Patent ID: 8904456

Claim:
A system for delivering real-time media content over a communications network, comprising: one or more dedicated servers for temporarily caching data packets of real-time media content for one or more media content programs and for providing tracking information for said data packets; a control center for storing identification information for said one or more dedicated servers; and a plurality of receiving devices each adapted to: (i) receive said tracking information from said one or more dedicated servers and other of said plurality of receiving devices; (ii) push without request said tracking information to said other of said plurality of receiving devices; and (iii) request and download said cached data packets over the communications network for a requested media content program from (a) said one or more dedicated servers, and (b) at least one other of said plurality of receiving devices, based on at least two of: said identification information obtained from said control center; said tracking information obtained from said one or more dedicated servers; and said tracking information obtained from said other of said plurality of receiving devices; wherein: at least a portion of said receiving devices are configured to share resources via the communications network, enabling a download of said data packets by one receiving device from another receiving device; a first receiving device is downloading data packets for a first media content program; and said first receiving device is enabled to switch to a second media content program by requesting and downloading data packets for said second media content program from at least one other of said receiving devices currently downloading or caching data packets for said second media content program.