1. A method of enabling a media system to render content, the method comprising: identifying network-based video content made available, over a network, by a content provider in response to user requests; determining a rendering time needed to begin rendering the network-based video content without caching a decoded version of the content in electronic storage associated with a media system that is configured to render the network-based video content and that is remote from the content provider; comparing, to a threshold time, the rendering time needed to begin rendering the network-based video content without caching a decoded version of the content; based on comparison results, determining whether the rendering time needed to begin rendering the network-based video content without caching a decoded version of the content exceeds the threshold time; in response to a determination that the rendering time needed to begin rendering the network-based video content without caching a decoded version of the content exceeds the threshold time: determining an initial portion of the network-based video content to be pre-transcoded and stored such that, when rendered, the initial portion lasts for a sufficient time that is equal to or greater than the rendering time needed to begin rendering the network-based video content without caching a decoded version of the content; pre-transcoding at least the determined initial portion of the network-based video content to a faster video codec format that is different than a slower video codec format in which the network-based video content is made available, over the network, by the content provider, the faster video codec format allowing rendering of the network-based video content to begin faster than the slower video codec format; and storing, in electronic storage associated with the media system of the user, the pre-transcoded initial portion of the network-based video content to enable faster rendering of the network-based video content by using the stored pre-transcoded initial portion of the network-based video content in response to user selection of the network-based video content.