Patent ID: 7861262

Claim:
A non-transitory system comprising: a set-top box device comprising: a communication interface having two way communication capability; and an electronic programming guide (EPG) operating on said set-top box device; and a digital video recorder device comprising: a communication interface having two way communication capability that is coupled to said communication interface of said set-top box device, wherein said digital video recorder device is configured to transmit a request for said EPG to said set-top box device via said communication interfaces, wherein said set-top box device is configured to transmit said EPG to said digital video recorder device via said communication interfaces, and wherein said set-top box device is configured to stop transmitting said EPG to said digital video recorder device when said EPG is not being utilized with said digital video recorder device; and a recording control command that causes said digital video recorder device to record, wherein said set-top box device is a first distinct device and said digital video recorder device is a second distinct device; wherein after said set-top box device is communicatively coupled to said digital video recorder device, said set-top box device is configured to transmit a request signal to said digital video recorder device for said recording control command of said digital video recorder device; wherein after receiving said request signal, said digital video recorder device is configured to transmit to said set-top box device said recording control command of said digital video recorder device; wherein said set-top box is configured to receive said recording control command from said digital video recorder device, wherein said recording control command equips said set-top box device with the ability to control the recording functionality of said digital video recorder device, wherein said set-top box device is configured to use said recording control command to determine if a recording programming instruction for said digital video recorder device has been entered into said set-top box device via said EPG; wherein after said recording programming instruction is entered, said set-top box is configured to transmit said recording programming instruction to said digital video recorder device to record, wherein said digital video recorder device is configured to transmit an acknowledge signal to said set-top box device after said recording programming instruction is added to a task list of said digital video recorder device.