JP5623108B2 - Information processing apparatus, information processing apparatus control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for receiving content from a distribution server or the like on the Internet.

  Currently, in digital broadcasting, an electronic program guide (EPG) is used to know a broadcast program (video content) broadcast within a period of about one week from now.

  Then, a desired program can be selected using the EPG, and the program can be viewed or reserved for recording.

  On the other hand, when a user selects a desired program, a service that receives the program from a distribution server or the like on the Internet and can view the program for a certain period of time is known as a video on demand (hereinafter referred to as VOD) service. ing.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for giving information indicating whether or not each program presented in the EPG is a program scheduled to be distributed by the VOD service.

  According to Patent Document 1, the information related to VOD described above is information included in an EIT (Event Information Table) of EPG display information.

JP 2008-263434 A

  However, for example, after a user makes a recording reservation for a desired program, a problem or the like occurs in the device during the broadcast time of the program, and the program cannot be recorded, the following problems arise.

  That is, the user designates a program that could not be recorded again, confirms whether or not the program is distributed by the VOD service or the like, and if it is the same or similar program distributed by the VOD service or the like, An operation to select a similar program was necessary.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prompt the user to select the same or similar program distributed by the VOD service or the like when a program desired by the user cannot be recorded.

  Here, a similar program is a program corresponding to rebroadcast of a program that could not be recorded, a program that was edited from a program that could not be recorded, and the same content as a program that could not be recorded, but with a different camera angle, etc. Refers to programs.

In order to solve the above problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention acquires an acquisition unit that acquires content, a search unit that searches for content corresponding to the first content acquired by the acquisition unit, and the acquisition unit acquires When the resolution of the first content is lower than a predetermined resolution, the information specifying the second content having a higher resolution than the resolution of the first content acquired by the acquisition unit, searched by the search unit. possess a presenting unit presenting, said acquisition means, from a broadcast wave including said content and distribution information indicating a resolution of the content, the distribution information indicating a resolution of the first contents and the first content And the acquisition at a second resolution lower than the first resolution of the first content indicated by the distribution information included in the broadcast wave If the stage has acquired the first content, the presenting means, and wherein presenting said retrieval means has retrieved by said second resolution from the resolution to identify a high second content information To do.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when a program desired by the user cannot be recorded, the user is immediately prompted to select the same or similar program distributed by the VOD service or the like. It becomes possible.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of a video reproduction apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing for prompting the apparatus user to distribute VOD and the like. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing for prompting the apparatus user to distribute VOD and the like. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reservation result and distribution information. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting items related to program distribution. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing for prompting the apparatus user to distribute VOD and the like. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which VOD information is displayed on the video output unit 110.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of a video reproduction apparatus which is an example of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  In the figure, a video playback apparatus includes a tuner 101, a communication unit 102, a demultiplexer 103, a recording / playback unit 104, an HDD (hard disk drive) 105, a decoding unit 106, an audio output unit 107, a program information analysis unit 108, and a graphic control unit. 109. In addition, the video reproduction apparatus includes a video output unit 110, a distribution information holding unit 111, an operation unit 112, a reservation unit 113, a CPU (central processing unit) 114, and a memory 115.

  The tuner 101 receives a digital broadcast distributed from an external broadcasting station via a radio tower or a satellite via an antenna, demodulates the selected digital modulation signal, and outputs it to the demultiplexer 103 as a TS (Transport Stream). When the digital broadcast cannot be normally received due to a reason such as significant attenuation of the received radio wave, and the reception is switched to low-resolution reception with a low resolution as a measure against rainfall, the CPU 114 is notified of this. Further, the CPU 114 is similarly notified when it is further attenuated and even low-level reception becomes impossible. The CPU 114 records that fact in the memory 115 together with the received program information.

  The communication unit 102 exchanges various information with various servers on the Internet via a network. For example, information related to distribution of desired content and the content itself are received from the VOD distribution server. Information about the received distribution is output to the distribution information holding unit 111, and if necessary, the content data is output to the demultiplexer 103 as a TS with a time stamp.

  The demultiplexer 103 demultiplexes a desired packet from the TS received from the tuner 101, the communication unit 102, or the recording / reproducing unit 104. A packet identifier (PID) is described in the header of the packet, and the type of the packet is identified based on this PID. A PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) packet containing individual streams such as video and audio is divided into a plurality of TS packets having the same PID number and transmitted. The TS includes a packet of information described in a section format table such as PSI (Program Specific Information) and SI (Service Information) (hereinafter referred to as a section packet).

  The demultiplexer 103 selects a desired packet from these packets and performs separation. During normal playback, the separated video and audio packets are output to the decoding unit 106, and the section packets are output to the program information analysis unit 108. At the time of recording, the desired packet that has been selected and separated is output to the recording / reproducing unit 104.

