System and method of proactively recording to a digital video recorder for data analysis

A set-top box device, comprising:

• a memory storing computer instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
• determining whether the set-top box device has available data analysis content storage space, wherein the data analysis content storage space comprises a portion of a memory of the set-top box reserved for use by a television network for data analysis;
• receiving, responsive to determining that the set-top box has available data analysis content storage space, a content item from the television network;
• determining a search term related to a user of the set-top box;
• searching metadata associated with the content item to determine if the metadata matches the search term, wherein responsive to the metadata not matching the search term, determining if the metadata is relevant to the search term;
• searching for content information in a real time stream of the content item for an instance matching the search term, responsive to determining that the metadata does not match the search term;
• creating an index of the content information according to the instance matching the search term;
• transmitting the index of the content information to an analyzer module of the television network;
• and
• determining if the content item is of interest to a personalization profile associated with the set-top box.

A method, comprising:

• selecting, by a system comprising a processor, a content item based upon metadata information associated with the content item;
• determining whether a first set-top box, coupled to a television network, has available data analysis content storage space, wherein the data analysis content storage space comprises a portion of storage of a digital video recorder of the first set-top box reserved for use by the television network for data analysis;
• sending, by the system, if the first set-top box has the data analysis content storage space, the content item to the first set-top box;
• directing, by the system, the first set-top box to record the content item;
• directing, by the system, the first set-top box to search metadata associated with the content item for an instance matching a search term;
• directing, by the system, responsive to the metadata not matching the search term, the first set-top box to search, in a real-time stream, content information associated with the content item for an instance matching the search term to create an index of the content information;
• and
• receiving, by the system, the index of the content information from the first set-top box to decide if the content item is of interest to a personalization profile associated with one of the first set-top boxes.