Patent ID: 8495689

Claim:
A method of delivering video content over a network in communication with a subscriber having an associated electronic device, said method comprising the steps of: delivering a plurality of staggered streams of first video content over said network, each of said streams having a first length; pushing a segment of said first video content onto said electronic device, said pushed segment having a second length which is less than said first length; receiving a first request for said first video content at said electronic device; retrieving said pushed segment from said electronic device and displaying said pushed segment content to said subscriber; locating one of said staggered streams delivered over said network; and recording said one of said staggered streams on said electronic device; in response to the subscriber stopping watching the video content prior to reaching an end of the video content, determining whether sufficient bandwidth to the subscriber exists to continue recording the video content; in response to determining that sufficient bandwidth exists, continuing to record on said electronic device a second segment of a remainder of the video content from said one of said staggered streams, the second segment of the remainder of the video content being sufficient to allow resumption of a multicast stream in the future; and in response to determining that insufficient bandwidth exists, pushing the second segment of the remainder of the video content from a trickle server to the electronic device.