive customized offers. The exclusive customized offers may be based on past purchase history, viewing history, geographic location, length of service with a service provider, time of day, an account status, a type of account, or any combination thereof. The non-exclusive offers or the exclusive offers may be based on a sponsorship setting of a particular television program, a sponsorship of a particular television channel, or a sponsorship of the television program service. For example, the sponsorship setting may include information about television advertisers that have certain interactive features associated with their advertising content or with other television content. In some cases, advertisers may associate with this advertising content interactive features such as: information gathering interactive features (e.g., polls); entertainment interactive features (e.g., games); informative interactive features (e.g., product information queries); product request interactive features (e.g., order forms); or any combination thereof. 
     In another illustrative embodiment, the information describing an asset may include information related to a promotion. For example, server system  118  may be adapted to cross-sell products for a particular promotion. The promotion may be directed to a particular movie, such as King Kong, where particular regions may be targeted for the promotion. Subscribers in San Antonio, Tex., for example, may receive discounted pricing for accessing the movie “King Kong.” Such pricing promotions may be used to entice viewers to access such services. 
     In one embodiment, the promotion may have specific assets associated with it, such as a particular movie. The particular promotion may include multiple related assets, such as the movie and products related to the movie, such as t-shirts, baseball hats, coffee cups, shot glasses, CDs, other paraphernalia, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the promotion may include multiple related electronic assets, such as video clips, computer desktop wallpaper, a downloadable soundtrack, ring tones for a mobile phone, other electronic assets, or any combination thereof. Further, the promotion may include a discounted subscription service, such as an option to modify a subscription associated with the destination device to add a movie channel package, to subscribe to a number of VOD movies per month, another service, or any combination thereof. 
     More than one promotion may be associated with a particular asset. In a particular embodiment, multiple promotions from more than one asset provider may be included in assets  116 , and multiple purchase options may be provided for accessing selected assets. In a particular embodiment, server system  118  may provide an interactive feature to direct a customer to an asset that is associated with a particular promotion. For example, if destination CPE  104  is associated with a subscriber in the San Antonio, Tex. area, server system  118  may provide a GUI that includes multiple promotional offers that are available to a particular subscriber. Server system  118  may provide a feature that allows CPE  104  to provide a display of a best promotional offer (e.g., lowest price, largest number of related assets, popular promotional options based on selections by other subscribers, other criteria, or any combination thereof). In one illustrative embodiment, server system  118  may recommend a particular payment option from multiple available payment options. The recommendation may be based on the subscriber account associated with CPE  104 , based on an active promotion, based on payment option expiration (such as an expiration date associated with a payment coupon or credit), or any combination thereof. 
     In an illustrative embodiment, CPE  104  may receive data that can be executed by a processor to generate a GUI, which may be provided to display device  112 . The GUI can include multiple purchasable assets of different types and multiple related purchase options. CPE  104  may receive an input related to one or more of the multiple purchasable assets and an associated purchase option via remote control device  110 . CPE  104  can send a request to server system  118  that is related to the input. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an illustrative embodiment of MCDN system  200  that may be used to present assets related to multimedia content. Although multimedia content is not limited to TV, VOD, or pay-per-view (PPV) programs, the depicted embodiments of MCDN system  200  and its capabilities are primarily described herein with reference to these types of multimedia content, which are interchangeably referred to herein as “multimedia content”, “multimedia content programs”, “multimedia programs” or, simply, “programs.” 
     The elements of MCDN system  200  illustrated in  FIG. 2  depict network embodiments with functionality for delivering multimedia content to a set of one or more users. It is noted that different embodiments of MCDN system  200  may include additional elements or systems (not shown in  FIG. 2  for clarity) as desired for additional functionality, such as data processing systems for billing, content management, customer support, operational support, or other business applications. 
     As shown, system  200  can include client-facing tier  202 , application tier  204 , acquisition tier  206 , and operations and management tier  208 . Each tier  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208  is coupled to private network  210 ; to public network  212 , such as the Internet; or to both private network  210  and public network  212 . For example, client-facing tier  202  can be coupled to private network  210 . Further, application tier  204  can be coupled to private network  210  and to public network  212 . Acquisition tier  206  can also be coupled to private network  210  and to public network  212 . Additionally, operations and management tier  208  can be coupled to public network  212 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the various tiers  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208  communicate with each other via private network  210  and public network  212 . For instance, client-facing tier  202  can communicate with application tier  204  and acquisition tier  206  via private network  210 . Application tier  204  can communicate with acquisition tier  206  via private network  210 . Further, application tier  204  can communicate with acquisition tier  206  and operations and management tier  208  via public network  212 . Moreover, acquisition tier  206  can communicate with operations and management tier  208  via public network  212 . In a particular embodiment, elements of application tier  204 , including, but not limited to, client gateway  250 , can communicate directly with client-facing tier  202 . 
     Client-facing tier  202  can communicate with user equipment via access network  266 . In an illustrative embodiment, CPE clients  214 ,  222  can be coupled to a local switch, router, or other device of the access network  266 . Client-facing tier  202  may communicate with a first representative STB device via first CPE client  214  and with a second representative STB device via second CPE client  222  (STB devices not explicitly shown in  FIG. 2 ). In a particular embodiment, first CPE client  214  can be located at a first customer premise, and second CPE client  222  can be located at a second customer premise. In another particular embodiment, the first representative STB device and the second representative STB device can be located at a single customer premise, both coupled to one of CPE clients  214 ,  222 . CPE clients  214 ,  222  can include routers, local area network devices, modems, such as digital subscriber line (DSL) modems, any other suitable devices for facilitating communication between an STB device and access network  266 , or any combination thereof. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, client-facing tier  202  can be coupled to CPE clients  214 ,  222  via fiber optic cables. In another exemplary embodiment, CPE clients  214 ,  222  can include DSL modems that are coupled to one or more network nodes via twisted pairs, and client-facing tier  202  can be coupled to the network nodes via fiber-optic cables. CPE clients  214 ,  222  may be configured to process data received via access network  266 , such as multimedia content provided by elements of MCDN system  200 . 
