Patent ID: 7240359

Claim:
A method for distributing programming, the method comprising: transmitting, by a content provider, a first set of programs in real time according to a schedule of programming; storing a second set of programs on a server located on a set-top box local to a user, at least one of the first set of programs having a counterpart in the second set of programs, wherein the counterpart in the second set of programs is substantially identical to the at least one of the first set of programs and is stored on the server at a substantially different time than the at least one of the first set of programs is transmitted; identifying when the user has tuned to a particular broadcast program having the counterpart in the second set of programs; transmitting a signal causing a notification symbol to be superimposed on the particular broadcast program to distinguish the particular broadcast program from other broadcast programs not on the server; and playing the identified counterpart from the server from its beginning and under the control of the user.