System and method for multiscreen network digital video recording using on-demand transcoding

Abstract

A method is disclosed that includes: receiving, via a network digital video recorder, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder at a first time, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; storing, via the network digital video recorder, the requested content in the first format; storing, via the network digital video recorder, the requested content in the second format; deleting, from network digital video recorder, the requested content in the second format after a predetermined time period; and transcoding, via an on demand transcoder, the requested content in the first format to the requested content in a third format after the predetermined time period. A method is disclosed, including: receiving request to record content; receiving the requested content in a plurality of versions; storing the requested content; from the plurality of versions, identify mezzanine content having a first format and resolution for retaining in storage; for a remaining plurality of versions: determine at least one criterion; retain one or more versions of the remaining plurality of versions in storage until the at least one criterion is met; receiving a request for playback of the requested content to a subscriber's device; determining whether the request may be fulfilled using any stored versions of the plurality of versions of the requested content; if the version having a format and resolution corresponding to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device is not stored, regenerate, from a stored version of the plurality of versions, the format and resolution that corresponds to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a network digital video recorder in a digital video recorder system, a request to record content; 
 receiving, at the network digital video recorder, the requested content in a plurality of versions, each version having a respective format and a respective resolution; 
 storing, via the network digital video recorder, the requested content in the plurality of versions 
 from the plurality of stored versions of content, identify a mezzanine content having a first format and a first resolution for retaining in storage; 
 for a remaining plurality of stored versions other than the mezzanine content: 
 determine at least one criterion related to at least one of a threshold of time or a comparison of costs at which to delete each of the remaining plurality of stored versions; 
 if determining based on the threshold of time:
 determine at least one threshold in time whether to delete assets from storage, and   based on said at least one threshold in time, delete the remaining plurality of versions based on a common time or a respective time for one or more of the plurality of versions;   
 if determining based on the comparison of costs:
 determine a cost for storing each of the remaining plurality of versions over time, 
 determine a cost to transcode each of the remaining plurality of versions from the mezzanine content; 
 comparing the cost to store a respective one of the remaining plurality of versions to the cost to transcode from the mezzanine content, 
 
 retain one or more versions of the remaining plurality of stored versions in storage until the at least one of the threshold of time or comparison of costs criterion has been determined met; 
 receiving a request for playback of the requested content to a requesting subscriber's device, the request including information related to decoding capabilities of a subscriber's device; 
 determining whether the request may be fulfilled using any stored versions of the plurality of stored versions of the requested content having a format and resolution corresponding to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device; 
 if the version having a format and resolution corresponding to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device is stored, deliver the stored version to the requesting subscriber's device; 
 if the version having a format and resolution corresponding to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device is not stored, regenerate from a stored version of the plurality of stored versions, having a respective format and resolution, the format and resolution that corresponds to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device, the regeneration occurring on demand via an on demand transcoder in the network digital video recorder. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remaining plurality of stored versions have a lower bit rate and lower resolution than that of the mezzanine content. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mezzanine content comprises a highest quality format relative to the remaining plurality of stored versions. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the remaining plurality of stored versions has a second format and a second resolution that is derived from the mezzanine content. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said at least one of the remaining plurality of stored versions has a format that is an adaptive bit rate (ABR) format in at least one of H.264/AVC, SVC and HEVC. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of stored versions other than the mezzanine content comprise a highest quality format and resolution. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein it is determined based on the threshold of time or the comparison of costs at least one criterion to retain the one of the plurality of stored versions other than the mezzanine content having the highest quality format and resolution. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said at least one of the remaining plurality of stored versions has a format that is an adaptive bit rate (ABR) format in at least one of H.264/AVC, SVC and HEVC. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one criterion related to a threshold of time determined for deletion of assets from storage includes a respective point in time at which to delete each of the remaining plurality of stored versions. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the at least one criterion related to a threshold in time whether to delete assets from storage includes determining to retain at least one of the remaining plurality of stored versions and deleting at least another one of the remaining plurality of stored versions. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remaining plurality of stored versions are deleted at the same time. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein it is determined based on the at least one criterion related to a comparison of costs to delete one or more of the remaining plurality of stored versions. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein all of the remaining plurality of stored versions are deleted from content based on the at least one of the threshold of time or the comparison of costs criterion, retaining only the mezzanine content. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the version having a format and resolution corresponding to the decoding capabilities of the subscriber's device is not stored, regenerating said version from the mezzanine content. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion related to a threshold of time is met when one version of the plurality of versions is watched. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion related to a threshold of time is met when a predetermined time elapses since storing the requested content in the plurality of versions.