  When recording a broadcast program, the recording / playback unit 104 re-multiplexes the packet received from the demultiplexer 103 and the newly generated packet for recording, and generates a partial TS in which only one content is multiplexed. Record and manage. If the digital broadcast cannot be normally recorded due to a lack of free space or a failure of the HDD 105, the CPU 114 is notified of this, and the CPU 114 records the fact to the memory 115 together with the recorded program information. To do. Conversely, when a recorded program is played back, the content recorded in the HDD 105 is read and output to the demultiplexer 103.

  The HDD 105 is managed and controlled by the recording / playback unit 104, and records content information purchased through a broadcast program, a download service via the Internet, or the like.

  The decoding unit 106 decodes the video and audio packets received from the demultiplexer 103, and outputs the decoded video data to the graphic control unit 109 and the audio data to the audio output unit 107.

  The audio output unit 107 outputs the audio data received from the decoding unit 106 as audio or an audio signal. The audio output unit 107 includes a speaker, a headphone output, and the like, from which audio and audio signals are output.

  The program information analysis unit 108 analyzes the section packet received from the demultiplexer 103. By analyzing the section packet, it is possible to obtain not only information necessary for reproducing a broadcast program but also program information indicating the contents of the program. For example, program information necessary for displaying an EPG can be obtained by analyzing the EIT. That is, EPG screen information is generated from information obtained by analyzing the EIT, and the EPG screen is displayed by outputting the screen information to the graphic control unit 109. The user of the apparatus can make reservations for recording and watching programs by operating the EPG screen and selecting a program. Program information such as the broadcast time and channel information of the recording reservation and viewing reservation program is output to the reservation unit 113. In addition, when the broadcast program information of the broadcast program includes distribution information indicating that VOD distribution of the same content or distribution by a download service is performed, the distribution information is output to the distribution information holding unit 111.

  The graphic control unit 109 performs composition processing so that the video data received from the decoding unit 106 and other video information, for example, EPG screen data received from the program information analysis unit 108 are sometimes displayed exclusively and sometimes simultaneously. And output to the video output unit 110. Similar to the EPG screen display, display information associated with various operations of the apparatus user and other display information are also input to the graphic control unit 109, combined with the video data received from the decoding unit 106, and output. That is, a list as shown in FIG. 4A, distribution information as shown in FIG. 4B, and the like are similarly input to the graphic control unit 109 and displayed on the video output unit 110. become.

  The video output unit 110 outputs the video data received from the graphics control unit 109 as a video. That is, the video output unit 110 includes, for example, an FPD (Flat Panel Display) such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a video output, and the like, and displays video.

  The distribution information holding unit 111 holds content distribution information received from the communication unit 102 or the program information analysis unit 108. The program information analysis unit 108 receives and records distribution information included in the broadcast wave, and the communication unit 102 searches the Internet for content having the same content as the broadcast program, and receives and records the distribution information. The search on the Internet is performed with reference to the program information at the time of recording reservation and viewing reservation of a broadcast program.

  The operation unit 112 includes a remote control light receiving unit (not shown) and performs various operations on the apparatus. For example, at the time of recording reservation or viewing reservation of a broadcast program, an operation related to reservation is performed from the remote controller, and various instructions related to reservation are performed to the reservation unit 113. Although not shown in the figure, when the recorded program is reproduced, the operation unit 112 instructs the recording / reproducing unit 104 to select the content, and when the broadcast program is selected, the operation unit 112 instructs the tuner 101 and the demultiplexer 103 to select the channel. Done. Similarly, when a content is selected for VOD distribution or download service, a distribution instruction is issued from the operation unit 112 to a distribution server on the Internet via the communication unit 102.

  The reservation unit 113 manages the reservation information of the recording reservation or viewing reservation program according to the instruction of the apparatus user received from the operation unit 112. For example, at the time of reservation from the EPG screen, the reserved program information is received from the program information analysis unit 108, recorded, and managed. That is, information such as the start date / time, end date / time, title, and genre information of the content scheduled to be acquired by recording or viewing is recorded and managed.

  The CPU 114 controls the entire video reproduction device. That is, the CPU 114 performs control for realizing various operations by reading and executing software programs and various information recorded in the memory 115. Note that the control performed by the CPU 114 refers to a series of processes shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example.

  The memory 115 stores a program executed by the CPU 114 and various information necessary for executing the program. For example, as part of the program, information relating to a series of processes shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is recorded. As various information, a reservation display number counter, a radio wave state of a received digital broadcast notified from the tuner 101, and a recording state of a recorded broadcast program notified from the recording / reproducing unit 104 are recorded.

