Patent ID: 7950040

Claim:
A system for distributing programming, the system comprising: a program server located remotely from a user and configured to: store a first set of programs; and play one or more of the stored first set of programs under control of the user; a subscriber server located remotely from a user and configured to transmit a second set of programs in real time according to a schedule of programming, at least one of the second set of programs having a counterpart in the first set of programs, wherein the counterpart in the first set of programs is substantially identical to the at least one of the second set of programs; a subscriber management system located remotely from a user, in communication with the program server and subscriber server, and configured to: determine that the user has tuned to a particular broadcast program; transmit a first signal causing a notification symbol to be superimposed on the particular broadcast program indicating the particular broadcast program has a counterpart in the first set of programs, distinguished from other broadcast programs not available to be played under control of the user from the program server; and transmit a second signal to the program server to permit the user to control the play of at least a part of the identified counterpart program from the program server.