Media Delivery System Supporting Set-Tops With and Without Local Storage

Abstract

Systems and methods of transparent access to stored media content at a headened by digital home communication terminals (DHCT) are disclosed. One such system comprises a first DHCT, a second DHCT, and a headend. The first DHCT includes a local file system. The second DHCT does not include a local file system. The headend is in communication with the first and the second DHCT and is configured to provide the locally stored media content to both the first and the second DHCT.

1 . A system comprising:
 a first digital home communication terminal (DHCT) which includes a local file system;   a second DHCT which does not include a local file system;   a headend in communication with the first and the second DHCT and configured to provide the locally stored media content to both the first and the second DHCT.   
   
   
       2 . A system comprising:
 a first digital home communication terminal (DHCT) which includes a local file system;   a second DHCT which does not include a local file system;   a headend in communication with the first and the second DHCT, the headend including locally stored media content, the headend configured to provide the locally stored media content to both the first and the second DHCT in a manner which is transparent to the DHCTs.   
   
   
       3 . The system of  2 , wherein each of the DHCTs is configured to provide the received media content to a display. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  2 , wherein the first and the second DHCT each include a virtual file system which interoperates with the headend to access the locally stored media content in a transparent manner. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  2 , wherein the headend provisions the first and the second DHCT with local virtual storage such that each of the DHCTs accesses the local stored media content in a transparent manner. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  2 , wherein the headend is configured to use a broadcast file system to provide the locally stored media content in a manner which is transparent to the DHCTs.