  The above is the schematic configuration of the system of the video reproduction apparatus that implements the present invention.

  Next, the operation of the video playback device in this embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart for determining whether or not to prompt the apparatus user to distribute by VOD distribution or download service for a broadcast program scheduled to be acquired for which recording reservation or viewing reservation has been made in the video playback apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is.

  For example, a list of broadcast programs as shown in FIG. 4A can be presented by performing the processing shown in FIG. 2 when the video playback apparatus is turned on. The series of processing shown in FIG. 2 is realized by the cooperation of the CPU 114, the memory 115, and the like.

  FIG. 3 determines whether or not to encourage the user of the apparatus to distribute the VOD distribution or download service with respect to the broadcast program to be acquired for each recording reservation or viewing reservation in the video playback apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart to do. That is, the processing content of step S203 in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is shown in detail. Note that the series of processing shown in FIG. 3 is realized by the cooperation of the CPU 114, the memory 115, and the like.

  FIG. 4A is an example in which a list of results obtained by performing the processing shown in FIG. 2 on a plurality of broadcast programs is shown. By making the presentation as shown in FIG. 4 (a) at the time of starting up the apparatus, the reservation results of a plurality of broadcast programs can be confirmed at a glance.

  Items to be displayed include the title of the broadcast program, broadcast date / time, channel information, recording / viewing status, recording device name, presence / absence of recommendation for VOD distribution of content of the same content or distribution by a download service, and the like. In the recording or viewing situation, various error information for the broadcast program is displayed, and if there is a deterioration in image quality even when recorded, that fact is displayed. In addition, regarding the recommendation of distribution, the result of determining whether or not to recommend it according to the flowchart of FIG. 3 is shown, and it is displayed not with text display but with an icon or the like indicating that only for the program recommended for distribution. Anyway.

  FIG. 4B shows the distribution of the broadcast program in which the apparatus user is prompted to reproduce the VOD distribution or the download service of the same content among the broadcast programs shown in FIG. It is an example of the delivery information presented when selecting with a remote controller or the like. By confirming the information shown in FIG. 4 (b), the device user can determine whether or not to perform reproduction by distribution. By selecting the distribution using the remote controller or the like, a desired user can be determined. Playback by distribution of content having the same content as the broadcast program is started. As for the download service, it is possible to quickly view the content by starting the reproduction of the downloaded content data together with the start of the content download.

  Items to be displayed include the title of the broadcast program, the distribution method, the viewable period, the presence / absence of charge for the viewing fee, and the price, the presence / absence of commercials, the resolution / bit rate of the content, and the distribution For the access point. The title of the broadcast program may be the title of the content by distribution. By displaying the price and the presence / absence of commercials, the device user can determine whether or not to perform VOD distribution. In addition, by displaying the bit rate of the content, it is possible to determine whether or not the content can be viewed by the VOD distribution without any problem in the viewing environment of the apparatus user. In other words, by comparing the data transfer rate and the bit rate of the content in the connection environment to the home LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORK) and the Internet, it is possible to determine whether or not viewing by VOD distribution is possible.

  FIG. 5 shows the setting items such as whether or not to recommend the VOD distribution of the same content as the broadcast program reserved for the apparatus user and the distribution by the download service, and in what circumstances. An example is shown. Details will be described later.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, a process for determining whether or not to prompt the apparatus user to distribute a VOD distribution or download service for a broadcast program scheduled to be acquired for which a recording reservation or a viewing reservation has been made will be described.

  First, in step S201, the CPU 114 initializes the reservation display number counter recorded in the memory 115 to zero. The process in step S201 is a process executed when the apparatus is started up.

  Next, in step S202, the CPU 114 determines whether or not the processing described in step S203, which will be described later, has been performed on all recording reservations and viewing reservations managed by the reservation unit 113.

  If it is determined in step S202 that all reservations have been processed, step S206 is executed. If it is determined that all reservations have not been processed, step S203 is executed. .

  In step S <b> 203, the CPU 114 performs processing for each reservation managed by the reservation unit 113. That is, the processing described later in FIG. 3 is performed for each broadcast program scheduled to be acquired for which recording reservation or viewing reservation has been made.

  Next, in step S204, the CPU 114 determines whether to display an error for the reservation processed in step S203.

  If it is determined in step S204 that an error is displayed, the process of step S205 is executed. If it is determined that an error is displayed, a series of processes starting from step S202 is executed for the next reservation. Note that whether or not to display an error is determined based on the processing result of step S302 in FIG.

