System and apparatus for enhancing delivery of media services

A set-top box, comprising:

• a controller element;
• and
• a memory that stores machine-readable instructions, coupled to the controller element, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the controller element, cause the controller element to facilitate performance of operations comprising:
• presenting, at a media device, a first satellite program of a plurality of satellite programs provided by equipment of a satellite service provider;
• receiving, during the presenting of the first satellite program, a first request from a cell phone for content information associated with the plurality of satellite programs and comprising information related to a second satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs;
• transmitting, responsive to the first request, to a media system that is separate from the equipment of the satellite service provider over a broadband Ethernet connection, a second request for the content information uploaded to the media system by satellite service providers, the second request causing the media system to submit a fee to the satellite service provider related to the content information;
• receiving, without interrupting the presenting of the first satellite program, the content information comprising information related to each satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs, over the broadband Ethernet connection;
• presenting the content information at the cell phone concurrently with the presenting of the first satellite program, wherein the content information comprises the information related to each satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs and is associated with the first satellite program presented to the media device, wherein the first satellite program is communicated via satellite signals independent of the broadband Ethernet connection;
• informing a digital video recorder operably coupled to the set-top box to record a second satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs provided by the equipment of the satellite service provider at a scheduled time in response to receiving a selection from the cell phone for the second satellite program, and wherein the selection is based on the content information;
• and
• buffering the first satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs in the digital video recorder while presenting the content information and wherein the content information is incorporated in an electronic programming guide,
• wherein the content information comprises video trailers for a group of satellite programs of the plurality of satellite programs that are associated with the equipment of the satellite service provider, and
• wherein the plurality of satellite programs are provided by the equipment of the satellite service provider as on-demand satellite delivered programming.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a system comprising a processor, from a satellite set-top box over a broadband Ethernet connection a first request for content information responsive to a second request from a cell phone for content information associated with media content provided by a multimedia satellite service, wherein the content information comprises information related to a second satellite program of a plurality of satellite programs, wherein the receiving of the first request occurs while the set-top box is presenting to a media device a first satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs received from equipment of a first service provider;
• transmitting, by the system, to the satellite set-top box, over the broadband Ethernet connection, the content information from the equipment of the first service provider associated with a satellite multimedia service for presentation on the cell phone without interrupting the presenting of the first satellite program, wherein the transmitting of the content information is responsive to the second request, and wherein the satellite set-top box receives the second satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs from the satellite multimedia service in response to a selection of the second satellite program for presentation on the media device based on the content information over a second port operably coupled to a satellite that transmits satellite signals from equipment of a second service provider disassociated with the broadband Ethernet connection and disassociated with the equipment of the first service provider;
• submitting, by the system, a fee to the first service provider associated with the satellite multimedia service, wherein the fee is related to the content information and the submitting of the fee is in response to the transmitting of the content information;
• and
• buffering, by the system, the first satellite program of the plurality of satellite programs in a digital video recorder operably coupled to the satellite set-top box while presenting the content information and wherein the content information is incorporated in an electronic programming guide;
• and
• determining, by the system, the fee, wherein the fee is related to supplying the content information over the broadband Ethernet connection, wherein the content information comprises video trailers for a group of satellite programs of a plurality of satellite programs that are associated with the multimedia satellite service, and
• wherein receiving the content information over the broadband Ethernet connection comprises using a digital subscriber line.