Alternate method of showing commercials using personal video recorders

A video system, comprising:

• a personal video recorder including user input controls which permit a user to control the operation of the personal video recorder;
• a television monitor coupled to said personal video recorder;
• and
• a network connection coupled to said processor;
• wherein said personal video recorder plays back previously recorded programming on said television monitor, said previously recorded programming includes a main program and commercial content, said commercial content includes a commercial identifier, a standard commercial portion and a web page identifier, and wherein a user can select whether the personal video recorder is to show the standard commercial portion or an alternate commercial portion on the television monitor.

A personal video recorder, comprising:

• a processor;
• user controls coupled to said processor;
• a video output interface coupled to said processor;
• a video input interface coupled to processor;
• wherein said processor coordinates recording of video information provided over said video input interface, said recorded video information including main program information and commercials, and during playback of said recorded video information said processor plays commercials concurrently with the main program information or ceases playing the main program information to play the commercials.

A method for showing commercial content while showing main program information, comprising;

• (a) recording a broadcast video stream comprising main program information and commercial content, said commercial content including a commercial identifier value;
• (b) playing back said recorded broadcast stream on a television screen;
• and
• (c) while playing back said recorded broadcast stream, examining the recorded stream for commercial identifier values.

A video system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a video input interface coupled to said processor and through which a broadcast stream is received, said broadcast stream including programs and commercials;
• and
• a memory device coupled to said processor and in which at least a portion of said broadcast stream is stored;
• a video output interface coupled to said processor to provide a video signal to a video monitor;
• wherein said processor generates said video signal to show a commercial concurrently with a program on the monitor, and wherein the program and commercial are shown on the monitor delayed in time with respect to the broadcast stream received at the input interface.

A video device, comprising:

• a processor;
• a video output interface coupled to said processor;
• and
• a video input interface coupled to said processor, through which a broadcast stream comprising commercials and programming is received;
• wherein said processor concurrently plays said commercials and said programming through said video output interface.

A video device comprising:

• a processor;
• a video output interface coupled to said processor;
• and
• memory coupled to said processor;
• wherein said processor coordinates the transfer of video information including a commercial and programming to said video output interface to be shown on a video monitor coupled to said output interface and wherein said commercial and said programming are shown concurrently.