Patent ID: 8768143

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving at least two programming event recording requests for at least two programming events at a programming recorder, wherein the at least two programming event recording requests each include a request to record a programming event via a first communication path; receiving first information regarding the at least two programming events at the programming recorder, the first information comprising broadcast schedule data for a broadcast of each of the at least two programming events via the first communication path; determining that a conflict does not exist between the at least two programming events based on the first information utilizing the programming recorder by executing software; scheduling the at least two programming events to record via the first communication path in accordance with the at least two programming event recording requests by the programming recorder; receiving second information regarding the at least two programming events at the programming recorder after scheduling the at least two programming events to record at the programming recorder, wherein the second information regarding the programming events is received prior to the commencement of such at least two programming events, and wherein the second information comprises updated broadcast schedule data for the broadcast of each of the at least two programming events via the first communication path; detecting that a conflict exists between the at least two programming event recording requests, utilizing the programming recorder by executing software, based on the received second information; creating a ranked list of alternative sources, utilizing the programming recorder by executing software, for at least a first programming event recording request of the at least two programming event recording requests, and wherein the alternative sources comprise an alternative time to record the programming event via the first communication path or an alternative communication path to record the programming event; and resolving the conflict, utilizing the programming recorder by executing software, by fulfilling the first programming event recording request utilizing an alternative source from the ranked list of alternative sources.