A system for selecting, erasing or reproducing program recordings using marking
and descriptive data which is transmitted to a client location from a remote processing
location. A database of identification signals specifying the characteristics of
a known programming is maintained at a remote processing location. In a first embodiment,
selected identification signals are downloaded from the database to the client
location and are used by a processor at the client location to identify desired
programming within a locally stored collection of previously received broadcast
programming signals. In a second arrangement, locally stored programming signals
are processed to extract identification data which is uploaded from the client
location to the remote processing location for comparison to the database, and
information describing the content of the matching programs is returned to the
client location for use as a program guide, facilitating the selection, permanent
storage, or playback of desired program records and/or the erasure of undesired
programming. To conserve local storage space, identified program records may be
uploaded and stored at the remote processing location, or shared program records
in a central library may be made available for remote playback after an the identity
of equivalent locally stored programming is confirmed.