1. A method comprising: recognizing, by a media content processing subsystem, a failure to record a video based media content instance in response to at least a portion of said video based media content instance not being successfully recorded; identifying, by said media content processing subsystem from a plurality of recording failure event types, a recording failure event type associated with said failure to record said video based media content instance; identifying, by said media content processing subsystem, whether said identified recording failure event type is associated with one of a user-caused recording failure and a system-caused recording failure; identifying, by said media content processing subsystem, at least one user defined action associated with said identified recording failure event type by accessing a previously stored user selection of an option indicating said at least one action is to be performed in response to at least one of a user-based recording failure event type and a system-based recording failure event type; maintaining, by said media content processing subsystem, a recording history log; adding, by said media content processing subsystem, data representative of said failure to record said video based media content instance to said recording history log, said data representative of said failure to record said video based media content instance including both information indicative of said identified recording failure event type and information indicative of an initiator that caused said failure to record said video based media content instance; providing, by said media content processing subsystem, said recording history log including said data representative of said failure to record said video based media content instance for display in a graphical user interface; designating, by said media content processing subsystem in response to said recognizing of said failure to record said video based media content instance, said video based media content instance for consideration for at least one future recording opportunity in accordance with said at least one user defined action associated with said identified recording failure event type; and searching, by said media content processing subsystem in response to said designating of said video based media content instance for consideration for at least one future recording opportunity, program guide data for said video based media content instance; wherein: said designating of said video based media content instance is performed automatically by said media content processing subsystem when said recording failure event type is associated with said system-caused recording failure; and said designating of said video based media content instance is performed by said media content processing subsystem after said media content processing subsystem receives a confirmation from a user to designate said video based media content instance for consideration for said at least one future recording opportunity when said recording failure event type is associated with said user-caused recording failure.