Abstract: There is described a system for providing streaming services, comprising: a plurality of capture devices each for generating a stream of an event, each stream being associated with a timing reference; and a server for analysing the plurality of captured streams in order to align the received plurality of received captured streams according.

Abstract: There is disclosed a technique of associating device activity to a broadcast programme, comprising: receiving a model for a broadcast programme identifying portions of content and portions of breaks in the content; monitoring, via a client software module running on users' mobile devices, said device's active or inactive states; receiving an activity stream of a user device; comparing the activity stream to the model of the broadcast programme to identify a correlation between them; inferring a user of the user device as watching the broadcast programme based on a level of the correlation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a user device comprising: an output component for outputting media content to a user; computer storage holding a user model of a user, the user model comprising personal information of the user; an input component configured to receive a content identification document identifying pieces of content to be output to the user by the output component: a content modifier configured to modify the document received by the input component based on the user model of the user, the content modifier operable to filter out at least one piece of content identified by the content document to generate a modified identification document, wherein the output component is configured to interpret each piece of content identified in the modified identification document for outputting to the user, wherein the filtered out piece(s) of content is not provided to the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for implementing forwarding in playback of video content, in which the video content is associated with commercials, the method comprising: determining a set of commercials that are skipped in forwarding the video content; and applying a function to determine the playback of the set of commercials when the forwarded video content is played, wherein the function is programmable.

Abstract: A method for providing of a portion or segment of content extracted from a larger content, for example, for sharing with users as a clip of the larger segment of content or as an action replay. One particular method of providing a portion of content includes receiving data including the content; transmitting the received data; storing a portion of the received data corresponding to a given time period; and responsive to a request, block transmitting the stored portion of the received data stream.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of triggering an action based on behaviour of a user consuming content at a user device, the method comprising receiving content change signals at a processor executing a content change detection algorithm, wherein the content change signals denote a change of content on the user device; wherein the detection algorithm compares the content change signals with a content change behaviour associated with that device to detect a surfing condition and generates a triggering control signal for triggering an action when the surfing condition for that device is detected.

Abstract: A content delivery system comprising: a receiving module for receiving a media asset in a received format; a transcoder configured to transcode the asset to provide a predetermined number of transcoded versions of the asset in at least one consumption format; a data store for storing the predetermined number of transcoded versions; a transmitting module coupled to said data store and configured to retrieve one of the predetermined number of transcoded versions from the data store and transmit the retrieved transcoded version to a media consuming device in response to detecting selection of the media asset by a content consumer associated with the device; a media asset duplication module configured, in response to detecting transmission of each transcoded version of the predetermined number of transcoded versions to respective one or more media consuming devices, to create a duplicate of the transcoded version and store the duplicate in the data store.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of controlling delivery of content to one or more media consuming devices associated with a group of consumers, the method comprising: receiving identification information of each consumer of the group of consumers; identifying each consumer of the group of consumers based on the received identification information; querying a data store to determine characteristics of each of said identified consumers; and controlling the delivery of the content to at least one of said one or more media consuming devices based on the determined characteristics of at least one consumer of the group of consumers, wherein each consumer in the group has an association link with all other consumers in the group, and wherein the content which is delivered is delivered to all consumers in the group.

Abstract: In one embodiment there is disclosed a content delivery system comprising: a communications network; a media component connected to the communications network, the media component configured to deliver media content for playout at a user device; an auxiliary content component connected to the communications network for providing auxiliary content for playout at a user device; an engagement monitoring component configured to monitor user engagement with auxiliary content played out at the user device; a storage component which holds engagement monitoring data in association with user identifiers; a content control module configured to receive, from a user device, a request for auxiliary content to be inserted in a playout session for playout at the user device, and selectively control delivery of the auxiliary content based on the engagement monitoring data associated with a user identifier for the user device.

Abstract: A content delivery system comprising: a communications network; a media component connected to the communications network, the media component configured to deliver content for consumption at user devices connected to the communications network; an engagement monitoring component configured to monitor user engagement with auxiliary content played out at the user devices; a storage component which holds engagement monitoring data in association with user identifiers of users of the content delivery system; a content control module configured to receive from a user device a request for content data, the content control module being operable to selectively deliver enhanced content data based on the engagement monitoring data held in association with a user identifier associated with a user of the user device.

