Systems and methods are provided reducing storage space occupied by a media asset by adjusting quality levels of the media asset downward over time. This may be accomplished by a media guidance application that store, at a given time, the media asset in a first format having a first quality level. The media guidance application retrieves, from a database, a data entry corresponding to the media asset and determines, based on the data entry, a threshold period of time for storing the media asset in the first format. The media guidance application detects whether the threshold period of time since the given time has passed and responds by altering a first portion of the media asset from the first format having the first quality level to a second format having a second quality level that is inferior to the first quality level.