a collaborative cloud dvr system , which includes a cloud storage system and a plurality of participating dvr client devices , acts collaboratively as a single communal entity in which community members authorize each other to upload , remotely store and download licensed content for time shifted viewing , in a manner which rigorously protects legal rights of the content owners while overcoming the potential physical obstacles of limited bandwidth , power failures , incomplete uploads / downloads of content , limited cloud storage capacity , etc . the collaborative cloud dvr community collaboratively shares bandwidth and cloud storage capacity among dvr viewer / users with each owner / user of a dvr client device authorizing his or her individual dvr client device to be utilized by a cloud storage system server and any other owner / user of a dvr client device in the respective service community , and receiving similar permission in return to promote the convenience of cloud storage in an authorized manner .