| CPC H04N 21/2402 (2013.01) [H04L 43/0894 (2013.01); H04L 65/00 (2013.01); H04N 21/23 (2013.01); H04N 21/23406 (2013.01); H04N 21/2385 (2013.01); H04N 21/24 (2013.01); H04N 21/43 (2013.01); H04N 21/43615 (2013.01); H04N 21/44 (2013.01); H04N 21/4402 (2013.01); H04N 21/44209 (2013.01); H04N 21/44227 (2013.01); H04N 21/64 (2013.01); H04N 21/64738 (2013.01); H04N 21/64792 (2013.01); H04L 65/80 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

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1. A method for managing available bandwidth in a household, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user device, a request to access a first media asset;
retrieving, from stored metadata associated with the first media asset, a minimum bandwidth value for accessing the first media asset;
comparing the minimum bandwidth value to a household bandwidth value, wherein the household bandwidth value indicates a bandwidth currently available in the household;
in response to determining that the minimum bandwidth value is greater than the household bandwidth value, searching bandwidth consumption values stored in a bandwidth consumption field of a household bandwidth state database, to identify a second media asset, wherein identifying the second media asset comprises:
determining a time remaining until the household bandwidth value is at least the minimum bandwidth value;
searching duration values stored in a duration field of a media asset database to identify an asset in the media asset database with a shortest duration value that is more than the time remaining; and
identifying the second asset as the asset in the media asset database with the shortest duration value that is more than the time remaining; and
generating for display on the user device a message that indicates the bandwidth currently available in the household is insufficient to access the first media asset and that has an option to access the second media asset instead of the first media asset.
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