Patent ID: 8528015

Claim:
A method for using a network of set-top boxes, the method comprising: receiving a request to record a future broadcast of a program in a first set-top box, wherein said first set-top box includes a first storage device, wherein said first set-top box is coupled, over said network, to a second set-top box, and wherein the second set-top box includes a second storage device; in response to receiving the request to record the future broadcast of the program, querying said network, with said first set-top box, to determine whether a past broadcast of said program has previously been recorded in said second storage device included in said second set-top box, wherein the past broadcast of the program is an earlier instance of the program transmitted from a source to the second set-top box during a timeslot different from a timeslot during which a later instance of the future broadcast of the program is transmitted from the source to the first set-top box; when said query indicates that the past broadcast of said program is stored in said second storage device, accessing said program stored on said second storage device over said network with said first set-top box in response to receiving said recording request; and otherwise, using at least one of said first and said second storage devices in response to receiving said recording request.