Program shortcuts

A system comprising:

• a set-top device configured to display menus of media items and play particular media items selected from the menus, the set-top device comprising control circuitry configured to:
• identify content in an email or text message directed to a set-top device;
• identify a video content item related to the content in the email or text message directed to a set-top device, wherein the video content item is different than the content in the email or text message;
• determine whether the video content item is available for access on the set-top device;
• in response to determining that the video content item is not available for access on the set-top box, refrain from generating a program shortcut object for the video content;
• in response to determining that the video content item is available for access on the set-top device generate, a program shortcut object for the video content item, that initiates a content retrieval process for retrieval of the video content item, responsive to the email or text message;
• responsive to the email or text message directed to the set-top device comprising the content related to the video content item, present, in a menu, a menu item corresponding to the video content item, the menu item based on the program shortcut object generated for the video content item;
• and
• the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to receiving user command input indicating that the user has selected the menu item from the menu, at the set-top device, execute the content retrieval process corresponding to the program shortcut object to reach a screen, and/or execute a method or routine, by which accessing, purchasing, and/or downloading the video content item occurs;
• the control circuitry is further configured to present, at the set-top device, the retrieved video content item.

A non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon for generating program shortcuts, the instructions comprising:

• an instruction for identifying content in an email or text message directed to a set-top device;
• an instruction for, based on the content, identifying a video content item that is related to the content in the email or text message, wherein the video content item is different than the content in the email or text message;
• an instruction for determining whether the video content item is available for access on the set-top device;
• an instruction for, in response to determining that the video content item is not available for access on the set-top box, refraining from generating a program shortcut object for the video content;
• an instruction for, in response to determining that the video content item is available for access on the set-top device, generating, a program shortcut object for the video content item, that initiates a content retrieval process for retrieval of the video content item, responsive to the email or text message;
• an instruction for responsive to the email or text message directed to the set-top device comprising the content related to the video content item, presenting, in a menu, a menu item corresponding to the video content item, the menu item based on the program shortcut object generated for the video content item;
• and
• an instruction for, in response to receiving user command input indicating that the user has selected the menu item from the menu, executing the content retrieval process corresponding to the program shortcut object to reach a screen, and/or execute a method or routine, by which accessing, purchasing, and/or downloading the video content item occurs;
• an instruction for presenting, at the set-top device, the retrieved video content item.