     CPE clients  214 ,  222  can include MCDN STB devices; video gaming devices or consoles that are adapted to receive MCDN content; personal computers or other computing devices that are adapted to emulate STB device functionalities; any other device adapted to receive MCDN content and transmit data to an MCDN system via an access network; or any combination thereof. 
     In an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, CPE clients  214 ,  222  can receive data, video, or any combination thereof, from client-facing tier  202  via access network  266  and render or display the data, video, or any combination thereof, at a display device, to which it is coupled. In an illustrative embodiment, CPE clients  214 ,  222  can include tuners that receive and decode television programming signals or packet streams for transmission to display devices, such as TV monitors. Further, CPE clients  214 ,  222  may include a processor and a memory device (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) that is accessible to the processor. In one embodiment, the memory device may store executable instructions, such as embodied by a computer program. 
     In an illustrative embodiment, client-facing tier  202  may include a means for communicating between client-facing tier  202  and access network  266  and between client-facing tier  202  and private network  210 . In one example, the communication means in client-facing tier  202  may be a network switch or sub-system (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) that is coupled to one or more data servers, such as D-servers  232 , that store, format, encode, replicate, or otherwise manipulate or prepare video content for communication from client-facing tier  202  to CPE clients  214 ,  222 . The communication means in client-facing tier  202  can also be coupled to terminal server  234  that provides terminal devices with a point of connection to MCDN system  200  via client-facing tier  202 . In a particular embodiment, communication means in client-facing tier  202  can be coupled to VOD server  236  that stores or provides VOD content imported by MCDN system  200 . Further, the communication means in client-facing tier  202  may be coupled to one or more video servers  280  that receive video content and transmit the content to CPE clients  214 ,  222  via access network  266 . The communication means in client-facing tier  202  can also be coupled to electronic store server  282  that stores and provides data related to purchasable assets to user devices, such as CPE clients  214 ,  222 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, client-facing tier  202  can communicate with a large number of clients, such as representative CPE clients  214 ,  222 , over a wide geographic area, such as a metropolitan area, a viewing area, a statewide area, a regional area, a nationwide area or any other suitable geographic area, market area, or subscriber or customer group that can be supported by networking client-facing tier  202  to numerous CPE clients. In a particular embodiment, the communication means in client-facing tier  202 , or any portion thereof, can include a multicast router or switch that communicates with multiple CPE clients via a multicast-enabled network. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , application tier  204  can communicate with both private network  210  and public network  212 . Application tier  204  can include a means for communicating that can be coupled to application server  242  and to operations systems and support/billing systems and support (OSS/BSS) gateway  244 . In a particular embodiment, application server  242  can provide applications to CPE clients  214 ,  222  via access network  266 , which enable CPE clients  214 ,  222  to provide functions, such as interactive program guides, video gaming, display, messaging, processing of VOD material and other MCDN multimedia content, etc. In an illustrative embodiment, application server  242  can provide location information to CPE clients  214 ,  222 . In a particular embodiment, OSS/BSS gateway  244  includes OSS data, as well as BSS data. In one embodiment, OSS/BSS gateway  244  can provide or restrict access to OSS/BSS server  264  that stores operations and billing systems data. 
     The means for communicating in application tier  204  can be coupled to domain controller  246  that provides Internet access, for example, to users at their computers  268  via public network  212 . For example, domain controller  246  can provide remote Internet access to IPTV account information, e-mail, personalized Internet services, or other online services via public network  212 . In addition, the means for communicating in application tier  204  can be coupled to subscriber and system store  248  that includes account information, such as account information that is associated with users who access MCDN system  200  via private network  210  or public network  212 . In an illustrative embodiment, subscriber and system store  248  can store subscriber or customer data and create subscriber or customer profiles that are associated with IP addresses, stock-keeping unit (SKU) numbers, other identifiers, or any combination thereof, of corresponding CPE clients  214 ,  222 . In another illustrative embodiment, the subscriber and system store can store data associated with capabilities of STB devices associated with particular customers. 
     In a particular embodiment, application tier  204  can include client gateway  250  that communicates data directly to client-facing tier  202 . In this embodiment, client gateway  250  can be coupled directly to client-facing tier  202 . Client gateway  250  can provide user access to private network  210  and other tiers coupled thereto. In an illustrative embodiment, CPE clients  214 ,  222  can access MCDN system  200  via access network  266 , using information received from client gateway  250 . User devices can access client gateway  250  via access network  266 , and client gateway  250  can allow such devices to access private network  210  once the devices are authenticated or verified. Similarly, client gateway  250  can prevent unauthorized devices, such as hacker computers or stolen CPE from accessing private network  210 , by denying access to these devices beyond access network  266 . 
     For example, when a first representative CPE client  214  accesses client-facing tier  202  via access network  266 , client gateway  250  can verify subscriber information by communicating with subscriber and system store  248  via private network  210 . Further, client gateway  250  can verify billing information and status by communicating with OSS/BSS gateway  244  via private network  210 . In one embodiment, OSS/BSS gateway  244  can transmit a query via public network  212  to OSS/BSS server  264 . After client gateway  250  confirms subscriber and/or billing information, client gateway  250  can allow CPE client  214  to access MCDN content and VOD content at client-facing tier  202 . If client gateway  250  cannot verify subscriber information for CPE client  214 , e.g., because it is connected to an unauthorized twisted pair, client gateway  250  can block transmissions to and from CPE client  214  beyond access network  266 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , acquisition tier  206  may include a means for communication (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) with private network  210 , that can also communicate with operations and management tier  208  via public network  212 . In a particular embodiment, the communication means in acquisition tier  206  can be coupled to live acquisition server  254  that receives or acquires television content, movie content, advertisement content, other video content, or any combination thereof, from broadcast service  256 , such as a satellite acquisition system or satellite head-end office. In a particular embodiment, live acquisition server  254  can transmit content to the communication means in acquisition tier  206 , which can transmit the content to client-facing tier  202  via private network  210 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, multimedia content can be transmitted to D-servers  232 , where it can be encoded, formatted, stored, replicated, or otherwise manipulated and prepared for communication from video server(s)  280  to CPE clients  214 ,  222 . Client-facing tier  202  can receive content from video server(s)  280  and communicate the content to CPE  214 ,  222  via access network  266 . STB devices can receive the content via CPE  214 ,  222 , and can transmit multimedia content to television monitors (not shown in  FIG. 2 ). In an illustrative embodiment, video or audio portions of the multimedia content can be streamed to CPE clients  214 ,  222 . 
