Patent ID: 7676590

Claim:
A computer implemented method comprising: maintaining, by a source device, in a transcode database, media status information that identifies: media content to be synchronized to a target playback device during a next connection between the source device and the media playback device; and device capability information regarding the target playback device; while the target playback device is not connected to the source device, according to the media status information, anticipating, by the source device, a need to transcode media content for future download to the target playback device; in response to the anticipating, the source device transcoding the media content on the source device before the target playback device is connected to the source device, wherein the transcoding comprises: evaluating, by the source device, the device capability information stored in the transcode database to determine a media file format that the target playback device is capable of playing back; transcoding the media content according to the device capability information, to generate transcoded media content in the media file format that the target playback device is capable of playing back; and storing the transcoded media content in a transcode cache; and while the target device is connected to the source device, according to the media status information, determining, by the source device, which media content is to be copied to the target playback device and whether or not the media content has been transcoded and stored in the transcode cache; in an event that the media content has been transcoded and stored in the transcode cache, immediately transferring, by the source device, the media content to the target playback device; in an event that the media content has not been transcoded and stored in the transcode cache, prioritizing, by the source device, a task of transcoding the media content to be copied to the target playback device above other transcoding tasks, wherein: the source device is implemented as a personal computer; the target playback device is implemented as a portable media player; the media status information includes rules set up by a user to indicate which media content on the source device to be copied to the target playback device, the rules being entered by the user through a media player application on the source device; and the media status information is maintained in the transcode database, located at the source device, while the target playback device is not connected to the source device.