1. A method, implemented by a computer, for a user to automatically identify an item in a video program recorded by a producer on media on which metadata associated with the program has also been recorded, wherein the metadata consists essentially of a scene number in the program corresponding to a current scene in the program being viewed, and the metadata was recorded on the media at the same time as the video program the method comprising: storing, by the producer at the same time the video program is recorded, in a database accessible by the computer, scene-indexed product information identifying the item and indicating a correspondence between the item and the scene number of the current scene in which the item appears; receiving the metadata associated with the current scene; storing the received metadata in the database; identifying the current scene in the video program by reference to the scene number in the metadata stored in the database; and identifying the item in the current scene by correlating the identified current scene with the scene-indexed product information stored in the database; wherein a computer application, stored in memory coupled to the computer, performs at least the steps of identifying the current scene and identifying the item therein, the computer application being executed by the computer; and wherein the metadata is not modified subsequent to the video program being recorded on the media.