     Further, acquisition tier  206  can be coupled to a VOD importer server  258  that receives and stores television or movie content received at acquisition tier  206  and communicates the stored content to VOD server  236  at client-facing tier  202  via private network  210 . Additionally, at acquisition tier  206 , VOD importer server  258  can receive content from one or more VOD sources outside MCDN system  200 , such as movie studios and programmers of non-live content. VOD importer server  258  can transmit the VOD content to acquisition tier  206 , which can communicate the material to client-facing tier  202  via private network  210 . The VOD content can be stored at one or more servers, such as VOD server  236 . 
     When users issue requests for VOD content via CPE clients  214 ,  222 , the requests can be transmitted over access network  266  to VOD server  236 , via client-facing tier  202 . Upon receiving such requests, VOD server  236  can retrieve the requested VOD content and transmit the content to CPE clients  214 ,  222  across access network  266 . In an illustrative embodiment, video or audio portions of VOD content can be streamed to CPE clients  214 ,  222 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , operations and management tier  208  can include a means for communication (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) that conducts communication between operations and management tier  208  and public network  212 . The communication means in operations and management tier  208  may be coupled to TV2 server  262 . Additionally, communication means in operations and management tier  208  can be coupled to OSS/BSS server  264  and to simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitor  286  that monitors network devices within or coupled to MCDN system  200 . In a particular embodiment, the communication means in operations and management tier  208  can communicate with acquisition tier  206  via public network  212 . 
     In an illustrative embodiment, live acquisition server  254  can transmit content to acquisition tier  206 , which can transmit the content to operation and management tier  208  via public network  212 . In this embodiment, operation and management tier  208  can transmit the content to TV2 server  262  for display to users accessing the user interface at TV2 server  262 . For example, a user can access TV2 server  262  using personal computer  268  coupled to public network  212 . 
     In a particular illustrative embodiment, client-facing tier  202  can provide media content, such as video content, to CPE client  214 . The media content can include a selectable trigger, which may be provided by CPE client  214  to a display device as a popup within a video display. Client-facing tier  202  may receive data related to selection of the selectable trigger. In response to receiving the data, electronic store server  282  may provide a GUI including an electronic storefront to CPE client  214  for display at a display device, such as a TV monitor (not shown in  FIG. 2 ). The electronic storefront can include data related to multiple purchasable assets as well as multiple options for purchasing one or more of the assets. 
     In another particular illustrative embodiment, CPE client  214  receives media content including an embedded trigger. CPE client  214  identifies the embedded trigger and provides a popup to TV monitor that is related to the embedded trigger. The popup can include information related to a particular promotion and an invitation to access an electronic storefront. A user may utilize a remote control device to request the electronic storefront. CPE client  214  may receive an input from the remote control device and transmit a request to client-facing tier  202  for the electronic storefront. The request may include an identifier related to the selected media content, an identifier related to CPE client  214 , an account identifier associated with CPE client  214 , an identifier associated with the electronic storefront, or any combination thereof. In a particular embodiment, in response to sending the request, CPE client  214  may receive a GUI that includes an electronic storefront that has multiple purchasable assets and multiple selectable payment options. CPE client  214  may provides the GUI to as a TV monitor (not shown in  FIG. 2 ). In one embodiment, CPE client  214  can receive data that can be executed by a processor to generate a GUI that includes an electronic storefront that has multiple purchasable assets and multiple selectable payment options. CPE client  214  can provide the generated GUI to a display device for display. A user may utilize a remote control device to purchase one or more assets and to select a payment option related to the purchase. CPE client  214  may send an asset identifier and purchase information to E-store server  282  for fulfillment. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a third particular illustrative embodiment of system  300  to present assets related to media content. System  300  includes server system  302  that communicates with CPE at a client system, represented in  FIG. 3  by STB device  304 , via network  306 , which may be the public Internet or an MCDN. Server system  302  includes interface  316  to network  306 , processing logic  314  and memory  312  that is accessible to processing logic  314 . 
     In a particular embodiment, memory  312  includes media content identification module  318  that can be executed by processing logic  314  to identify media content received at STB device  304 . Media content identification module  318  may also be used to transmit media content to STB device  304 . The media content may include an embedded selectable trigger, which can be executed at STB device  304  to generate a popup within the video at display device  310 . Memory  312  may also include electronic store (e-store) identification module  320  that can be executed by processing logic  314  to identify assets. E-store identification module  320  may also be executed by processing logic  314  to generate an electronic storefront, including a GUI presenting the identified assets. Memory  312  may also include STB communication module  322  that can be executed by processing logic  314  to communicate with STB device  304  to receive requests for an electronic storefront related to media content and to communicate the generated electronic storefront to STB device  304 . In a particular illustrative embodiment, STB communication module  322  may also receive data related to purchase orders and payment option selections from STB device  304 . 
