Patent ID: 7962944

Claim:
A method for providing multimedia presentations on demand in a near on demand environment, comprising: a) providing beginning segments for pre-recording by subscribers where each beginning segment corresponds to ones of a plurality of multimedia presentations, each beginning segment having a duration at least as long as a predetermined time interval; b) transmitting each one of said plurality of multimedia presentations concurrently on a plurality of channels with identical presentations transmitted on a different channel of said plurality of channels, and with a start time of each transmission having a periodic interval not exceeding said predetermined time interval, c) responding to a subscriber request for performance of a selected one of said plurality of multimedia presentations by providing said subscriber an authorization to commence playback of one of said beginning segments corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of multimedia presentations, said authorization comprises at least one of an authorization to commence recording said selected one of said plurality of multimedia presentations for which broadcast has already begun, and to commence playback of said corresponding one of said beginning segments, and preventing playback of said recording of said selected one of said plurality of multimedia presentations upon completion of said presentation.