System and method for selecting a pay per view program to be transmitted to a program receiver

A method of selecting a pay per view program to be transmitted to a program receiver, the method comprising:

• a. obtaining a list of pay per view programs at the program receiver, each of the pay per view programs able to be transmitted at least one transmission time;
• b. generating a menu comprising at least one pay per view program, based on the list;
• c. providing the menu to a display device for display to a user;
• d. receiving from the user a selection of the pay per view program from the menu to be received by the program receiver;
• e. determining a potential transmission time of the pay per view program to be received by the program receiver;
• f. determining an availability status of a plurality of content delivery paths at a time prior to the potential transmission time, comprising:
• i. determining if one or more programs are scheduled to be recorded during the potential transmission time;
• ii. when one or more programs are scheduled to be recorded during the potential transmission time, determining if the plurality of content delivery paths can handle the selected pay per view programs in addition to the one or more programs scheduled to be recorded;
• iii. when the plurality of content delivery paths cannot handle more programs than the one or more programs scheduled to be recorded, setting the availability status of the plurality of content delivery paths to indicate that they are not available;
• iv. when the plurality of content delivery paths can handle more programs than the one or more programs scheduled to be recorded during the potential transmission time, at a second time period prior to the potential transmission time:
• (1) determining whether a user is utilizing a last available path of the plurality of content delivery paths;
• (2) when the user is utilizing the last available of the plurality of content delivery paths:
• (A). displaying a change channel request to begin access of the selected par per view program at the potential transmission time;
• (B). waiting a predetermined wait for response time for a response to the change channel request from the user;
• (C). when the response to the change channel request received from the user is positive, setting the availability status to indicate that it is available;
• (D). when the response to the change channel request received from the user is negative, setting the availability status to indicate that it is not available;
• and
• (E). when the response to the change channel request is not received from the user within the predetermined wait for response time for receiving the change channel request, setting the availability status to indicate that it is available;
• and
• (3) when the user is not utilizing the last of the plurality of content delivery paths, setting the availability status to indicate that it is available;
• and
• g. when the availability status indicates that it is available, requesting access to the pay per view program at the potential transmission time on an available one of the plurality of transmission channels.