Patent ID: 8584178

Claim:
A system comprising: a persistent storage set-top box that is located on a residential network and that is configured to receive media content events from a program distributor; and a non-persistent storage set-top box that is located on the residential network, that is remote from the persistent storage set-top box, and that is configured to: receive an indication of a media content event provided by a program distributor; cause the persistent storage set-top box to receive and record the media content event from the program distributor, by: receiving video program data representing the media content event from the program distributor; and transmitting the received video program data to the persistent storage set-top box; facilitate on-demand viewing of the media content event recorded on the persistent storage set-top box, by receiving a request to view the media content event, obtaining video program data representing the media content event from the persistent storage set-top box, and outputting the obtained video program data representing the media content event for presentation on a presentation device; determine whether a remote persistent storage device is configured to receive the media content event from the program distributor without being first received by the non-persistent storage set-top box; and when it is determined that the remote persistent storage device is configured to receive the media content event from the program distributor without being first received by the non-persistent storage set-top box, instructing the remote persistent storage device to receive the media content event from the program distributor, otherwise forwarding the media content event from the non-persistent storage set-top box to the remote persistent storage device.