     STB device  304  may includes interface  324  to network  306 . STB device  304  may also include processor  326  coupled to interface  324  and memory  328  that is accessible to processor  326 . STB device  304  may also include remote control interface  330  that communicates with remote control device  308  and display device interface  332  that communicates with display device  310 . In a particular embodiment, memory  328  includes media content module  334  that is executable by processor  326  to receive media content from server system  302  (or from another content source) via network  306 . Memory  328  may include trigger selection module  336  that is executable by processor  326  to identify an embedded selectable trigger within the media content and to generate a selectable popup within the video at the display device based on the embedded trigger. Trigger selection module  336  may also be executed by processor  326  to receive a selection related to the selectable popup via remote control device  308  and to communicate data related to the selection to server system  302  via the network. Memory  328  may also include GUI module  338  that is executable by processor  326  to receive instructions related to an electronic storefront and to generate a GUI that can be provided to display device  310  that includes one or more selectable indicators related to purchasable assets. 
     In a particular illustrative embodiment, e-store identification module  320  may be executed to select an electronic storefront from a plurality of stored electronic storefronts based on media content received at STB device  304 . In another particular illustrative embodiment, e-store identification module  320  can be executed to generate the electronic storefront dynamically, such that the GUI includes an electronic storefront having a first selectable element related to a first asset and a second selectable element related to a second asset (both selected based on the media content). The GUI can also include multiple payment options that are related to a first selectable element and a second selectable element. In a particular illustrative embodiment, the multiple payment options can include an electronic coupon payment option, account billing option to bill a subscriber account associated with the destination device (i.e., the STB device), a credit card option, a debit card option, other payment options, or any combination thereof. 
     In a particular illustrative embodiment, STB device  304  receives media content including an embedded trigger from server system  302 . STB device  304  identifies the embedded trigger and provides the media content and a popup based on the embedded trigger to display device  310 . STB device  304  receives an input from remote control device  308  that is related to the popup. STB device  304  sends a request to server system  302  based on the input. The request may include an identifier related to the media content, an identifier associated with STB device  304 , a subscriber account identifier, an electronic storefront identifier, other information, or any combination thereof. STB device  304  receives data related to an electronic storefront based on the request, and provides a user interface to display device  310  that includes the electronic storefront. The electronic storefront includes one or more selectable indicators related to purchasable assets. The electronic storefront also includes one or more payment options for purchasing selected assets. Set-top box device  304  receives a selection of at least one indicator and a selected payment option and sends data related to the selection and the selected payment option to server system  302  to complete a purchase transaction. 
     In a particular embodiment, if the purchased asset is an electronic asset, server system  302  may provide instructions for downloading the asset, may send the purchased asset, may perform other actions, or any combination thereof. If the purchased asset is a tangible object, server system  302  may transmit a purchase order fulfillment request to a fulfillment center (not shown) to complete the packaging and shipping of the purchased asset. Server system  302  may also notify an inventory system (not shown) to update inventory data based on the purchase. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an illustrative embodiment of system  400  to present assets related to media content. System  400  may include single sign on (SSO) interface  408  to communicate with one or more of a plurality of access points at access portal module  402 . The access points may include representative access points, such as IPTV portal  410 , web portal  412 , and mobile portal  414 . Access portal module  402  also includes portal agnostic storefront application  416 . Portal agnostic (also referred to herein as “unified”) storefront application  416  may send data related to a storefront display via the various access portals  410 ,  412 ,  414  to a user device that is signed on via SSO interface  408 . 
     System  400  also includes content management and aggregation module  404  having content manager  430 , offer engine  440  and administration device  490 . Administration device  490  may communicate with content management and aggregation module  404 , fulfillment and delivery module  406 , and access portal module  402  to allow administrative configuration of each module. For example, administrative device  490  may be used to establish offer management rules stored at rules and conditions database  442 . In another example, administrative device  490  may be used to configure a storefront display provided via access portal module  402 . In another example, administrative device  490  may be used to configure fulfillment and delivery module  406 . 
     In a particular embodiment, content manager  430  includes content catalog and publication module  432 , which may identify assets that are available to be offered for sale. For example, content delivery and management module  434  may query content providers, such as content providers  476 , to identify assets that are available for purchase. Catalog and publication module  432  may process data received from content providers  476  to identify metadata related to available assets, such as a description of the content of an asset, a format of the asset, a type of the asset, a cost of the asset, other information about the asset, or any combination thereof. Content catalog and publication module  432  may provide catalog publication output  420  to portal agnostic storefront application  416  identifying the available assets. Content catalog and publication module  432  may also provide information identifying the available assets to offer engine  440  to allow offer rules related to the assets to be configured. 
     In a particular embodiment, content manager  430  may also include content delivery and management module  434 . Content delivery and management module  434  may manage delivery of purchased assets to user devices. For example, content delivery and management module  434  may receive payment information for the purchase of an asset via portal agnostic storefront application  416 . Content delivery and management module  434  may send an access grant message to a content provider after payment for an asset has been received and approved. The grant message may authorize the content provider to send the content of the purchased asset to the purchasing user device or another user device. 
     In a particular embodiment, content manager  430  may also include user database  436 . User database  436  may include user data, such as demographic information and geographic information. User database  436  may be utilized to establish promotional offers, to identify subscribers to which promotional offers should be made, to implement offer rules, and so forth. For example, offer engine  440  may access user database  436  in order to determine whether a particular offer applies to a particular subscriber based on the subscriber data. 
     In a particular embodiment, content manager  430  may also include license rights module  438 . License rights module  438  may implement rules to ensure the license rights associated with digital assets are complied with. For example, license rights module  438  may ensure that royalties associated with digital assets are paid. In another example, license rights module  438  may determine an amount owed to a content provider or third party resulting from the purchase of a digital asset. 
     In a particular embodiment, fulfillment and delivery module  406  may include a variety of fulfillment modules including mobile module  470 , third party content module  472 , web module  474 , dedicated content provider module  476  and IPTV module  478 . Fulfillment modules  470 ,  472 ,  474 ,  476  and  478  provide data identifying assets available for purchase to content manager  430 . In a particular embodiment, fulfillment modules  470 ,  472 ,  474 ,  476  and  478  may also send data including the content of a purchased asset to a user device. 