  In step S205, the CPU 114 increments the reservation display number counter recorded in the memory 115 by 1 and proceeds to step S202. That is, by repeatedly performing Step S202 to Step S205, as shown in FIG. 4A, the number of items to be displayed and the display contents of the broadcast program scheduled to be acquired among the broadcast programs scheduled to be recorded or viewed. Will be asked.

  In step S <b> 206, the CPU 114 determines whether or not the reservation display number counter recorded in the memory 115 is zero. In step S206, if the reservation display number counter is 0, the list is not presented as shown in FIG. 4A, and the series of processes is terminated. On the other hand, if the reservation display number counter is not 0 in step S206, the process of step S207 is executed.

  In step S207, the CPU 114 controls the graphic control unit 109 to present a list as shown in FIG. That is, the details are displayed for each reservation for the number of reservations obtained by repeatedly performing steps S202 to S205.

  The above is the flow of processing for determining whether to prompt the device user for VOD distribution or download service for the broadcast program scheduled to be acquired for which the recording reservation or viewing reservation has been made in the video production device according to the present embodiment. It is.

  Next, details of the processing in step S203 in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, processing is performed for each broadcast program scheduled to be acquired for which recording reservation or viewing reservation has been made. Further, the series of processes shown in FIG. 3 is realized by the cooperation of the CPU 114, the memory 115, and the like.

  In step S301, the CPU 114 determines whether or not the broadcast start time has already elapsed. That is, the reservation start date and time recorded in the reservation unit 113 is compared with the current date and time obtained from an RTC (Real Time Clock) not shown in FIG. If it is determined in step S301 whether or not the broadcast start time has already passed, a series of processing ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S301 that the broadcast start time has not elapsed, the process of step S302 is executed.

  In step S302, the CPU 114 determines whether or not the broadcast program to be processed has been successfully acquired. That is, in step S302, the CPU 114 detects an error that has occurred in the process of acquiring or holding the broadcast program to be processed. If it is determined in step S302 that the program has been acquired normally, a series of processing for the program is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S302 that the data could not be acquired normally, the process of step S303 is executed. For example, when a notification indicating that reception was not normally performed due to a significant attenuation of the received radio wave or the like is input from the tuner 101 to the CPU 114 and this is recorded in the memory 115, the process of step S303 is executed. It will be. Here, regarding the broadcast program determined to have not been acquired normally, it is determined to display an error in step S204 of FIG. 2 described above.

  In step S303, the CPU 114 executes the following processing for the broadcast program determined to have not been acquired normally in step S302. That is, in step S303, the CPU 114 instructs the program information analysis unit 108 to analyze the program information of the program stored in the reservation unit 113.

  In step S304, the CPU 114 instructs the graphics control unit 109 to display various information of the broadcast program based on the program information analyzed by the program information analysis unit 108. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, in the case of the title “soccer A”, the title, broadcast time, channel information, and the like are displayed from the video output unit 110 via the graphics control unit 109.

  In step S305, the CPU 114 identifies the cause of the broadcast program determined to have not been acquired normally in step S302. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, in the case of the title “soccer A”, information that an error has occurred in the HDD 105 is notified from the recording / playback unit 104 to the CPU 114 and recorded in the memory 115. Thus, the recording error of the broadcast program reserved for recording and the cause of the error are specified.

  In step S306, the CPU 114 instructs the graphics control unit 109 to display the cause determined in step S305. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, in the case of the title “soccer A”, a character string “recording error due to HDD error”, which is the cause of the determination, is output via the graphics control unit 109 as a video. It is displayed from the part 110.

  In step S307, the CPU 114 determines whether or not distribution information is recorded. In step S307, if the distribution information by the VOD distribution or download service of the content having the same content as the broadcast program is not recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, a series of processing for the program is ended. On the other hand, if the distribution information described above is recorded in step S307, the process of step S308 is executed.

  In step S308, the CPU 114 selects a recommended delivery destination. That is, an optimal delivery destination is selected from a plurality of delivery information recorded in the delivery information holding unit 111. Note that the optimum delivery destination is selected adaptively from the determination result in step S305.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, in the case of the title “baseball B”, it is determined in step S305 that an error has occurred in the HDD 105 and a recording error has occurred in a broadcast program reserved for recording. . In that case, the cause is caused by a problem specific to the apparatus, and a method that does not use the HDD 105 as the recording means, that is, a method that can avoid the cause and a method that is not affected by the cause is selected. Accordingly, distribution information indicating content distribution having the same contents as the broadcast program and distribution information indicating VOD distribution, which is a distribution method in which no recording is performed, is selected.

  In the case of the title “movie E”, it is determined in step S305 that a recording error due to viewing age restriction has occurred. In that case, the cause is caused by a problem specific to the apparatus, and a method capable of avoiding the cause is selected. That is, distribution information indicating content distribution having the same content as the broadcast program and indicating that the content can be viewed even at the viewing age set in the apparatus is selected. Note that even content with the same content may be distributed as content that has no viewing age limit or can be viewed even at a low age by deleting a scene that causes the viewing age limit.

