Patent ID: 8286207

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving selection of (1) a first program from a first program source, (2) a second program from a second program source, (3) a first program processing function for the first program, and (4) a second program processing function for the second program; synchronizing, prior to initiating the first program processing function, (1) a first running elapsed scheduling time clock that provides a current running elapsed time of day indicating an amount of time that has already elapsed and used for determining when a scheduled start time in the future occurs for the first program processing function, to (2) a current running elapsed time of day indicating an amount of time that has already elapsed at the first program source; comparing the synchronized first running elapsed scheduling time clock to the scheduled start time for the first program processing function, as time indicated by the synchronized first running elapsed scheduling time clock gets closer to the scheduled start time for the first program processing function, in order to determine when to initiate the first program processing function; initiating the first program processing function based on the comparing of the synchronized first running elapsed scheduling time clock and the scheduled start time for the first program processing function; synchronizing, prior to initiating the second program processing function, (1) a second running elapsed scheduling time clock that provides a current running elapsed time of day indicating an amount of time that has already elapsed and used for determining when a scheduled start time in the future occurs for the second program processing function, to (2) a current running elapsed time of day indicating an amount of time that has already elapsed at the second program source; comparing the synchronized second running elapsed scheduling time clock to the scheduled start time for the second program processing function, as time indicated by the synchronized second running elapsed scheduling time clock gets closer to the scheduled start time for the second program processing function, in order to determine when to initiate the second program processing function; and initiating the second program processing function based on the comparing of the synchronized second running elapsed scheduling time clock and the scheduled start time for the second program processing function.