     In a particular embodiment, fulfillment and delivery module  406  may include one or more transaction application modules, such as billing mediation module  480 , billing applications module  482 , partner settlement module  484 , and payment suggestion system  486 . Billing mediation module  480  may receive data related to the purchase of assets, e.g., billing events data, from content manager  430  and may determine a charge for the purchase based on the data. Billing mediation module  480  may pass data related to the purchase to billing applications module  482 . Billing applications module  482  may prepare a bill to charge a subscriber for the purchase of an asset. For example, billing application module  482  may add the charge to a unified subscriber bill for communication services, such as wireless telephone service, telephone service, television service (e.g., IPTV service), Internet access service, other communication services, or any combination thereof. 
     In a particular embodiment, partner settlement module  484  may receive information associated with the purchase of an asset from content manager  430 . Partner settlement module  484  may process the purchase information to determine an amount owed to another party, such as a content provider, license rights holder, fulfillment agent, or other party as a result of the purchase. Partner settlement module  484  may execute payment of the owed amount or pass information related to the owed amount to a payment system. 
     In a particular embodiment, payment suggestion system  486  may also receive data from content manager  430  related to the purchase of an asset. The purchase information may include a purchase price and information about the user. Payment suggestion system  486  may determine available payment options for the user, such as a charge to the user&#39;s account (e.g., a communication services account), payment by credit card, payment by electronic funds transfer, other payment options, or any combination thereof. 
     Content management and aggregation module  404  may communicate with fulfillment and delivery module  406  via a plurality of communication links. Representative examples of the communication links may include delivery, dispatch and tracking communication links  450 ,  452 ,  454 , content discovery communication link  456 , video content discovery link  458 , and IPTV access grant communication link  460 . In addition, content management and aggregation module  404  may communicate with the transaction application modules of fulfillment and delivery module  406  via billing event communication link  462 , partner settlement communication link  464 , and credit check and payment authorization communication link  466 . 
     Content manager  430  may communicate with portal agnostic storefront application  416  via a plurality of communication links  420 ,  422 ,  424 ,  426  and  428 . Representative examples of the communication links may include catalog publication communication link  420  to provide information about available assets, purchase request/confirmation communication link  422  to communicate purchase request and purchase confirmation information, grant access communication link  426  to communicate access grants, and payment request confirmation communication link  424  to communicate payment request and confirmation information. In addition, offer engine  440  may communicate with portal agnostic storefront application  416 , for example, via advice of change (AOC) communication link  428 . 
     During operation of a particular embodiment, content manager  430  may prepare a catalog of assets available for purchase and provide the catalog of assets to administration device  490  for configuration of offer rules and conditions related to the assets. Offer engine  440  may implement the offer rules and conditions to promote the assets in the catalog via a storefront display sent to user devices via portal agnostic storefront application  416 . Content manager  430  may receive requests for purchase of such assets via portal agnostic (i.e., unified) storefront application  416 . Offer engine  440  may provide an AOC to the subscriber associated with the purchase via portal agnostic storefront application  416 . If the subscriber approves the charge, content manager  430  may send payment information to transaction application modules  480 ,  482 ,  484 ,  486  and may communicate with fulfillment and delivery module  406  in order to fulfill the purchase. 
     In a particular embodiment, after purchase of the asset, portal agnostic storefront application  416  may provide the content of the electronic asset via a suitable interface based on the asset type. For example, an IPTV-related asset may be provided via IPTV portal  410 , an Internet asset may be available via web portal  412 , and a mobile asset may be available via mobile portal  414 . In certain embodiments, electronic assets may be offered and/or made available by at least one of IPTV portal  410 , web portal  412 , and mobile portal  414 . That is, the same electronic asset may be made available via different portals  410 ,  412 ,  414 . Additionally, content manager  430  may interact with fulfillment and delivery module  406  to provide billing information necessary to bill the subscriber for the asset purchase and to pay content providers or other third parties for the transaction. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a particular illustrative embodiment of method  500  for presenting assets related to media content. A content stream may be received at an STB device (operation  502 ). The STB device may intercept an embedded trigger (operation  504 ). The STB device may prompt a user to navigate to an electronic storefront, also known as triggered shopping (operation  506 ). If the user does not respond (i.e., a time out occurs) or if the user rejects the prompt, the method may return to operation  502 . If the user accepts the prompt, the STB device may retrieve a list of assets associated with the trigger (operation  508 ). The STB device may provide a browse page (GUI) including the associated assets to a display device (operation  510 ). The STB device may monitor the shopping experience (operation  512 ). A decision may be made by the STB device if the user is done shopping (operation  514 ). If the result of the decision is NO, the method may return to operation  512  and the STB device may continue to monitor the shopping experience. If the result of the decision is YES, the customer is done shopping, the method may advance to operation  502 . 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of an illustrative embodiment of system  600  to present recommendations for assets related to media content. System  600  may include access points module  602 , content management and aggregation module  604 , fulfillment and delivery module  606 , and data warehousing systems  608 , as will be described in detail below. It is noted that certain elements depicted in system  600  are similar to corresponding elements in system  400  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     System  600  may include one or more of a plurality of access points in access points module  602 , which may include IPTV access point  610 , web access point  612 , and mobile device access point  614 . Access points module  602  may also include USF application  616 . USF application  616  may send data related to a storefront display via access points  610 ,  612 , and  614  to a user device that is signed on, for example with a registered account for an MCDN. 
     Access points module  602  may communicate with content management and aggregation module  604  via a plurality of communication links. In particular, access points module  602  may transfer user input along with corresponding displayed information for browsing, searching and transacting content, represented in  FIG. 6  as  622 , to content management and aggregation module  604 . In some embodiments,  622  may represent information exchanged via a user interface provided by USF application  616 . In addition, user demographic survey information  624 , along with consumption information for a user of USF application  616 , may be communicated between modules  602  and  604 . 
