1. A system comprising: a digital content library to store audio visual (AV) content, the digital content library containing one or more digital content files, each digital content file storing a list of valid identifiers; and a playback device substantially directly coupled to the digital content library through a network and having one or more identifiers stored therein, the playback device storing at least a portion of one or more programs from the digital content library for later playback, the playback device configured to substantially directly access and download from the digital content library through a playback device interface a digital content file stored by the digital content library if an identifier stored in the playback device matches one of the valid identifiers in the list, and to play the downloaded AV content, wherein the playback device is authorized to access and download a group of different AV content titles for a predetermined period of time, wherein access by the playback device to the group of different AV content titles is granted on a group basis, and further wherein the playback device is prevented at the expiration of the predetermined period of time from accessing and downloading the group of different AV content titles stored by the digital content library and prevented from playing the downloaded AV content and the stored programs, and wherein preventing the playing of the downloaded AV content and the stored programs comprises disabling the playback device.