Patent ID: 8528024

Claim:
A method for acquiring scheduled broadcast content with coinciding program times using a digital recording device, comprising: (a) receiving a selection from a user of broadcast content to record from a user guide; (b) responsive to receiving a selection, determining that a conflict between two or more programs of scheduled broadcast content exists resulting in a conflict in acquiring the scheduled broadcast content, wherein determining that the conflict exists comprises: determining whether the program times of the scheduled broadcast content overlap in time; and if the programs times of the scheduled broadcast content overlap in time, determining whether each of the scheduled broadcast content may be acquired at a program time of each program of the scheduled broadcast content; (c) identifying at least one broadcast television source and at least one or more alternate sources other than broadcast television that contain the scheduled broadcast content, wherein the at least one or more alternate sources identified comprise one of the following: a digital download, streaming media or a digital recorder; (d) generating possible acquisition schedules for recording at least one instance of each of the two or more programs the scheduled broadcast content, wherein the possible acquisition schedules each include recording one program from at least one alternate source identified in step (c) including combining the at least one or more alternate sources identified in step (c) into multiple possible acquisition schedules, and ranking the possible acquisition schedules; wherein generating possible acquisition schedules in step (d) is based in part on, if present: recording preferences if the recording preferences are set by the user or prior actions if the prior actions are performed by the user; (e) if the user selects one or more of possible acquisition schedules, setting a recording schedule of the digital recording device to the possible acquisition schedule selected by the user; (f) if the user does not select the possible acquisition schedules, setting the recording schedule of the digital recording device to a highest ranked possible acquisition schedule; and (g) recording at least one program of scheduled broadcast content and obtaining at least one program of the scheduled broadcast content from an alternate source other than broadcast television based on one of the possible acquisition schedules generated in step (d).