Patent ID: 8275245

Claim:
A method for program content replacement of programs to be recorded and programs that have already been recorded on a video recorder including a computer and a computer readable storage media comprising: a) estimating, by a processor of the computer, a total size for scheduled recordings; b) comparing, by the processor of the computer, the total size of scheduled recordings to available space on the computer readable storage media; c) if the total size of the scheduled recordings is greater than the available space on the computer readable storage media, then i) examining, by the processor of the computer, a high quality recording in the readable storage media, to determine, by the processor of the computer, whether the high quality recording may be replaced by a lower quality recording based on stored preferences; ii) if the high quality recording may be replaced based on the stored preferences, examining, by the processor of the computer, a listing of future programs for lower quality versions of the program; and iii) if a lower quality version of the program is available, scheduling, by the processor of the computer, the lower quality version for recording; and deleting the higher quality broadcast recording when the lower quality version has been recorded; iv) calculating, by the processor of the computer, available space after replacement of the high quality recording with the lower quality version; v) comparing, by the processor of the computer, the total size of scheduled recordings to available space on the computer readable storage media; vi) repeating steps (c)(i) to (c)(vi) until all the high quality recordings have been examined, or the total size of the scheduled recordings is less than the available space.