Real-time DVR programming

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

• receiving, from a device, a request to add media content to a recording device;
• in response to receiving the request, generating, by a server, an electronic communication that causes the recording device to add the media content;
• transmitting, by the server, the electronic communication to the recording device, by opening an authorized connection between the server and the recording device;
• in response to the opening of the authorized connection and after a specified length of time from the sending of the electronic communication, determining at the server, whether a notification was received during the specified length of time, wherein the notification indicates the media content has been added to the recording device;
• and
• responsive to determining the notification was not received during the specified length of time, resending, by the server, the electronic communication to the recording device.

A system comprising:

• a receiving module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that receives at a device, a command to add multimedia content to record on a recording device;
• an electronic communication generation module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that generates, by the device, an electronic communication for delivery to the recording device, the electronic communication containing data that causes the recording device to add the multimedia content;
• a sending module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that sends, by the device, the electronic communication for delivery to the recording device via an server to open a connection between the device and the server, the electronic communication including credentials of the device for authorization to the server;
• and
• a determination module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that after a specified length of time from the sending of the electronic communication, determines, by the device, whether a notification message was received from the recording device during the specified length of time, the notification message indicating whether the recording device has received the electronic communication to add the multimedia content, and responsive to determining the notification message was not received during the specified length of time, resending the electronic communication.