Patent ID: 7614069

Claim:
A method for providing a multi-device distributed digital video recording system, comprising: broadcasting a request from a requesting digital video recorder (DVR) to a plurality of networked DVRs seeking resources of a dormant DVR; receiving a response to the request from at least one dormant DVR in the plurality of networked DVRs indicating availability of resources; selecting a granting DVR from the at least one dormant DVR with available resources; establishing a session between said requesting DVR and said granting DVR; providing resources of said granting DVR for use by said requesting DVR; requesting by the requesting DVR that said granting DVR tune to a particular channel and record designated content from said particular channel to store said designated content at said granting DVR for use by said requesting DVR; and when the granting DVR does not have access to the particular channel, receiving an indication that the granting DVR does not have access to the particular channel; and requesting access to the particular channel by the requesting DVR on behalf of the granting DVR, whereby designated content from said particular channel is recorded by the granting DVR.