Patent ID: 8640159

Claim:
A method, comprising: sending a request for a channel from an electronic device in a switched broadcast video distribution system; allocating bandwidth in a switch of the switched broadcast video distribution system to deliver a program to the electronic device on the channel; switching the switch from amongst a pool of channels to deliver the channel; retrieving a graphical user interface from memory of the electronic device; receiving a selection of a user in a field of the graphical user interface that defines a numerical duration of a user-configurable timer for allocating the bandwidth to the channel; beginning counting down the user-configurable timer from the numerical duration when the channel is received at the electronic device; receiving the bandwidth allocated to the channel at the electronic device; determining the timer is near expiration before the program ends; and when the timer is near expiration, three options are available consisting of: a first option that generates a visual prompt to reset the timer, and the first option terminating the bandwidth within a predetermined time when no response to the visual prompt is received; a second option that terminates the bandwidth at the expiration of the timer, regardless of whether the program has ended; and a third option that continues allocating the bandwidth after expiration of the timer until the program ends; and adopting one of the three options in response to the timer nearing the expiration, the one of the three options selected from the three options.