Patent ID: 8635196

Claim:
A method for providing and utilizing a pre-populated media device, comprising: authorizing, at a media server, a user account associated with a user; receiving at the media storage server: a selection of a previously-obtained media item by the user, wherein the media item comprises a content file portion and a metadata portion, wherein the metadata portion is separate from the content file portion, the metadata portion of the media item includes authorization information indicating that the user is authorized to download the media item identified in the media item request by virtue of previously obtaining the right to download the media item, and wherein the metadata portion includes static metadata that is descriptive of the media item and dynamic metadata that is configured to cause the media device to execute actions relating to the media item; and a selection of a media device for purchase by the user; storing a the metadata portion associated with the previously-obtained media item onto the media device instead of both the metadata portion and the content file portion prior to delivering the media device to the user; receiving, after delivering the media device to the user: authentication information indicating that the recipient of the delivered media device is associated with the user account; and a media item request from the media device, wherein the media item request is associated with the metadata file portion stored on the media device; in response to the receiving the media item request, accessing the authorization information that is stored in the metadata file portion; and in response to the accessing, synchronizing a content file portion of the media item associated with the metadata file portion to the media device from the media storage server.