Patent ID: 8904414

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving data at a video content gifting server, wherein the data indicates that a first set-top box device received a first request to stop playing video content; sending, from the video content gifting server to the first set-top box device, an option to gift the video content in response to receipt of the data when an elapsed viewing time exceeds a viewing time threshold and when the video content is identified as being associated with a gifting option that allows the video content to be purchased as a gift, wherein the elapsed viewing time is a time period from a first time corresponding to selection of the video content at the first set-top box device to a second time corresponding to receipt of the first request at the first set-top box device; receiving a second request at the video content gifting server from the first set-top box device, the second request indicating a selection to purchase the video content for a subscriber associated with a second set-top box device based on the option; sending notification information from the video content gifting server to the second set-top box device, the notification information indicating that the video content has been purchased for the subscriber via the first set-top box device; receiving viewing preferences data at the video content gifting server from the second set-top box device, the viewing preferences data indicating a time that the second set-top box device is to begin receiving the video content; and sending video content download data from the video content gifting server to a media library server based on the viewing preferences data, wherein the video content download data includes instructions to the media library server to begin sending the video content to the second set-top box device at the time that the second set-top box device is to begin receiving the video content.