Patent ID: 8856852

Claim:
A method of obtaining television content, the method comprising: providing a first serving node located at a premises of a first plurality of user devices registered to said first serving node, said first serving node having a plurality of television tuners, including an active television tuner for a channel being viewed on one of the plurality of user devices registered to said first serving node; providing a module in the first serving node configured to provide storing and forwarding of a video stream of content received by available tuners for viewing user devices, while allowing the recording of said content simultaneously; receiving, at said first serving node, a request for a specific channel from a registered user device; when any of said plurality of television tuners at said first serving node are receiving the requested channel then said first serving node storing television content associated with said requested television channel in small blocks for transmission to said requesting user device; when said television tuners for said first serving node are not receiving said requested channel then: said first serving node sending a request for said channel to a server, said request including a format for said content; said server determining a second serving node located at a premises of a second plurality of user devices registered to said second serving node, said second node having a plurality of television tuners, said second serving node receiving said requested channel, wherein said second serving node is determined by said server to be the closest available serving node receiving said television channel; said server facilitating handshaking between said first and second serving nodes; said second serving node transcoding and transrating a video stream corresponding to said requested channel for transmission to said first serving node; and said first serving node receiving said transcoded and transrated content and providing said content to said requesting user device; and when said first serving node has available bandwidth to transcode and transrate said content for said requesting user device, then said first serving node transcoding and transrating the content, and when the first serving node does not have available bandwidth to transcode and transrate said content, said second serving node transcoding and transrating the content for the requesting user device.