Patent ID: 8578430

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by a device and from one or more of a set-top box (STB) or a user device, usage information associated with video content, the usage information being based on: an amount of video content provided to at least one of the STB or the user device during a first time period, and a type of video content provided to at least one of the STB or the user device during the first time period; calculating, by the device and based on the usage information, a customer-specific cost factor for a customer associated with one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device; assigning, by the device, the customer-specific cost factor to the customer; comparing, by the device, the customer-specific cost factor to a threshold; receiving, by the device and from one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device, a request for free video content at a second time period, the second time period being after the first time period; and performing, by the device, at least one of: providing reduced quality free video content to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device when the customer-specific cost factor exceeds the threshold, or blocking transmission of free high definition video content to one or more of the set-top box (STB) or the user device when the customer-specific cost factor exceeds the threshold.