     System  600  may also include content management and aggregation module  604  having commerce engine  630 , recommendation engine  642  and administration device  690 . Administration device  690  may communicate with content management and aggregation module  604 , fulfillment and delivery module  606 , and access points module  602  to allow administrative configuration of each module. For example, administration device  690  may be used to provision demographic surveys for obtaining consumption information. In another example, administrative device  690  may be used to configure a storefront display, such as a USF display, provided via access points module  602 . In another example, administration device  690  may be used to configure fulfillment and delivery module  606 . 
     In a particular embodiment, commerce engine  630  includes content catalog and publication module  632 , which may identify assets that are available to be offered for sale. For example, content delivery and management module  634  may query content providers, such as the content provider and delivery  676 , to identify assets that are available for purchase. Content catalog and publication module  632  may also provide information identifying the available assets to offer management module  640  to allow offer rules related to the assets to be configured. Commerce engine  630  may also include content delivery and management module  634 . Content delivery and management module  634  may manage delivery of purchased assets to user devices. Content delivery and management module  634  may send an access grant message to a content provider after payment for an asset has been received and approved by payment management module  636 . The grant message may authorize the content provider to send the content of the purchased asset to the purchasing user device or another user device. Commerce engine  630  may also include licensed rights module  638 . Licensed rights module  638  may implement rules to ensure the license rights associated with digital assets are complied with. Licensed rights module  638  may obtain licenses from third-parties via licensing module  674 . 
     In a particular embodiment, fulfillment and delivery module  606  may include a variety of fulfillment modules including content provider and delivery module  676 , billing systems module  672 , and licensing module  674 . Fulfillment and delivery module  606  may include one or more transaction application modules, such as billing systems module  672 . Billing systems module  672  may receive data related to the purchase of assets, e.g., billing events data, and may determine a charge for the purchase based on the data. Billing systems module  672  may prepare a bill to charge a subscriber for the purchase of an asset. In one example, billing systems module  672  may add the charge to a unified subscriber bill for communication services, such as wireless telephone service, telephone service, television service (e.g., IPTV service), Internet access service, other communication services, or any combination thereof. Licensing module  674  may enforce licenses and encode content to prevent unauthorized access. 
     Content management and aggregation module  604  may communicate with fulfillment and delivery module  606  via a plurality of communication links. Representative examples of the communication links may include content discovery communication link  652  and rights management communication link  654 . 
     During operation of a particular embodiment, commerce engine  630  may prepare a catalog of assets available for purchase, including recommendations for content provided by recommendation engine  642 . In particular, commerce engine  630  may forward real-time context data  644  related to current activity by a user of USF application  616  to recommendation engine  642 . Recommendation engine  642  may collect real-time context data  644 , along with other consumption information, in data collection  650 . Recommendation engine  642  may forward contents of data collection  650  for aggregation by data warehousing systems  608 . Data collection  650  may include metadata for multimedia content indexed to a user profile, representing personalized preferences which may be used to generate recommended collections of multimedia content, represented by personalized content recommendations  646 . The consumption information used at least in part to generate the collection may depend on a geographical location of the user, a time of day, consumer information, or a combination thereof. 
     Recommendation engine  642  may also provide recommendations for users for which personalized profiles are not available, for example, new users who may not have a substantial consumption history. Data collection  650  may be used to retrieve collections of recommended content from data warehousing systems  608  based on consumption information for a plurality of users representing a subscriber base of an MCDN system. For example, the consumption information may include a ranking of most purchased content, most viewed or played content, and highest rated content. The highest rated content may be evaluated based on ratings provided by the plurality of users. The rankings may be compiled and provided to commerce engine  630  by recommendation engine  642  in the form of top lists of content  648 . 
     It is noted that either personalized content recommendations  646  or top lists of content  648  may be VOD programs categorized according to a number of criteria, including, but not limited to: genre, studio, duration, era or release year, sales revenue, language, media-type or format, performer, director, producer, investor, author, shooting location, trade association rating, content warnings, crew members, award information, and any combination thereof. 
     Still further, recommendation engine  642  may use voluntarily provided demographic information, such as customer demographic survey responses  624 , to generate content recommendations  646  or top lists of content  648 . The demographic information may be provided by a user of USF application  616 , who may also be referred to as a consumer of the multimedia assets provided. The demographic information may include consumption information, including, but not limited to: user favorites, birth date or age of the user, user gender, user geographic information, user socio-economic information, user family information, user political information, user ratings for multimedia content, and any combination thereof. 
     The recommended collections of multimedia content, including at least one obtainable multimedia asset, may be presented to the user via USF application  616 . The presentation may be in the form of a GUI, configured to allow selection and purchase of rights to multimedia assets. As used herein, “obtainable” describes multimedia assets for which certain rights are available, or may be offered for purchase, to a user (e.g., a consumer or subscriber). The rights that may be purchased, i.e., obtained, may include rental or ownership rights to multimedia assets. The rights may include digital rights that may be restricted by user, duration, number of playbacks, time/date of playback, playback location, playback device, playback quality, copy or forward ability, or other limitations. Thus, as used herein, a “purchase”, a “purchase transaction”, or a “purchase request” for an asset refers to obtaining certain rights to the asset, which may or may not be unrestricted ownership rights. 
     The user may select and provide user input indicating a desire to purchase the selected asset using USF application  616 . USF application  616  may then initiate a purchase transaction, by obtaining billing information, and forward a purchase request, as described in detail above. After receiving approval for the purchase of the asset, USF application  616  may provide the content of the electronic asset to the user via at least one of IPTV access point  610 , web access point  612 , and mobile device access point  614 . In some instances, USF application  616  provides access via a suitable interface based on the asset type. For example, IPTV-related assets may be provided via IPTV access point  610 , an Internet asset may be available via web access point  612 , and a mobile asset may be available via mobile device access point  614 . In certain embodiments, electronic assets may be offered and/or made available by at least two of IPTV access point  610 , web access point  612 , and mobile device access point  614 . 
