Patent ID: 8037501

Claim:
A method for distributing programming, the method comprising: transmitting a menu of entertainment programs over a public network for display on user computers in communication with the public network; determining which of the entertainment programs in the menu is identified as available for download to user computers in accordance with a subscription agreement; superimposing a notification symbol associated with each of the entertainment programs identified as available for download on the menu; receiving a request from one of the user computers over the public network to download a specified one of the entertainment programs identified as available for download, wherein the request specifies that the specified one of the entertainment programs is to be transmitted over a television-programming distribution system; and transmitting the specified one of the entertainment programs to a subscriber set-top box via the television-programming distribution system for downloading onto a storage medium in communication with the subscriber set-top box, wherein the public network and the television-programming distribution-system are different networks, wherein a user is permitted to rewind, fast-forward or pause playback of the transmitted specified one of the entertainment programs; transmitting a second notification signal with at least another of the entertainment programs to identify the at least another of the entertainment programs as part of an SVOD service; and receiving a request from a third of the user computers, over the public network to be given access to the specified one of the entertainment programs identified as available for download; wherein tile request specifies that the specified one of the entertainment programs is to be transmitted over the public network.