Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating online videos. One method includes receiving a URL; determining a URL type; detecting whether the URL includes one or more videos; determining at least one of a size of the video, a position of the video on a web page of the web page URL, whether the video is set to autoplay, and whether the video is set to mute; computing a score based on one or more of the size of the video, the position of the video on the web page of the web page URL, whether the video is set to autoplay, and whether the video is set to mute; obtaining at least two frames of at least part of the video, wherein each frame is obtained at one or more predetermined intervals during playback of the video; and classifying each detected video based on the at least two frames.

Abstract: A method for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG), an electronic device, and a computer readable medium are provided. After a guide enable signal is received, a program database is searched according to a current channel to obtain a current category corresponding to the current channel. The program database includes a plurality of categories, each category includes a plurality of channels, and each channel includes a plurality of programs. A program menu corresponding to the current channel is displayed according to a dependence relationship between the current category, the current channel, and the programs of the current channel in the program database.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to perform a channel change via an alternate multimedia content delivery system. A particular method includes detecting a request to perform a channel change at a customer premise equipment (CPE) device. The method also includes sending the request to a server of a primary multimedia content delivery system that supports delivery of content to the CPE device. The method further includes receiving a bandwidth limitation message from the server. The method includes generating a notification for display at a display device coupled to the CPE device. The notification prompts a user with respect to delivery of content over one or more alternate multimedia content delivery systems in response to the requested channel change.

Abstract: Television is the largest advertising category in the United States with over 65 billion spent by advertisers per year. A variety of different targeting algorithms are compared, ranging from the traditional age-gender targeting methods employed based on Nielsen ratings, to new approaches that attempt to target high probability buyers using Set Top Box data. The performance of these different algorithms on a real television campaign is shown, and the advantages and limitations of each method are discussed. In contrast to other theoretical work, all methods presented herein are compatible with targeting the existing 115 million Television households in the United States and are implementable on current television delivery systems.

Abstract: The present invention provides for eliminating the requirement for cable modems and routers to be installed in CATV system subscriber homes, and/or establishments, by instead including the cable modems and routers in a CATV provider's main distribution line, for sharing amongst a plurality of subscriber homes and/or establishments.

Abstract: The techniques related to providing a live program over the Internet are described. According to one aspect of the techniques, a data stream representing a live program is preprocessed to produce a plurality of substreams, each of the substreams comprising decimated samples of the data stream. The number of substreams is relatively large so that the bandwidth requirement for delivering one of the substreams is relatively low. With a group of seeding boxes receiving the substreams, a group of boxes in services are designated to receive the substreams from the seeding boxes, each of these boxes including the seeding boxes is able to support multiple outbound streams (e.g., greater than 2) so that there are enough data suppliers to service the ordering boxes or colonize more boxes to become the data suppliers. As a result, a live program can be timely serviced by peer boxes, significantly reducing the computation and bandwidth burdens on a server(s).

Abstract: A system to delivery media over a network for rendering by client devices forms a definition of a group of people who have opted-in to experience a defined shared media experience, and augments the shared media as a result of a dynamic measurement of one or more characteristics of the group.

Abstract: A user profile server stores a particular user profile corresponding to a user who belongs to a plurality of separate loyalty programs, and the particular user profile includes a plurality of different loyalty program user identifiers each identifying the user on a respective one of the separate loyalty programs. The user profile server communicates user a preference included on the particular user profile to a first controller via the computer network and communicates the user preference included on the particular user profile to a second controller via the computer network. The first controller is associated with a first hospitality location where the user is identified according to a first loyalty program user identifier included on the particular user profile, and the second is controller is associated with a second hospitality location where the user is identified according to a second loyalty program user identifier included on the particular user profile.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a storage medium including computer instructions to receive sensory information at a media device from a first mobile communication device where the first mobile communication device obtains at least a portion of the sensory information from at least one second mobile communication device in response to a broadcast by the first mobile communication device of a wireless signal representing a notice to obtain the sensory information, where the sensory information is associated with an environment of the first mobile communication device, and where the sensory information comprises images of the environment. The computer instructions can enable generating a plurality of personal content utilizing at least a portion of the sensory information, where each of the plurality of personal content includes some of the images captured at different perspectives. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A process identifies a search query spike from queries submitted by users during a first span of time, which is less than a predefined duration. The spike corresponds to a set of queries identified as equivalent. The frequency of submitting queries from the set during the first time span exceeds the frequency of submitting queries from the set during an average span of time. The process correlates the spike to a broadcast video program by matching terms from the set of search queries to subtitle terms appearing in the video program at a first location. The first location in the video program was broadcast within a predefined time before the first span of time. The process receives notification from a user device indicating user interest in the video program. The process transmits to the user device search results corresponding to some search queries from the set of search queries.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises displaying a video episode via a display screen, identifying, via a processor, the video episode with a unique play identifier, tracking, via the processor, an image of a shopable item in the displaying video, and linking a display screen coordinate location of an interactive tap zone with the image of the shopable item during the video episode. The interactive tap zone is selected to indicate selection of the tracked shopable item and the processor associates the selection with the unique play identifier.