Abstract: A content delivery system delivers media content to a content consuming user and comprises computer storage storing a media asset; an analysis component configured to perform an analysis of the user's behavior at a user device to infer a desirable attribute of a modified version of the media asset, the user's behavior comprising the user instigating at the user device requests for content other than the media asset to a computer network, and consuming the requested other content when returned from the network. The requests do not explicitly identify the desirable attribute. The system comprises a modified version generation component configured to receive the media asset and modify the media asset based on the analysis of the user's behavior; and a content delivery component configured to supply the modified version of the media asset to a media output device of the user, the modified version exhibiting the desirable attribute.

Abstract: There is disclosed a video player comprising a Widevine decoder, further comprising: a receiver for receiving an asset and an associated manifest file; a search engine for searching the manifest file to identify a KeyID field; a Widevine header creation module for creating a Widevine header including: a KeyID field corresponding to the identified KeyID field of the asset manifest file; and a ContentID field based on the identified KeyID field of the asset manifest file, wherein the format of the KeyID field and the created ContentID field of the created Widevine header are different; an interface for transmitting a request for a license to a Widevine license server, the request including the created Widevine header, and for receiving a Widevine license from the Widevine license server responsive to the request; and a controller for accessing video content associated with the asset using the Widevine license.

Abstract: A content delivery system comprising: a communication network; a mapping component storing media content aspect variant data enabling access to media content in a plurality of aspect variants; a content delivery component connected to the network and configured to access and deliver media content aspect variant data stored in the mapping component to devices connected to the network; an action request or component which is configured to receive a request from a user of a media consumption device that an aspect variant of media content is to be delivered to at least one further media consumption device, and cause the content delivery component to deliver media content aspect variant data associated with said aspect variant to the at least one further media consumption device to enable said aspect variant to be consumed at the at least one further media consumption device.

Abstract: Digital signage system control is provided by delivering media content from a digital signage system to display devices. A terminal's display of a custom channel producer may be controlled to display media asset options. The selection by the custom channel producer of media assets is detectable based on selection of displayed media asset options of media assets. The selected media assets are stored in a media store external to the system. The media store stores media assets that are deliverable to a viewing device responsive to a viewer's selection of the viewing device. The display parameters of further media asset stored in a media store external to the system may be validated and selected by the custom channel producer to produce a custom channel that includes the selected media assets with further media assets that are dependent on the display parameters. The custom channel is deliverable to the display devices.

Abstract: There is disclosed a server for providing content, the server being configured to: receive a request defining one or more characteristics of content; access content from a plurality of content sources; and determine content responsive to the request in dependence on the accessed content.

Abstract: A content delivery server configured to select from multiple content items a set of content items for display to a user at a user terminal, the content delivery server having access to content identifiers, identifying content items for delivery; a processor operating a content selection program which is arranged to receive the context data for different contexts and to select a set of content items in dependence on the context data, wherein the content items in the set vary with the context data, such that the content of items in a first set for a user in a first context are different from the content of items in a second set for the same user in a second context, and to transmit a recommendation message to the user terminal comprising a set of content identifiers.

Abstract: There is disclosed a content delivery system for delivering content to a user, the system comprising a personalised schedule controller configured to receive content recommendations for a user including at least one constrained asset, and for generating a personalised schedule for the user in dependence on the at least one constrained asset included in the content recommendation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a computer-implemented method of triggering an instance of companion software to perform an expected action related to a piece of media content during a delivery of that media content by a media device to a content consuming user, the method comprising: the instance of the companion software receiving a synchronization signal transmitted when, in delivering the media content, the media device reaches a reference point in the media content, wherein the synchronisation signal conveys a time instant of that reference point; measuring a current elapsed time from the time instant of the reference point; accessing computer storage holding an association of the expected action with a time instant of a trigger point in the media content; and triggering the expected action when the current elapsed time substantially matches the time instant of the trigger point.

Abstract: A network entity for delivering video to a front end in accordance with service level information defining at least one service level requirement for providing a service used in delivering the video, the network entity comprising: an input for receiving a request comprising task information identifying a task to be performed requiring the service for delivery of the video; an interface for communication with processing nodes each configured to provide the service for use in delivering the video; and decision logic coupled to the interface and configured to: receive (i) the request transmitted by the video content provider, (ii) characteristics of the processing nodes, and (iii) the at least one service level requirement for providing the service; select processing node(s) based on the received characteristics and the at least one service level requirement, and communicate via the interface with the processing node(s) selected to perform the task.

Abstract: There is provided a client device comprising a content protection decoder according to a first standard, comprising: a receiver for receiving an asset associated with content protection; a creation module for creating a content protection for the asset in accordance with the first standard, and including a parameter identifying information additional to the information associated with said standard; an interface for transmitting a request for a license to a license server based on said standard, the request including that parameter, and for receiving a license in response; and a controller for accessing content associated with the asset using the license.