Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.

Handheld electronic devices are provided that have remote control functionality and gesture recognition features. The handheld electronic device may have remote control functionality in addition to cellular telephone, music player, or handheld computer functionality. The handheld electronic devices may have a touch sensitive display screen. The handheld electronic devices may recognize gestures performed by a user on the touch sensitive display screen. The handheld electronic devices may generate remote control signals from gestures that the handheld electronic device may recognize. A media system may receive the remote control signals and may take appropriate action. The touch sensitive display screen may be used to present the user with information about the media system such as the current volume.

A recording medium includes a video stream of a standard-luminance range and a video stream of high-luminance range, which are used selectively in accordance with a playback environment. The recording medium also includes a subtitle stream of the standard-luminance range and a subtitle stream of the high-luminance range, which are used selectively in accordance with the playback environment. A playlist file includes a management region where playback control information relating to a main stream is stored, and includes an extended region. The management region stores first playback control information specifying playing of the video stream of the high-luminance range and the subtitle stream of the high-luminance range in combination. The extended region stores second playback control information specifying playing of the video stream of the standard-luminance range and the subtitle stream of the standard-luminance range in combination.

A recording medium includes a video stream of a standard-luminance range and a video stream of high-luminance range, which are used selectively in accordance with a playback environment. The recording medium also includes a subtitle stream of the standard-luminance range and a subtitle stream of the high-luminance range, which are used selectively in accordance with the playback environment. A playlist file includes a management region where playback control information relating to a main stream is stored, and includes an extended region. The management region stores first playback control information specifying playing of the video stream of the high-luminance range and the subtitle stream of the high-luminance range in combination. The extended region stores second playback control information specifying playing of the video stream of the standard-luminance range and the subtitle stream of the standard-luminance range in combination.

Systems and methods for recording programs using a user's equipment and a network recording device are provided. An interactive television application may determine whether the user's equipment has sufficient resources (e.g., tuners or space) to record a program selected for recording. If the interactive television application determines that the user's equipment does not have sufficient resources, the interactive television application may select, automatically or in response to a user instruction, the program for recording with a network recording device. In some embodiments, the user may have to pay for the use of the network recording device, or may be required to purchase a given tier level of service. The interactive television application may play back programs from the network recording device as VOD offerings, or may direct the network recording device to transfer recorded programs to the user's equipment when it has sufficient resources.

A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.

A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.

A decoding system decodes a video stream, which is encoded video information. The decoding system includes a decoder that acquires the video steam and generates decoded video information, and a maximum luminance information acquirer that acquires, in a case where a dynamic range of luminance of the video stream is a second dynamic range that is wider than a first dynamic range, maximum luminance information indicating the maximum luminance of the video stream from the video stream. The decoding system also includes an outputter that outputs the decoded video information and the maximum luminance information. Where the dynamic range of luminance of the video stream is expressed by the maximum luminance of all pictures in the video stream as the maximum luminance information, the outputter outputs the decoded video information, along with the maximum luminance information indicating the maximum luminance of all pictures in the video stream.

A decoding system decodes a video stream, which is encoded video information. The decoding system includes a decoder that acquires the video steam and generates decoded video information, and a maximum luminance information acquirer that acquires, in a case where a dynamic range of luminance of the video stream is a second dynamic range that is wider than a first dynamic range, maximum luminance information indicating the maximum luminance of the video stream from the video stream. The decoding system also includes an outputter that outputs the decoded video information and the maximum luminance information. Where the dynamic range of luminance of the video stream is expressed by the maximum luminance of all pictures in the video stream as the maximum luminance information, the outputter outputs the decoded video information, along with the maximum luminance information indicating the maximum luminance of all pictures in the video stream.

A media recording element having capabilities to facilitate recording media for subsequent playback. The recording element further including features associated with limited operations of a hard drive of other similarly mechanical memory under certain operating conditions so as to limit power consumption and/or memory degradation.