Abstract: A content receiver useable in a broadcast content distribution system includes a content source that broadcasts audio/video content for reception by content receivers with associated metadata defining links to other content for possible reproduction by the content receiver and information indicative of a category of each link. The content receiver is configured to generate link information for display in dependence upon received metadata relating to links having a subset of categories while reproducing the broadcast audio/video content, and includes a user control operable to select a link for which link information is currently displayed by the content receiver causing the content receiver to reproduce content defined by that link and a category memory storing category information defining the subset of categories, the content receiver configured to modify stored category information in dependence upon which links are selected using the user control.

Abstract: The present invention provides for eliminating the requirement for cable modems and routers to be installed in CATV system subscriber homes, and/or establishments, by instead including the cable modems and routers in a CATV provider's main distribution line, for sharing amongst a plurality of subscriber homes and/or establishments.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to collect metering information associated with media presented by portable and computer media presentation devices are disclosed. A disclosed example method accesses a first data structure including metering information generated by at least one of first media presentation software executed by a personal computer or second media presentation software executed by a portable media presentation device. The metering information is associated with media presented by at least one of the first or second media presentation software. At least some of the metering information is then extracted from the first data structure and stored in a second data structure. The at least some of the metering information is then communicated from the second data structure to a data collection facility.

Abstract: Stream-switching techniques are applied in a content delivery system. A merge frame is generated as a function of bit-rates, distortion, and a piecewise constant operator. Parameters of the piecewise constant operator are selected to optimize the merge frame. Data streams are switched based on bandwidth requirements, switch requests, and throughput of a network. Images are reconstructed based on the merge frames and prediction frames. Reconstructed images are identically reconstructed for any prediction frame based on the merge frame.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for presenting supplemental information corresponding to on-demand media content are provided.

Abstract: The user of an Internet-enabled CE device such as a TV can select an object in a video presented on the display of the CE device by either touch sensitive screen or input device. The processor of the CE device can then determine the boundaries of the object, identify it using face/image recognition software, search for information/websites related to the object, and present those information/websites to the viewer on the display screen.

Abstract: A method and device for transmitting and receiving a video stream are provided. The transmitting method includes receiving auxiliary information and one or more video streams, and distributing them as one or more pieces of lane data; transmitting the lane data to a receiving device; and receiving a result value that indicates whether a video processing unit for processing one of the one or more video streams works normally. The receiving method includes receiving one or more pieces of lane data that include auxiliary information and one or more video streams; merging the lane data into one or more video streams; selecting a video processing unit based on the auxiliary information, where one or more video processing units process the video streams; generating a result value for the selected video processing unit that indicates whether the video processing unit works normally; and transmitting the result value to a transmitting device.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a virtual broadcast network may include using, by a virtual broadcaster, a network server remotely located from the virtual broadcaster and managed by a communications service provider to host a virtual broadcast network. A selection, via a control panel, of at least one broadcast content feed from a plurality of different content service providers may be performed. The selected broadcast content feeds may be broadcast to users who access the virtual broadcast network.

Abstract: A broadcast program processing device includes video content recording unit. The video content recording unit causes a storage unit to store a plurality of pieces of video content each of which includes at least one advertisement video. The broadcast program processing device changes the advertisement video included in a piece of video content stored in the storage unit to a substitute advertisement video before being instructed to play any one of the pieces of video content and plays the piece of video content whose advertisement video has been changed if instructed to play any one of the pieces of video content.