     Content management and aggregation module  604  may communicate with data warehousing systems  608  via a plurality of communication links. Data warehousing systems  608  may receive user data and content metadata, represented in  FIG. 6  by  656 . The user data may include demographic data and purchase/consumption data. Data warehousing systems  608  may provide user profiles  658 , including content metadata user data indexed to individual users. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , data warehousing systems  608  may include various data stores, or databases, including content metadata  680 , user purchase/consumption data  682 , and user demographic data  684 . Content metadata  680  may include information on multimedia content or assets consumed by subscribers or consumers, and may be indexed or categorized for various criteria, as described above. User purchase/consumption data  682  may reflect purchase or consumption histories for users. User demographic data  684  may include user data, such as demographic information and geographic information. Databases  680 ,  682 ,  684  may be utilized to establish promotional offers, to identify users to which promotional offers should be made, to implement offer rules, identify collections of multimedia content to recommend to users, or identify subscriber groups for recommendations, among other uses. For example, recommendation engine  642  may access data warehousing systems  608  in order to determine multimedia assets to include in a collection of recommended content provided to a user of USF application  616 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a ladder diagram of an embodiment of method  700  for recommending electronic assets is shown. Method  700  includes various stages including logging stage  730 , context stage  732 , recommend stage  734 , and modify stage  736 . 
     In connection with logging stage  730 , a user may interact with the USF application  708  over time resulting in consumption information being logged by a data warehousing system. Interactions  750  from which data are gathered may occur from any access point, such as STB/IPTV  702 , web browser  704 , and mobile wireless  706 . In addition, interactions  750  may represent voluntary demographic information provided by the user in response to a questionnaire, which may be accessible across any of access points  702 ,  704 ,  706 . The questionnaire may allow a user to provide the following information: gender, age, preferred genres, genre frequency, preferred content types, and other categories, as described above. The questionnaire may be provided to new users and may be updated as desired, or on a regular basis. 
     Interactions  750  may be collected by commerce engine  710  to facilitate the building of consumer/subscriber/user profiles by the data warehousing system. The data warehousing system may log content metadata  716  and user data  718 , as described above (see  FIG. 6 ). The data captured by the data warehousing system in a user profile may include content purchasing history, voluntary user demographics, browsing history, playback history, linear content viewing history, digital video recorder (DVR) history, deletion history, and content metadata. 
     Recommendation engine  714  may further receive previously gathered user profiles, including content metadata  716  and user data  718 , shown in  FIG. 7  as data  751 . Data  751  may be used by recommendation engine  714  to factor back into recommendations, such as collections of recommended multimedia content. In some instances, a portion of data  751  may be maintained locally by recommendation engine  714  to improve performance or for other reasons. 
     In connection with context stage  732 , the real-time interaction of the user with STB/IPTV  702  or an external web application may be used to generate context information. Interaction  752  by the user in real-time may be obtained for an external web application using web browser  704 , while interaction  754  by the user in real-time may be obtained for an MCDN, represented by an MCDN client device, STP/IPTV  702 . Interactions  752 ,  754  may generate context information that is provided by USF application  708  to commerce engine  710 . The relevant context information might include user account information, current content being viewed, current category being browsed, list of promotions viewed, search criteria, and other information. Commerce engine  710  may further provide content metadata based on context information to service delivery platform (SDP)  712 . Recommendation engine  714  may obtain real-time context data from SDP  712 . In some embodiments, web browser  704  may be executed using a mobile/wireless platform  706  and may be used to collect real-time user context data. 
     In connection with recommend stage  734 , recommendation engine  714  may return possible recommendations  756  to SDP  712 . Recommendation engine  714  may use previously gathered user data, such as collected by interaction  750  and factored back as  751 , along with real-time contextual data, collected by interactions  752 ,  754 , to generate personalized collections of recommended multimedia content. In certain instances, recommendation engine  714  may return top lists, such as most purchased, most played, and highest rated, for users without an established profile or consumption history. The top lists may be generated from a population of established users and may be categorized according to voluntary demographic information provided by the receiving user. Recommended content  758  may be returned by the SDP  712  to commerce engine  710  for forwarding to USF application  708 , from where it may be presented to the user. The SDP  712  may filter possible recommendations  756  based on various criteria, for example, based on availability, user qualification, or a licensing/user rights matrix to generate recommended content  758 . USF application  708  may present recommended content  758  to the user on any one or more access points  702 ,  704 ,  706 , from where multimedia assets in the collection of recommended content  758  may be selected, purchased, and obtained for consumption by the user, according to the methods described herein. 
     In connection with modify stage  736 , factor weighting configurations  760 , which lead to the generation of recommendations, may be modified in recommendation engine  714 . Modification of factor weighting configurations  760  may be performed by a service provider of MCDN system  200  (see  FIG. 2 ) to adjust or tune the effectiveness of the recommendation method  700 , based on feedback, consumption metrics, revenue growth, etc. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a block diagram illustrating selected elements of an embodiment of multimedia handling device (MHD)  825  is presented. In  FIG. 8 , MHD  825  is shown as a functional component of CPE  822  along with gateway (GW)  823  and display  826 , independent of any physical implementation. In particular, it is noted that CPE  822  may be any combination of GW  823 , MHD  825  and display  826 . In some cases, MHD  825  represents an embodiment of an STB device. 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 8 , MHD  825  includes processor  801  coupled via shared bus  802  to storage media collectively identified as storage  810 . MHD  825 , as depicted in  FIG. 8 , further includes network adapter  820  that interfaces MHD  825  to local area network (LAN)  824  and through which MHD  125  receives multimedia content  860 . GW  823  is shown providing a bridge between access network  830  and LAN  824 , and receiving multimedia content  860  from access network  830 . 