  In the case of the title “soccer H”, although the recording itself was normally performed in step S305, it is determined that the recording was performed in a state where the image quality was deteriorated as compared with the broadcast program originally broadcast and scheduled to be recorded. For example, in broadcasting using a hierarchical transmission system that broadcasts one broadcast program at a plurality of resolutions at the same time, if the broadcast wave is significantly attenuated due to rain or the like, low-level reception is performed on the receiver side. In this case, the recording is performed in a state where the image quality is deteriorated because the reception is not the high-resolution high-layer reception originally scheduled for recording but the low-resolution low-layer reception. In this case, the cause is caused by a problem specific to the transmission path, and a method that can avoid the cause is selected. That is, it is distribution information indicating content distribution of the same content as the broadcast program, and indicates that the content is higher than the resolution of the recorded broadcast program, that is, higher quality, and other transmission channels other than the broadcast The distribution information indicating the use of is selected.

  In the case of the title “baseball J”, it is determined in step S305 that a recording error due to charging has occurred. In that case, the cause is caused by a problem specific to the apparatus, and a method capable of avoiding the cause is selected. That is, distribution information indicating content distribution of the same content as the broadcast program, and charging processing is not required, that is, distribution indicating that the content distribution is free or payable at a low price Information will be selected. Even if the content has the same content, the distribution price may be distributed free of charge or at a lower price by inserting a commercial or the like.

  In step S309, the CPU 114 determines whether or not to recommend distribution to the apparatus user. That is, even if it is determined in step S307 that the distribution information of the content having the same content as the broadcast program is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, the recommended distribution destination cannot be selected in step S308. In this case, a series of processes for the program is terminated. On the other hand, if the distribution information of the content having the same content as the broadcast program is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111 and the recommended distribution destination can be selected, the process of step S310 is executed.

  That is, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, in the case of the title “soccer A”, only the distribution information by the download service of the content having the same content as the broadcast program is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111. And In this case, it is determined that a recording error has occurred in the broadcast program reserved for recording because an error has occurred in the hard disk 105 in step S305. In that case, the cause is caused by a problem specific to the apparatus path, and a method capable of avoiding the cause is selected. Accordingly, in step S308, distribution information indicating a distribution method that does not use the hard disk 105, which is a recording unit for recording content, that is, does not perform recording is selected. However, it is assumed that only the distribution information of the download service that requires recording means for recording the content is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111. In this case, a distribution destination that recommends an avoidable distribution method that does not use the recording means that causes it cannot be selected, and the processing for the program ends. Accordingly, in the case of the title “soccer A”, distribution is not recommended and an icon or the like indicating recommendation is not displayed.

  In step S310, the CPU 114 instructs the graphics control unit 109 to perform a display for recommending the program determined to be recommended in step S309, and ends the series of processes. The display recommending the distribution may be displayed with a mark, logo, icon, or the like that can be recognized by the user of the apparatus. When the device user selects a display that recommends distribution, information for distributing the program is displayed as shown in FIG. 4B. By displaying the distribution information, it is possible for the device user to determine whether or not to view content through the distribution. By selecting a reproduction start mark (not shown) or the like, the distribution server on the Internet is actually accessed based on the distribution information, and content reception and reproduction by VOD distribution or download service is started.

  The above is the flow of processing for determining whether to prompt the device user for VOD distribution or download service for the broadcast program scheduled to be acquired for which the recording reservation or viewing reservation has been made in the video production device according to the present embodiment. It is.

  The above processing is not performed for all broadcast programs scheduled to be recorded or reserved for viewing, but priority may be set and the number of broadcast programs to be processed may be limited. good. For example, by giving priority to a broadcast program that is close in time when the apparatus is started up and suppressing the number of presentations, it is possible to recommend presentation and distribution suitable for the apparatus user.

  In the present embodiment, the above process is performed when the apparatus is started up. However, for example, the process may be performed in response to a predetermined operation by the apparatus user.

  Note that, when selecting a recommended delivery destination in step S308, adaptive determination is made based on the determination result in step S305, but in addition to that, apparatus settings may be considered.

  FIG. 5 shows whether or not to recommend content playback by the VOD distribution or download service to the device user, and under what circumstances it is recommended if the content playback by the VOD distribution or download service is recommended. An example of an item is shown. The default indicates the contents set for each setting item when the device settings are initialized.

