Recording multi-stream interactive television

A personal video recorder (PVR) comprising:

• a processor for executing computer-executable instructions;
• and
• memory storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method of recording multi-stream interactive television content, said method comprising:
• determining a service configuration of an interactive television feature, said interactive television feature providing a gateway program on a gateway channel for accessing a plurality of different interactive television events which are to be broadcast across a plurality of channels, said service configuration describing interrelationships between said interactive television events and indicating that said interactive television events are accessible only through said gateway program on said gateway channel, said gateway program providing necessary signaling which is required by said interactive television events to operate when a user navigates to said interactive television events from said gateway channel of said interactive television feature;
• obtaining data describing said service configuration comprising information describing data streams of each different channel that broadcasts an interactive television event accessible through said gateway channel of said interactive television feature;
• displaying a PVR user interface comprising an interactive listing of selectable unrecorded interactive television events accessible through said gateway channel of said interactive television feature which are available for recording;
• receiving a user selection from said interactive listing indicating that multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events are to be recorded and that one or more simultaneously occurring interactive television events are excluded from recording;
• configuring said PVR to record said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events based on said user selection and said service configuration by:
• identifying data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which are to be recorded,
• identifying links among said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which are to be recorded, and
• identifying links between said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which are to be recorded and data streams of said one or more simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were excluded from recording;
• recording said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events by:
• storing, in a content storage device, said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events when broadcast on different channels of said plurality of channels, and
• emulating, by said recording device, necessary signaling provided by said gateway program during said recording of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events for enabling each of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events to operate without being accessed from said gateway program on said gateway channel;
• and
• displaying a recorded interactive television event selected by the user from said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were recorded by:
• retrieving, from said content storage device, data streams of said recorded interactive television event,
• allowing, during playback of said recorded interactive television event, interaction of interactive elements of said recorded interactive television event with interactive elements of other recorded interactive television events which occurred simultaneously with said recorded interactive television event based on said links identified among said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were recorded, and
• preventing, during said playback of said recorded interactive television event, interaction of interactive elements of said recorded interactive television event with interactive elements of unrecorded interactive television events which occurred simultaneously with said recorded interactive television event based on said links identified between said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were recorded and said data streams of said one or more simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were excluded from recording.

A computer-readable storage medium that does not consist of a signal, said computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to perform steps comprising:

• determining a service configuration of an interactive television feature, said interactive television feature providing a gateway program on a gateway channel for accessing a plurality of different interactive television events which are to be broadcast across a plurality of channels, said service configuration describing interrelationships between said interactive television events and indicating that said interactive television events are accessible only through said gateway program on said gateway channel, said gateway program providing necessary signaling which is required by said interactive television events to operate when a user navigates to said interactive television events from said gateway channel of said interactive television feature;
• obtaining data describing said service configuration comprising information describing data streams of each different channel that broadcasts an interactive television event accessible through said gateway channel of said interactive television feature;
• displaying a user interface for a recording device, said user interface comprising an interactive listing of selectable unrecorded interactive television events accessible through said gateway channel of said interactive television feature which are available for recording;
• receiving a user selection from said interactive listing indicating that multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events are to be recorded and that one or more simultaneously occurring interactive television events are excluded from recording;
• configuring said recording device to record said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events based on said user selection and said service configuration by:
• identifying data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which are to be recorded,
• identifying links among said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which are to be recorded, and
• identifying links between said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which are to be recorded and data streams of said one or more simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were excluded from recording;
• recording said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events by:
• storing, in a content storage device, said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events when broadcast on different channels of said plurality of channels, and
• emulating, by said recording device, necessary signaling provided by said gateway program during said recording of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events for enabling each of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events to operate without being accessed from said gateway program on said gateway channel;
• and
• displaying a recorded interactive television event selected by the user from said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were recorded by:
• retrieving, from said content storage device, data streams of said recorded interactive television event,
• allowing, during playback of said recorded interactive television event, interaction of interactive elements of said recorded interactive television event with interactive elements of other recorded interactive television events which occurred simultaneously with said recorded interactive television event based on said links identified among said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were recorded, and
• preventing, during said playback of said recorded interactive television event, interaction of interactive elements of said recorded interactive television event with interactive elements of unrecorded interactive television events which occurred simultaneously with said recorded interactive television event based on said links identified between said data streams of said multiple simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were recorded and said data streams of said one or more simultaneously occurring interactive television events which were excluded from recording.