Patent ID: 7657916

Claim:
A digital home communication terminal (DHCT) comprising: a memory that stores executable instruction sequences; and a processor that executes the stored executable instruction sequences, the stored executable instruction sequences including: an electronic programming guide (EPG) application that provides user access to EPG information, the EPG application configured to generate for display an EPG comprising a grid of broadcast media content instance titles and a scheduled broadcast start time for each of the media content instance titles, the EPG application further configured to provide a base service comprising the media content instance titles corresponding to a first period and each respective scheduled broadcast start time, the EPG application further configured to provide an extended service that provides additional information in the EPG, the extended service dormant until activated in direct response to detection of a connected local storage device, the EPG information comprising the base service and the extended service; a dual mode file system that provides a common interface to both the local storage device and a remotely located storage device; wherein the EPG application further includes: instructions that are capable of determining whether a local storage device is physically connected and not physically connected to the DHCT; instructions that use the dual mode file system to retrieve the EPG information from the remotely located storage device in cooperation with a carousel-type server and store the EPG information in the memory, responsive to determining that the local storage device is not physically connected to the DHCT; and instructions that use the dual mode file system to retrieve the EPG information from the remotely located storage device in cooperation with the carousel-type server and store the EPG information in the local storage device, responsive to determining that the local storage device is physically connected to the DHCT.