The playback of video content delivered over a wireless network can be controlled by the provision of various control functions that can be actuated by the user. The controlled playback can be implemented on a system level, in which the delivery of the video content is controlled in response to receiving control actuation signals from a receiver device or can be implemented at the receiver device level by storing the video content and controlling the rendering of the content based on user actuations. In either implementation, the playback control can include pausing, stopping, fast-forwarding, rewinding, reversing, fast-reversing and skipping of the video content.