Patent ID: 8028098

Claim:
A method of synchronizing content comprising the steps of: receiving content via a broadcast data receiver, said broadcast data receiver connected to a network of one or more peers of further broadcast data receivers; storing the content on storage media; the content being divided into portions, the boundaries of the portions being spaced apart by a predetermined fixed portion or chunk size; allowing one or more received portions of the content to be shared with the peers; at least one or more received portions is synchronized between the peers by referring to program clock reference values; wherein the program clock reference values at the start and at the end of each portion of each peer are monitored and predetermined periods from the earliest or latest program clock reference valves are calculated from the earliest or latest values available to determine common start or end points; wherein the peer with the least dropped packets is assigned as a reference peer against which other peers are compared, such that if a difference in a program clock reference value is detected at a boundary of one or more of the portions, the broadcast data receiver receiving content sends the difference to the corresponding serving peer such that subsequent portions can be offset by said difference.