Patent ID: 7739709

Claim:
A method for use in an interactive television program guide system in which television programs are recorded and played back on-demand by a remote media server for a number of users, the method comprising: providing a user with an opportunity to indicate at least one program for recording by the remote media server; providing the user with an opportunity to indicate a desire to access a directory of program listings associated with programs recorded by the remote media server, wherein the programs were recorded in response to the user indicating a desire to record the programs with the remote media server; providing the directory of program listings associated with the programs recorded by the remote media server in response to the user indicating the desire to access the directory of program listings; generating a record request in response to a user indicating a desire to record a program on-demand with the remote media server; consolidating multiple record requests for the program into a single job; and recording a single copy of the program for multiple users according to the single job.