A media content recording system in a subscriber network television system, comprising: a memory (351, 352) for storing executable instructions; a storage device comprising a buffer space and a non-buffer space, wherein the buffer space is configured for continuously buffering media content instances, wherein buffering the media content instances comprises temporarily storing them in one or more clusters of the buffer space; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions from the memory and, when executing the executable instructions, the processor is caused to associate each of the media content instances temporarily stored in the buffer space with a corresponding management file, wherein each management file includes a status flag for the associated media content instance that is stored in the buffer space, the status flag being set to indicate that the associated media content instance is temporary when the associated media content instance is not designated for permanent recording, and wherein, when executing the executable instructions, the processor is further caused to set the status flag of the management file for the associated media content instance to indicate that the associated media content instance is permanent when the user requests that said media content instance be permanently recorded, wherein, when executing the executable instructions, the processor is further caused to cause the associated media content instance to have a permanent designation in a file allocation table in response to having the status flag of the corresponding management file set to indicate that the associated media content instance is permanent, such that the one or more clusters of the buffer space storing the media content instance becomes designated as part of the non-buffer space. a memory (351, 352) for storing executable instructions; a storage device comprising a buffer space and a non-buffer space, wherein the buffer space is configured for continuously buffering media content instances, wherein buffering the media content instances comprises temporarily storing them in one or more clusters of the buffer space; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions from the memory and, when executing the executable instructions, the processor is caused to associate each of the media content instances temporarily stored in the buffer space with a corresponding management file, wherein each management file includes a status flag for the associated media content instance that is stored in the buffer space, the status flag being set to indicate that the associated media content instance is temporary when the associated media content instance is not designated for permanent recording, and wherein, when executing the executable instructions, the processor is further caused to set the status flag of the management file for the associated media content instance to indicate that the associated media content instance is permanent when the user requests that said media content instance be permanently recorded, wherein, when executing the executable instructions, the processor is further caused to cause the associated media content instance to have a permanent designation in a file allocation table in response to having the status flag of the corresponding management file set to indicate that the associated media content instance is permanent, such that the one or more clusters of the buffer space storing the media content instance becomes designated as part of the non-buffer space.