System and method of delivering video content

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a buffer server comprising a processor, first video content of a multicast presentation of a program;
• storing, by the buffer server, during the multicast presentation of the program, the first video content of the multicast presentation of the program;
• receiving, by the buffer server, during the multicast presentation of the program, data identifying a requested channel associated with a channel change command received at a set-top box device and identifying a set-top box device receipt time at a same time as the change channel command, wherein the set-top box device begins receiving second video content associated with the multicast presentation of the program provided via the requested channel, the second video content being received at the set-top box from a point in the program that corresponds to the set- top box receipt time corresponding to a time at which the set-top box device begins receiving the multicast presentation of the program, wherein the set-top box buffers the second video content;
• and
• sending, at the same time as the change channel command, by the buffer server, during the multicast presentation of the program, a unicast presentation of backfill video content associated with the program to a digital video recorder connected with the set-top box device via a hardwire interface wherein the unicast comprises additional video content associated with the multicast of the program occurring prior to a starting point of the backfill video content to a beginning time of the multicast of the program,
• wherein the set-top box is in proximity to the digital video recorder, and wherein the backfill video content consists of video content associated with the program extending from the set-top box device receipt time towards the beginning time, wherein the backfill content is stored by the digital video recorder;
• monitoring for receipt of a subsequent channel change command at the set-top box device;
• providing a subsequent channel change signal from the set-top box device to the digital video recorder based on detecting the receipt of the subsequent channel change command at the set-top box device, wherein the backfill content is deleted from the digital video recorder in response to one of the subsequent channel change signal, data indicating that the video content is no longer to be made available at the buffer server, or a command to delete the backfill content;
• and
• storing the first video content of the multicast presentation of the program extending from a start of the multicast of the program to an end of the multicast presentation of the program at the buffer server, and wherein the first video content is received from a video server at a video head-end of a video distribution network.

A system, comprising:

• a digital video recorder including first and second interfaces and being in proximity to a set-top box device, the first interface to receive a unicast presentation of backfill video content from a buffer server in response to a channel change command issued from at the set-top box device, and the second interface to place the digital video recorder in communication with the set-top box device for delivery of a portion of the backfill video content to the set-top box device, wherein the set-top box, in response to the channel change command, buffers video content associated with a multicast presentation of a program occurring subsequent to a set-top box device receipt time,
• wherein, at a same time as the change channel command, the backfill video content is obtained from video content of the multicast presentation of the program buffered by the buffer server and provided to the set-top box device over a video distribution network via the channel during the multicast presentation of the program,
• wherein the backfill video content includes additional video content associated with the multicast presentation of the program extending from the set-top box receipt time at which the set-top box began receiving video content associated with the multicast presentation of the program towards a start time of the multicast presentation of the program,
• wherein, at the same time as the change channel command, during the multicast presentation of the program, the unicast presentation is received from the buffer server, wherein the unicast comprises additional video content associated with the multicast of the program occurring prior to the start time of the backfill video content to a beginning time of the multicast of the program,
• wherein the backfill video content is stored by the digital video recorder;
• monitoring for receipt of a subsequent channel change command at the set-top box device;
• providing a subsequent channel change signal from the set-top box device to the digital video recorder based on detecting the receipt of the subsequent channel change command at the set-top box device, wherein the backfill content is deleted from the digital video recorder in response to one of the subsequent channel change signal, data indicating that the video content is no longer to be made available at the buffer server.

A system, comprising:

• a set-top box device, wherein the set-top box device is associated with a digital video recorder;
• a memory to store instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and the set-top box device, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising:
• sending data from the set-top box device to a video head-end of a video distribution network, the data identifying a requested channel associated with a channel change command received, as a received channel change command, at the set-top box device;
• receiving, responsive to the received channel change command, first video content associated with a multicast of a program provided from the video head-end via the requested channel at the set-top box device, the first video content beginning from a point in the multicast of the program associated with a set-top box receipt time corresponding to a time at which the set-top box device began receiving the multicast of the program;
• buffering, in a video buffer of the set-top box, the first video content resulting in buffered video content;
• retrieving, responsive to the received channel change command, backfill video content associated with the program from the digital video recorder connected with the set-top box device via a hardwire interface in response to a command to view previous video content associated with a point in the multicast of the program occurring prior to the set-top box receipt time received at the set-top box device, wherein the set-top box device is in proximity to the digital video recorder;
• retrieving, responsive to the received channel change command, a unicast over a connection from a buffer server at the video head-end to a port of the digital video recorder, wherein the unicast comprises additional video content associated with the multicast of the program occurring prior to a starting point of the backfill video content to a beginning time of the multicast of the program;
• retrieving during the multicast of the program, the buffered video content of the multicast of the program from the video buffer of the set-top box device in response to the command to view the previous video content associated with a point in the multicast of the program occurring subsequent to the set-top box receipt time;
• monitoring for receipt of a subsequent channel change command at the set-top box device;
• and
• sending channel change information to the digital video recorder when the subsequent channel change command is received at the set-top box device, wherein the digital video recorder is configured to delete the backfill video content associated with the program in response to the channel change information, and
• wherein the backfill video content is deleted from the digital video recorder in response to the subsequent channel change command and in response to data indicating that the video content is no longer to be made available at the buffer server.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor performs operations comprising:

• sending data from a set-top box device to a video head-end of a video distribution network, the data identifying a requested channel associated with a channel change command as a channel change request received at the set-top box device;
• receiving video content associated with a multicast presentation of a program provided via the requested channel at the set-top box device, the video content beginning from a first point in the multicast of the program associated with a set-top box receipt time corresponding to a time at which the set-top box device began receiving the multicast of the program;
• retrieving, responsive to sending the channel change request, a first portion of a previous multicast portion from backfill video content from a digital video recorder via a hardwire interface, wherein the digital video recorder is in proximity to the set-top box, wherein the backfill video content includes additional video content associated with the multicast presentation of the program extending from the set-top box receipt time towards a start time of the multicast presentation of the program;
• determining a missing portion of the multicast presentation from an end of an available portion of the backfill video content at the digital video recorder and the start time of the multicast presentation of the program;
• and
• retrieving, responsive to sending the channel change request, a unicast from a buffer server at the video head-end to the digital video recorder, wherein the unicast includes the missing portion of the video content associated with the multicast presentation of the program extending from the start time of the multicast presentation of the program towards a second point at which the digital video recorder does not include the additional video content extending from the set-top box receipt time towards a start time of the multicast presentation of the program,
• monitoring for receipt of a subsequent channel change command at the set-top box device;
• and
• sending channel change information to the digital video recorder when the subsequent channel change command is received at the set-top box device, wherein the digital video recorder is configured to delete the backfill video content associated with the program in response to the channel change information, and
• wherein the backfill video content is deleted from the digital video recorder in response to the subsequent channel change command and in response to data indicating that the video content is no longer to be made available at the buffer server.