Patent ID: 7272844

Claim:
A method of guest-selected recording of television programs in an entertainment system at a lodging facility having a head end and a plurality of guest terminals in a plurality of guest rooms connected by a distribution system, the method comprising: creating, at the head end in the lodging facility, a schedule containing both (a) television programs available for viewing and recording and (b) previously recorded television programs available for time-shifted viewing; transmitting, from the head end in the lodging facility to a guest terminal in a guest room in a lodging facility, television signals representing the schedule created; transmitting, from the guest terminal to the head end, program recording selection data representing a program selected by a guest for recording; creating, at the head end, a digital file representing the program selected; storing, at the head end, the digital file; updating, at the head end, the schedule of television programs to include the program corresponding to the digital file; transmitting the schedule as updated in the form of television signals, from the head end to the guest terminal in a guest room; transmitting, from the guest terminal to the head end, data requesting playback of the program selected for recording based upon a selection of that program from the schedule as updated; playing back, at the head end, the program selected based upon the digital file representing the program selected; transmitting the program being played back to the guest terminal; and displaying the program at the guest terminal.