A method implemented in a recording device for providing a network-based personal video recording service for a plurality of users wherein the recording device comprises a plurality of personal video recorder storage units the method comprising: receiving a record message from an end-user device associated with one user of the plurality of users, wherein the record message contains a request to record a broadcast content; storing a plurality of sets of segmented files associated with the broadcast content such that one of the sets of segmented files is stored in one of the personal video recorder storage units associated with the one user, and beginning to store the remaining sets of segmented files in a further storage unit if the remaining sets of segmented files are not already being stored in the further storage unit, wherein each one of the sets of segmented files has a bitrate that is different than bitrates of the remaining sets of the segmented files, and wherein the further storage unit is a general storage unit; generating a unique manifest for the one user, wherein the unique manifest has references to segmented files associated with one of the sets of segmented files stored in the personal video recorder storage unit associated with the one user, and the remaining sets of segmented files stored in a further storage unit other than the personal video recorder storage unit associated with the one user; and sending the unique manifest to the end-user device associated with the one user; and the method further comprises a step of deleting the stored broadcast content by: receiving a delete message from the end-user device associated with the one user, wherein the delete message contains a request to delete the recorded broadcast content associated with the one user; deleting the unique manifest of the one user; deleting the one set of segmented files stored in the personal video recorder storage unit associated with the one user; determining if the one user has permission for stored segmented files in the further storage unit that none of the remaining users can access; if a result of the determining step is yes, then delete the stored segmented files in the further storage unit that none of the remaining users can access; and if a result of the determining step is no, then do not delete the stored segmented files in the further storage unit that none of the remaining users can access. receiving a record message from an end-user device associated with one user of the plurality of users, wherein the record message contains a request to record a broadcast content; storing a plurality of sets of segmented files associated with the broadcast content such that one of the sets of segmented files is stored in one of the personal video recorder storage units associated with the one user, and beginning to store the remaining sets of segmented files in a further storage unit if the remaining sets of segmented files are not already being stored in the further storage unit, wherein each one of the sets of segmented files has a bitrate that is different than bitrates of the remaining sets of the segmented files, and wherein the further storage unit is a general storage unit; generating a unique manifest for the one user, wherein the unique manifest has references to segmented files associated with one of the sets of segmented files stored in the personal video recorder storage unit associated with the one user, and the remaining sets of segmented files stored in a further storage unit other than the personal video recorder storage unit associated with the one user; and sending the unique manifest to the end-user device associated with the one user; receiving a delete message from the end-user device associated with the one user, wherein the delete message contains a request to delete the recorded broadcast content associated with the one user; deleting the unique manifest of the one user; deleting the one set of segmented files stored in the personal video recorder storage unit associated with the one user; determining if the one user has permission for stored segmented files in the further storage unit that none of the remaining users can access; if a result of the determining step is yes, then delete the stored segmented files in the further storage unit that none of the remaining users can access; and if a result of the determining step is no, then do not delete the stored segmented files in the further storage unit that none of the remaining users can access.