Patent ID: 8429701

Claim:
A multimedia storage device comprising: a memory storing computer instructions; and a controller communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising: receiving a command from a requesting device to record video content related to a television program; determining at the multimedia storage device that the video content related to the television program is scheduled to be broadcast to the multimedia storage device during a peak viewing period; sending an indication signal to a pre-load server responsive to determining that the broadcast is scheduled during the peak viewing period; receiving and storing at the multimedia storage device the video content related to the television program at a time prior to the peak viewing period; receiving from the requesting device, a request to send the video content related to the television program from the multimedia storage device to a second device at a request time; sending a denial of access indicator to a second device, responsive to the request time preceding a scheduled broadcast time of the video content related to the television program; and causing the received video content to be sent to the second device on or after the scheduled broadcast time, responsive to the request time not preceding the scheduled broadcast time.