  “Recommendation of VOD distribution” is a setting for whether to recommend VOD distribution. By setting the above setting to “Yes”, the operation is performed so as to recommend the distribution by the VOD distribution to the apparatus user. For example, when the above setting is set to “No”, even if distribution information by VOD distribution of the same content is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, it is not selected as a recommended distribution destination.

  Similarly, “Recommendation of download service” is a setting for whether or not to recommend distribution by the download service. By setting the above setting to “Yes”, the operation is performed so as to recommend the distribution by the download service to the apparatus user. For example, when the above setting is set to “No”, even if the distribution information by the download service of the same content is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, it is not selected as the recommended distribution destination.

  “Recommendation at the time of recording reservation error” is a setting as to whether or not distribution is recommended when a recording reservation error occurs. By setting the above setting to “Yes”, the broadcast program reserved for recording operates so as to be recommended when a recording error or normal acquisition is not possible. For example, when the above setting is set to “No”, even if VOD distribution of the same content or distribution information by the download service is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, distribution to the broadcast program reserved for recording is performed. No recommendation will be made.

  Similarly, “recommendation at the time of viewing reservation error” is a setting as to whether or not distribution is recommended when a viewing reservation error occurs. By setting the above setting to “Yes”, the broadcast program reserved for viewing operates so as to be recommended when a viewing error or normal acquisition is not possible. For example, when the above setting is set to “No”, even if VOD distribution of the same content or distribution information by download service is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, distribution to the broadcast program reserved for viewing is performed. No recommendation will be made.

  “Recommendation when image quality is deteriorated” is a setting for whether or not to recommend viewing by distribution when the recorded image or the image being viewed deteriorates for some reason. By setting the setting to “Yes”, if a broadcast program with degraded image quality is provided by VOD distribution or a download service, the device user is recommended to view it.

  “Comparison of resolution” is a setting for whether or not to compare the resolution of a broadcast program to be recorded or viewed with content provided by VOD distribution or download service. By setting the setting to “Yes”, when the resolution of the recorded broadcast program or the broadcast program to be viewed is lower than the resolution of the content, the apparatus user is recommended to view the content by VOD distribution or download service. However, the resolution is compared within a range that can be reproduced and displayed by the apparatus itself. For example, if a program scheduled to be broadcast at high resolution is received at low resolution for reasons such as rainfall countermeasures, the content is compared with the content provided by VOD distribution, and if it is provided at higher resolution by VOD distribution. For example, viewing by VOD delivery is recommended to the device user.

  “Recommendation at the time of recording error due to HDD error” is a setting as to whether or not viewing by distribution is recommended when an error occurs in the hard disk 105 and a recording error of a broadcast program reserved for recording occurs. By setting the setting to “Yes”, if a recorded program that could not be recorded due to a failure of the recording means such as the hard disk 105 is provided by VOD distribution or a download service, the device user can view the program. Recommend.

  “Recommended when errors occur due to viewing age restriction” is a setting for whether or not to recommend viewing by distribution when a recording reservation or a broadcast program reserved for viewing cannot be recorded or viewed due to the viewing age restriction. By setting the setting to “Yes”, if broadcast programs that could not be recorded or viewed due to viewing age restrictions are being provided by VOD distribution or download services, device users are encouraged to view them .

  “Age restriction check” is whether the content to be distributed is a content that is subject to viewing age restrictions, and if the viewing age restriction is imposed, whether or not the content is a viewing age restriction that can be viewed by the device user Whether or not to check. By setting the setting to “Yes”, if the content to be distributed is subject to viewing age restrictions and the device user cannot view it, even if VOD distribution or download service for the broadcast program is provided, We do not recommend viewing by distribution to device users.

  “Recommendation at the time of billing error” is a setting for whether or not to recommend viewing by distribution when a broadcast program reserved for recording or viewing is a paid broadcast and cannot be recorded or viewed due to a problem with billing processing. . By setting the setting to “Yes”, if a broadcast program that could not be recorded or viewed due to billing is provided by VOD distribution or a download service, the device user is recommended to view it.

  “Billing check” is a setting for checking whether or not a billing process is necessary for viewing contents by VOD distribution or download service, and whether or not it is a payable price if necessary. The payable price may be set separately, or it may be recommended if the price is lower than the content for which charging has failed. In other words, if the setting is set to “Yes”, billing processing is required for viewing the contents of VOD distribution and download service, and if the payment price is expensive, the device user is recommended to view using VOD distribution or download service. do not do.

  “Recommended for recording reservation” is a setting for whether to recommend viewing by VOD distribution or download service if the broadcast program is already provided by VOD distribution or download service at the time of recording reservation. That is, by setting the setting to “Yes”, it is possible to determine whether or not VOD distribution or download service is available at the time of recording reservation, and the user of the apparatus can view using VOD distribution or download service without waiting for the broadcast program to be broadcast.

