Methods and apparatus for client aggregation of television programming in a networked personal video recording system

A personal video recording (“PVR”) system comprising:

• at least a first PVR media server comprising:
• input for receiving a plurality of television signals;
• a plurality of tuners for tuning each of said television signals;
• a storage medium for buffering said television signals, the first PVR media server configured for maintaining a write position for said buffering;
• a home-based network comprising one or more PVR media servers;
• and
• a plurality of clients, coupled over said home-based network to said first PVR media server, the first PVR media server configured:
• for generating a request from a requesting client for a list of television programming from each of said PVR media servers on said home-based network,
• for receiving, from each PVR media server, a list of television programming available through said respective PVR media servers, each PVR media server configured for presenting live broadcast content and prerecorded content;
• and
• for aggregating, at said requesting client, a list of content available from a plurality of distributed locations within said PVR system, the plurality of distributed locations comprising separate content that is tuned by using more than one tuner of the plurality of tuners within the PVR system, the list comprising the live broadcast content and the prerecorded content available for presentation at the requesting client via each PVR media server within the home-based network;
• and
• for presenting the aggregated list of content by using the requesting client.