Notification system and method for media queue

1. A method of electronically notifying a subscriber to a content provider of activity in a subscriber rental queue associated with the subscriber, including the steps of:

a. defining a set of notification rules for the subscriber rental queue, which notification rules are authorized by the subscriber;

b. monitoring the subscriber rental queue with a computer in accordance with said set of notification rules and a separate set of queue replenishment control rules authorized by the subscriber so that said computer can determine if a composition should be altered through additions of playable media titles and/or ordering of playable media titles in the subscriber rental queue should be altered;

c. sending an electronic notification to the subscriber with said computer in response to an affirmative determination under step (b) that such notification is necessary based on said set of notification rules;

wherein said set of notification rules and/or set of queue replenishment control rules include a user configurable option with a first choice to automatically trigger a modification of the subscriber rental queue, and a second choice which does not trigger a modification of the subscriber rental queue;

further comprising said subscriber selecting one of said first choice or second choice to automatically trigger or not trigger a modification to said subscriber rental queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber rental queue is automatically modified in accordance with said separate set of queue replenishment control rules after a predefined time delay.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification includes embedded uniform resource links (URLs) or an electronic response field adapted to permit the subscriber to accept and/or modify any proposed alterations of the subscriber rental queue.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said queue replenishment control rules also include a trigger event relating to the existence of new content determined automatically to be of potential interest to the subscriber to be used in determining when said subscriber rental queue should be modified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein any proposed altering of said composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in the subscriber rental queue is automatically determined by a recommender system controlled by the content provider, which recommender system automatically identifies playable media items of interest to the subscriber based on a subscriber item preference profile.

6. The method of claim 5, further including a step of: processing an item rating survey provided by the subscriber to determine a subscriber item preference profile suitable for use by said recommender system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber can elect to receive no notification even when a composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in the subscriber rental queue are altered.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said playable media titles are movies distributed by a satellite transmission to a satellite signal receiver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said playable media titles are movies distributed on a DVD.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said playable media titles are movies distributed by a broadband Internet-based connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification includes an indication of a status of the subscriber rental queue.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification includes an identification of an additional playable media item which is being added to the subscriber rental queue.

13. A method of electronically notifying a subscriber to a content provider of activity in a subscriber rental queue associated with the subscriber, including the steps of:

a. defining a set of notification rules for the subscriber rental queue, which notification rules are authorized by the subscriber;

b. monitoring the subscriber rental queue with a computer in accordance with said set of notification rules and a separate set of queue replenishment control rules authorized by the subscriber so that said computer can determine if a composition of such rental queue should be altered through additions of playable media titles and/or ordering of playable media titles in the subscriber rental queue should be altered;

wherein said queue replenishment control rules include a trigger event to be used in determining when said subscriber rental queue should be modified, and said trigger event is based on a quantity of playable media items remaining in the subscriber rental queue;

c. providing a recommender system configured to provide recommendations for playable media titles;

d. sending an electronic notification to the subscriber with said computer in response to an affirmative determination under step (b) that such notification is necessary based on said set of notification rules;

e. causing said recommender system to interact with the subscriber and provide a playable media title recommendation in response to user input provided within a response to said electronic notification;

f. adding a playable media title recommendation to said subscriber rental queue in response to subscriber input to said recommender system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said notification specifies that the subscriber rental queue will be automatically modified in accordance with said separate set of queue replenishment control rules.

15. The method of claim 13, further including a step of:

receiving subscriber feedback concerning a performance of the content provider concerning selection of an additional playable media item.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said trigger event is based on said quantity of playable media items being equal to zero indicating that said subscriber rental queue is empty.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said trigger event is based on and controlled by a numerical value provided by said subscriber for said quantity of said quantity of playable media remaining in the subscriber rental queue.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said electronic notification includes information indicating said quantity of playable media items remaining in the subscriber rental queue.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said electronic notification further provides recommendations on newly released playable media items for said subscriber.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said electronic notification further provides recommendations on playable media items based on genre selections made by said subscriber.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein additional electronic notifications are sent until said subscriber replenishes said subscriber rental queue to contain a quantity of playable media items exceeding a specified threshold.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein said electronic notification includes an embedded uniform resource locator (URL) or an electronic response field associated with a first playable media item which when selected by said subscriber causes said playable media item to be moved to said subscriber rental queue.

23. A method of electronically notifying a subscriber to a content provider of activity in a subscriber rental queue associated with the subscriber, including the steps of:

a) defining a set of notification rules for the subscriber rental queue, which notification rules are authorized by the subscriber;

b) monitoring the subscriber rental queue with a computer in accordance with said set of notification rules and a separate set of queue replenishment control rules authorized by the subscriber so that said computer can determine if a composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in the subscriber rental queue should be altered;

c) sending an electronic notification to the subscriber with said computer in response to an affirmative determination under step (b) that such notification is necessary based on said set of notification rules;

wherein said notification provides directions for the subscriber to accept and/or modify any proposed alterations of the subscriber rental queue;

further comprising said subscriber accepting and/or modifying said proposed alteration based on said directions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said directions cause any proposed alterations of the subscriber rental queue to take effect automatically after a predetermined period.

25. The method of claim 23, further including a second electronic notification to the subscriber which confirms any subscriber action taken in response to said electronic notification.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said notification further includes an embedded uniform resource locator (URL) or an electronic response field to solicit a feedback rating from the subscriber for a playable media title identified in said notification.

27. A method of electronically notifying a subscriber to a content provider of activity in a subscriber rental queue associated with the subscriber, including the steps of:

a) defining a set of notification rules for the subscriber rental queue, which notification rules are authorized by the subscriber;

b) monitoring the subscriber rental queue with a computer in accordance with said set of notification rules and a separate set of queue replenishment control rules authorized by the subscriber so that said computer can determine if a composition and/or ordering of playable media titles in the subscriber rental queue should be altered;

c) sending an electronic notification to the subscriber with said computer in response to an affirmative determination under step (b) that such notification is necessary based on said set of notification rules;

wherein said notification includes both an identification of an additional playable media item which is being proposed to be added to the subscriber rental queue at the end of a first time period as well as selectable feedback options adapted to respond to such proposed addition;

d) further comprising: 1) adding said additional playable media item to said subscriber rental queue when said subscriber does not elect to cancel such proposed addition with said selectable feedback options within said time period specified in said notification; and 2) not adding said additional playable media item to said subscriber rental queue when an election is made to cancel by the subscriber to cancel such proposed addition with said selectable feedback options within said time period specified in said notification.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said additional playable media item is automatically selected for the subscriber by a recommendation engine.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said notification indicates that the additional playable media item is being added to a top position in the subscriber rental queue.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said additional playable media item is a DVD offered by an Internet based rental service.