  “Recommended at viewing reservation” is a setting for whether to recommend viewing by VOD distribution or download service if the broadcast program is already provided by VOD distribution or download service at the time of viewing reservation. That is, by setting the setting to “Yes”, it is possible to determine whether or not VOD distribution or download service is available at the time of viewing reservation, and the apparatus user can view using VOD distribution or download service without waiting for the broadcast program to be broadcast.

  “Recommended while watching” means that when the broadcast program is already provided by VOD distribution or download service at the time of viewing, and the video being viewed has deteriorated for some reason, the video program is viewed by VOD distribution or download service. It is a setting of whether to recommend. That is, by setting the setting to “Yes”, if the image quality deteriorates for some reason during viewing, the device user can view the same content by VOD distribution or download service.

  “Recommended when starting up the device” is a setting as to whether or not to prompt the user of the device to distribute VOD or download service for a broadcast program that has been reserved for recording or viewing when the device is started up. That is, by setting the setting to “Yes”, the processing shown in FIG. 3 is performed on each broadcast program for which recording reservation or viewing reservation has been made, and a list of broadcast programs as shown in FIG. 4 is presented. Will be done.

  As described above, these setting items may determine the operation of the device independently, or may determine the operation of the device in relation to other setting items. In addition, each setting may be operated with priority. For example, “charging check” may be prioritized over “resolution comparison”, and when charged, even if the resolution is high, viewing by VOD distribution may not be recommended to the device user.

  Further, the individual settings may be further subdivided. For example, “recommendation when image quality deteriorates” may be set for each service such as VOD distribution and download service. Further, it may be set for each situation such as recording reservation, viewing reservation, viewing or device startup.

[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The video playback device in this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation of the video reproduction apparatus in this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawing of FIG. The series of processing shown in FIG. 6 is realized by the cooperation of the CPU 114, the memory 115, and the like.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for determining whether to prompt the user of the device for VOD distribution or a download service instead of the broadcast program being viewed while viewing the broadcast program in the video playback apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  First, in step S701, the CPU 114 determines whether distribution information is recorded. That is, if the distribution information by the VOD distribution or download service of the content having the same content as the broadcast program is not recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, the processing for the program is terminated, and if it is recorded, the process proceeds to step S702. .

  In step S702, the CPU 114 analyzes the viewing state of the broadcast program currently being viewed, and proceeds to step S703. The viewing state is determined by notifying the CPU 114 from various functional blocks such as the tuner 101 and the demultiplexer 103. For example, in the notification from the tuner 101, if the radio wave is significantly attenuated, is it possible to view at low-resolution reception with a low resolution, which is a measure against rain, or is further attenuated to make normal viewing impossible? Analyze how.

  In step S703, the CPU 114 selects a recommended delivery destination. That is, the optimum delivery destination is selected from the plurality of delivery information recorded in the delivery information holding unit 111, and the process proceeds to step S704. Note that the selection of the optimum distribution destination is adaptively determined from the determination result in step S702. For example, in broadcasting using a hierarchical transmission system that broadcasts one broadcast program at a plurality of resolutions at the same time, if the broadcast wave is significantly attenuated due to rain or the like, low-level reception is performed on the receiver side. In this case, the reception is performed in a state where the image quality is deteriorated because the reception is not the high-resolution high-layer reception originally intended to be viewed but the low-resolution low-layer reception. In this case, distribution information indicating content distribution of the same content as the broadcast program is selected, and distribution information indicating that the resolution is higher than the resolution of the broadcast program being viewed, that is, higher-quality content is selected. become.

  In step S704, the CPU 114 determines whether or not to recommend distribution to the apparatus user. That is, even if it is determined in step S703 that the distribution information of the content having the same content as the broadcast program is recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, the recommended distribution destination cannot be selected in step S703. In the case, the process proceeds to step S706. For example, if the resolution of the currently viewed broadcast program is higher than the resolution of the distribution information recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, a recommended distribution destination cannot be selected in step S703. Distribution is not recommended for device users. In that case, the process proceeds to step S706. On the other hand, if the resolution of the currently viewed broadcast program is lower than the resolution of the distribution information recorded in the distribution information holding unit 111, a recommended distribution destination is selected in step S703, and the distribution is performed. Is recommended for equipment users. In that case, the process proceeds to step S705.

  In step S705, the CPU 114 instructs the graphics control unit 109 to display a message prompting the user of the VOD distribution or download service, and the process proceeds to step S707. As shown in FIG. 7 (a), the display of the VOD information as shown in FIG. 4 (b) is combined with the display of the broadcast program being watched by the device user and presented. Also good. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the display of the broadcast program being watched by the user of the apparatus is reduced and the VOD information as shown in FIG. 4B is displayed in the vacant display space. It may be synthesized and presented. Alternatively, when there is a black belt such as a side panel or letterbox in the display of the broadcast program being viewed by the user of the apparatus, it may be presented in that region, or may be presented by other display methods.