     In embodiments suitable for use in IP based content delivery networks, MHD  825 , as depicted in  FIG. 8 , may include transport unit  831  that assembles the payloads from a sequence or set of network packets into a stream of multimedia content. In coaxial based access networks, content may be delivered as a stream that is not packet based and it may not be necessary in these embodiments to include transport unit  830 . In a co-axial implementation, however, clients, such as CPE  822 , may utilize tuning resources (not explicitly depicted in  FIG. 8 ) to “filter” desired content from other content that is delivered over the coaxial medium simultaneously and these tuners may be provided in MHDs  825 . The stream of multimedia content received by transport unit  830  may include audio information and video information and transport unit  830  may parse or segregate the two to generate video stream  832  and audio stream  834  as shown. 
     Video and audio streams  832  and  834 , as output from transport unit  830 , may include audio or video information that is compressed, encrypted, or both. A decoder unit  840  is shown as receiving video and audio streams  832  and  834  and generating native format video and audio streams  842  and  844 . Decoder  840  may employ any of various widely distributed video decoding algorithms including any of the Motion Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) standards, or Windows Media Video (WMV) standards including WMV 9, which has been standardized as Video Codec-1 (VC-1) by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Similarly decoder  840  may employ any of various audio decoding algorithms including Dolby® Digital, Digital Theatre System (DTS) Coherent Acoustics, and Windows Media Audio (WMA). 
     The native format video and audio streams  842  and  844  as shown in  FIG. 8  may be processed by encoders/digital-to-analog converters (encoders/DACs)  850  and  870  respectively to produce analog video and audio signals  852  and  854  in a format compliant with display  826 , which itself may not be a part of MHD  825 . Display  826  may comply with National Television System Committee (NTSC), Phase Alternating Line (PAL) or any other suitable television standard. 
     Storage  810  encompasses persistent and volatile media, fixed and removable media, and magnetic and semiconductor media. Storage  810  is operable to store instructions, data, or both. Storage  810  as shown may include sets or sequences of instructions, namely, an operating system  812 , a remote control (RC) application program identified as RC module  814 , an electronic programming guide (EPG)  816 , and USF  818 . Operating system  812  may be a UNIX or UNIX-like operating system, a Windows® family operating system, or another suitable operating system. 
     EPG  816  represents a guide to the multimedia content provided to CPE  822  via MCDN system  200  (see  FIG. 2 ), and may be shown to the user as an element of the user interface. The user interface may include a plurality of menu items arranged according to one or more menu layouts, which enable a user to operate MHD  825 . The user may operate the user interface, including EPG  816 , using remote control (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) in conjunction with RC module  814 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 9 , an embodiment of method  900  for recommending multimedia content is shown in flowchart form. In some examples, method  900  may be performed by a recommendation engine, such as recommendation engine  642  (see  FIG. 6 ). In certain embodiments, operations depicted in method  900  may be rearranged or omitted, or may be optional. 
     Personalized consumption information for a user describing multimedia content provided over the MCDN may be retrieved or otherwise accessed (operation  902 ). The consumption information may be retrieved from a data warehousing system which aggregates consumption information for a plurality of users. The consumption information may be collected over a predetermined time period. Contextual information for the user describing real-time interaction with the MCDN may be retrieved or otherwise accessed (operation  904 ). The contextual information may be collected by CPE associated with the user. The contextual information may be relevant to immediate interactions by the user. 
     The consumption information and the contextual information may be used to generate recommended multimedia content, including at least one obtainable asset (operation  906 ). The recommended multimedia content may be based on personalized information generated using the consumption information and the contextual information. The personalized information may be matched to available assets that are obtainable by the user to generate the recommended multimedia content. 
     The recommended multimedia content may be made available to the user via web portal, IPTV portal, mobile portal, or a combination thereof, using the USF application (operation  908 ). A decision may then be made if user input to purchase rights in a multimedia asset has been received (operation  910 ). If the result of the decision is NO, then method  900  loops back to operation  910 . If the result of the decision is YES, then a multimedia asset from the recommended multimedia content may be selected for a purchase request (operation  912 ). The purchase request may be submitted, billing information may be received, and approval for the purchase request may be received (operation  914 ). The purchase transaction may be performed by the user using the USF application. The user may be provided access to the multimedia asset via web portal, IPTV portal, mobile portal, or a combination thereof (operation  916 ). In some cases, the user is provided access to the multimedia asset from the USF application. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 10 , an embodiment of method  1000  for recommending multimedia content is shown in flowchart form. In some examples, method  1000  may be performed by a CPE, such as CPE  822  (see  FIG. 8 ). In certain embodiments, operations depicted in method  1000  may be rearranged or omitted, or may be optional. 
     Contextual information describing real-time user interaction with CPE may be sent to an MCDN server (operation  1001 ). The contextual information may describe user interaction with an STB device for receiving multimedia programs, such as IPTV programs. The contextual information may also describe user interaction with a web browser and include results of deep packet inspection of web requests processed using CPE. A collection of recommended multimedia content, including an obtainable asset, may be received (operation  1002 ). The collection may be based on personalized preferences generated using the consumption information. The collection may also be based on rankings for multimedia assets by the plurality of users, such as most purchased, most viewed, and highest rated. The collection may be offered to a user of the CPE having a registered MCDN account (operation  1004 ). The offered collection may be made available to the user via an Internet website, a mobile wireless network platform, or a combination thereof (operation  1006 ). Consumption information may be collected at the CPE and made available to an MCDN server that aggregates consumption information for a plurality of clients (operation  1008 ). 
     A decision may then be made if user input to purchase rights in a multimedia asset has been received (operation  1010 ). If the result of the decision is NO, then method  1000  loops back to operation  1010 . If the result of the decision is YES, then the purchase of a multimedia asset from the offered collection may be initiated (operation  1012 ). A purchase request may be submitted, including billing information, and approval for the purchase request may be received (operation  1014 ). The user may be provided access to the multimedia asset from the CPE client, an Internet website, a mobile wireless network device, or a combination thereof (operation  1016 ). 
     To the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited to the specific embodiments described in the foregoing detailed description.