Patent ID: 7017120

Claim:
A method for creating and playing a customized program while connected to a data communications network, comprising: a) storing media references in a storage means connected to said data communications network, each media reference providing descriptive information and an address to locate corresponding media content on media servers connected to said data communications network, said media servers comprising: means to store archived media segments each having predetermined durations and received through a media stream which for a user can be started at an arbitrary offset from the beginning of one of the archived media segments and said media stream can be paused and resumed as desired by said user, and/or means to produce a continuously-playing live broadcast media stream that is simultaneously broadcast to any number of users and therefore cannot be paused or controlled by individual users, b) providing means for a plurality of users to create and store their own customized programs, including: means for each user connected to said data communications network to examine the media references stored in said media reference storage means, means for each user to build and store onto a shared schedule server their own customized program by selecting the media references for the desired archived media segments and live broadcast media streams, and by specifying a start time or sequence position for each desired archived media segment and/or live broadcast media stream and a maximum play duration for each desired archived media segment and/or live broadcast media stream, c) providing means for receiving and playing a plurality of media streams, including: means to enable said users to uniquely identify themselves to said shared schedule server, means for said shared schedule server to select each said uniquely identified user's said stored customized program, means to receive and play the media streams for each said user, according to said selected stored customized program, means to interrupt the playing of a first media stream with a second media stream if said second media stream is scheduled to start before the playing of said first media stream has completed, and means to automatically resume playing said interrupted first media stream when the playing of said interrupting second media stream is completed, whereby each said user's customized program can include predetermined start times and maximum play durations of both the continuously-playing live broadcast streaming media and the archived media segments, so that the receiving of the customized program can be entirely automatic and not require manual intervention to start, stop, or resume any type of media, and whereby said users can access their customized programs and immediately receive and simultaneously play their corresponding media streams using any media stream receiving and playing means connected to said data communications network without the need for advance downloads of media content.