  In step S706, if a display prompting VOD distribution or download service has already been displayed, the CPU 114 instructs the graphics control unit 109 to delete the display, and the process proceeds to step S707. That is, if the display prompting the VOD distribution or download service has already been performed in step S705, the display is deleted and only the original broadcast program is displayed.

  In step S707, the CPU 114 checks whether or not the user of the apparatus continues to view the broadcast program. If the user has not viewed the broadcast program, the CPU 114 ends the process for the broadcast program that has been viewed and continues to view the broadcast program. Then, the process proceeds to step S702. That is, by periodically repeating steps S702 to S707, the apparatus user is encouraged to view the VOD distribution and the download service of the same content as the broadcast program being viewed according to the viewing state at that time. become.

  In addition, it is after a certain period until normal broadcast programs start VOD distribution and download services, but in rebroadcasts and movies, VOD distribution and download services may be started before broadcasting. This embodiment is effective for a program.

  The above is the flow of processing for determining whether or not to prompt the user of the device for VOD distribution or download service instead of the broadcast program being viewed while viewing the broadcast program in the video playback device of the present embodiment.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the VOD distribution and the recommendation for the download service have been described as examples. However, the recommendation for other content distribution services may be used.

  Also, it is not recommended only at the time of starting up the apparatus or during viewing, and at the time of recording reservation or viewing reservation, but may be performed at other timings. Alternatively, a dedicated key, menu, or the like may be prepared, and it may be determined whether or not the device user recommends it at a timing intended by the device user by performing a predetermined operation.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

Claims (6)

Acquisition means for acquiring content;
Search means for searching for content corresponding to the first content acquired by the acquisition means;
When the resolution of the first content acquired by the acquisition unit is lower than a predetermined resolution, a second resolution higher than the resolution of the first content acquired by the acquisition unit searched by the search unit possess and presenting means for presenting the information to identify the content,
The acquisition means acquires the distribution information indicating the resolution of the first content and the first content from a broadcast wave including the distribution information indicating the resolution of the content and the content,
When the acquisition unit acquires the first content at a second resolution lower than the first resolution of the first content indicated by the distribution information included in the broadcast wave, the presenting unit An information processing apparatus that presents information for specifying the second content having a higher resolution than the second resolution retrieved by means . When the resolution of the first content obtained by the obtaining unit is lower than the first resolution, the first of said presentation means information specifying the second content resolution is higher than the content presentation The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to set whether or not to perform. A search step of searching for content corresponding to the first content acquired by the information processing device;
An acquisition step of acquiring the first content;
When the resolution of the first content acquired in the acquisition step is lower than a predetermined resolution, a second resolution that is searched for in the search step and that is higher than the resolution of the first content acquired in the acquisition step have a a presentation step of presenting the information to identify the content,
In the acquiring step, the distribution information indicating the resolution of the first content and the first content are acquired from a broadcast wave including the distribution information indicating the resolution of the content and the content,
When the first content is acquired in the acquisition step at a second resolution lower than the first resolution of the first content indicated by the distribution information included in the broadcast wave, in the presentation step, the search step The information processing apparatus control method according to claim 1, wherein information specifying the second content having a higher resolution than the second resolution is searched . When the resolution of the first content acquired in said acquisition step is lower than the first resolution, presented in the first of said presenting step information resolution to identify a high second content than the content The control method according to claim 3 , further comprising a setting step for setting whether or not to perform. On the computer,
A search procedure for searching for content corresponding to the first content acquired by the computer;
An acquisition procedure for acquiring the first content;
When the resolution of the first content acquired in the acquisition procedure is lower than a predetermined resolution, a second resolution that is searched for in the search procedure and that is higher than the resolution of the first content acquired in the acquisition procedure A presentation procedure for presenting information for identifying content ,
In the acquisition procedure, the distribution information indicating the resolution of the first content and the first content are acquired from the broadcast wave including the distribution information indicating the resolution of the content and the content,
When the first content is acquired in the acquisition procedure at a second resolution lower than the first resolution of the first content indicated by the distribution information included in the broadcast wave, the search procedure is performed in the presentation procedure. retrieved, the second order of the program to execute the process of presenting the information specifying the resolution is higher the second content than the resolution in. In the computer,
Presented when the resolution of the acquired first content lower than the first resolution, in the first of the presented procedure information resolution to identify a high second content than the content in the acquisition step The program of Claim 5 for performing the setting procedure which sets whether to do.