Network based digital information and entertainment storage and delivery system

A system for providing program content to a terminal through a communications network, the system comprising:

• a first interface for receiving content of an in-progress program from a source via broadcast, the in-progress program content comprising, at least in part, I-frames defining the program content, each I-frame being identified by a respective I-frame identifier;
• a memory for storing the in-progress program content during the broadcast of the in-progress program content according to a broadcast schedule, the stored in-progress program content comprising, at least in part, the I-frames defining the program content;
• the memory further storing, during the broadcast of the in-progress program content according to the broadcast schedule, separate from the recorded program content, at least one file based on the content of the in-progress program content for manipulating recorded program content during at least the broadcast of the program content according to the broadcast schedule, the at least one file comprising an array of selected I-frame identifiers identifying respective I-frames of the recorded program content without the respective I-frames, wherein the selected I-frame identifiers identify fewer than all of the I-frames of the recorded program content;
• a mechanism for providing first signals containing the in-progress program content onto the communications network, the terminal in response to the first signals helping recover the in-progress program content in perceivable form;
• a second interface for receiving from the terminal through the communications network a request for performing an action on the stored in-progress program content at least during the broadcast of the in-progress program content;
• and
• a control unit responsive to the request for providing second signals containing at least part of the stored in-progress program content to the terminal through the communications network to realize the action on the stored in-progress program content based, at least in part, on at least one of the at least one files.

A method for delivering, through a communications network, program content to a terminal at a user location, the method comprising:

• recording the program content at a location remote from the user location during a broadcast of the program content according to a broadcast schedule, the recorded program content comprising, at least in part, I-frames defining the program content, each I-frame being identified by a respective I-frame identifier;
• creating, at least in part during the broadcast of the program content according to the broadcast schedule, at least one file separate from the recorded program content, the at least one file comprising an array of selected I-frame identifiers identifying respective I-frames of the recorded program content without the respective I-frames, for manipulating recorded program content, wherein the selected I-frame identifiers identify fewer than all of the I-frames of the recorded program content;
• storing the at least one file separate from the recorded program content;
• delivering, through the communications network, the program content to the terminal according to the broadcast schedule;
• receiving, from the terminal, a request for performing an action on the recorded program content at least during the broadcast of the program content;
• in response to the request, manipulating the recorded program content to meet the request based, at least in part, on at least one of the at least one files.

A method for providing program content to a terminal through a communications network, the method comprising:

• receiving content of an in-progress program, the in-progress program content comprising, at least in part, I-frames defining the program content, each I-frame being identified by a respective I-frame identifier;
• storing the in-progress program content during a broadcast of the in-progress program content according to a broadcast schedule, wherein the stored in-progress program content comprises, at least in part, the I-frames defining the program content;
• storing, during the broadcast of the in-progress program content according to the broadcast schedule, separate from the recorded program content, at least one file based on the content of the in-progress program content for manipulating recorded program content during at least the broadcast of the program content according to the broadcast schedule, the at least one file comprising an array of selected I-frame identifiers identifying respective I-frames of the recorded program content without the respective I-frames, wherein the selected I-frame identifiers identify fewer than all of the I-frames of the recorded program content;
• providing first signals containing the in-progress program content onto the communications network, the terminal in response to the first signals helping recover the in-progress program content in perceivable form;
• receiving from the terminal through the communications network a request for performing an action on the stored in-progress program content at least during the broadcast of the in-progress program content;
• in response to the request, providing second signals containing at least part of the stored in-progress program content to the terminal through the communications network to realize the action on the stored in-progress program content, based, at least in part, on the at least one file.