Patent ID: 8156523

Claim:
A first broadcast receiver for sharing a television (TV) program among EPG based clients, the first broadcast receiver comprising: a storage configured to store electronic program guide (EPG) information and programs requested by the clients according to a user input, client requested program information is stored in the storage; a user interface configured to receive a request of a program from a user input; and a controller configured to search the EPG information stored in the storage for a requested program and directly receive the requested program from a content provider through a front channel network based on the existence of EPG information of the requested program in the storage that indicates the requested program may be received, and wherein, when the EPG information of the requested program does not exist in the storage this indicates that the requested program has been broadcasted, and the controller is configured to control a request for program record information of the requested program to a shared program management center through a back channel network, receive the program record information that indicates a second broadcast receiver of the EPG clients that stores the requested program from the shared program management center through the back channel network, and receive the requested program from the second broadcast receiver based on the program record information through the back channel network.