Patent ID: 7716705

Claim:
A method for programming a digital video recorder (DVR) associated with a subscriber account over a scheduling network comprising: providing program schedule information to a scheduling client associated with a subscriber via the scheduling network; receiving a request to record a program selection on the DVR from the scheduling client via the scheduling network; receiving subscriber account data of the subscriber account associated with the subscriber; using the subscriber account data to make a determination whether the subscriber account is entitled to receive the program selection; when the subscriber account is entitled to receive the program selection, then acquiring state information indicative of the state of the DVR from a DVR datastore and acquiring state information indicative of a state of each component of a program provisioning system from a program provisioning system datastore, wherein the DVR datastore and the program provisioning system datastore are remote from the DVR and wherein the program provisioning system comprises a program source and a network path between the program source and the DVR; using the DVR state information acquired from the DVR datastore to make a first determination at a time the request is received whether the state of the DVR precludes recording of the program selection at the DVR, wherein the first determination is made remotely from the DVR by a state evaluator; using the program provisioning system state information acquired from the program provisioning system datastore to make a second determination at the time the request is received whether the state of a component of the program provisioning system precludes delivery of the program selection to the DVR via the program provisioning system, wherein the second determination is made remotely from the DVR by a state evaluator; denying the request when the first determination is that the recording of the program selection is precluded by the state of the DVR, wherein the denial of the request is made by a scheduling server; and denying the request when the second determination is that the delivery of the program is precluded by the state of any one component of the program provisioning system wherein the denial of the request is made by the scheduling server.