Patent ID: 8705944

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a first digital video recorder device at a customer premises, a request to schedule a recording of media content and to schedule recordation of a backup recording of the media content, wherein the request is received prior to a scheduled start time associated with the media content; prior to the scheduled start time associated with the media content: determining, at the first digital video recorder device, availability of the first digital video recorder device to record the media content; sending a first recording request from the first digital video recorder device to a second digital video recorder device at the customer premises to schedule recordation of the recording based on determined availability of the first digital video recorder device to record the media content; and sending a second recording request from the first digital video recorder device to a third digital video recorder device to schedule recordation of the backup recording based on determined availability of the first digital video recorder device to record the media content; and automatically deleting, via the first digital video recorder device, the backup recording upon verification that the recording is successfully completed.