Patent ID: 7992179

Claim:
An electronic device for receiving a pay per view program, the device comprising: a port capable of connecting to a broadcast stream to receive programming from a content provider; a storage device capable of storing at least one program received from the content provider; a media interface capable of connecting to a media device; a receiver capable of receiving input from a user; and a controller in communication with the port, the media interface, the receiver, and the storage device, the controller having instructions executable to: obtain a list of available pay per view programs, each of the pay per view programs being able to be transmitted at least one transmission time; generate a menu comprising an indication of at least one pay per view program, based on the list; provide the menu to the media device through the media interface for presentation to a user; receive, through the receiver, a selection of the pay per view program from the menu to be received by the device; determine a potential transmission time of the pay per view program to be received based on the at least one transmission time associated with the program; determine if an availability status of a content delivery path indicates that it is available at the potential transmission time; when the availability status of the content delivery path indicates that it is not available at the potential transmission time, redetermine the availability status based on another of the at least one transmission times until the availability status indicates that the content delivery path is available or the availability status has been determined to indicate that the content delivery path is not available for all of the at least one transmission times; when the availability status of the content delivery path indicates that it is available, request access to the pay per view program at the potential transmission time; and wherein in order to determine if an availability status indicates that it is available at a potential transmission time, the processor executes instructions to: determine if a program is scheduled to be recorded during the potential transmission time; when a program is scheduled to be recorded during the potential transmission time, set the availability status to indicate unavailability; when no programs are scheduled to be recorded during the potential transmission time, at a time period prior to the potential transmission time: (1) send a change channel request to change to the associated transmission channel for the potential transmission time to the media device through the media interface; (2) wait for a response from the input interface for an amount of time; (3) if the response received is positive, set the availability status to indicate that it is available; (4) if the response received is negative, set the availability status to indicate that it is not available; and (5) if the response is not received within the amount of time, set the availability status to indicate that it is available.