Abstract: A media database stores a number of media content items associated with a real-life field of competitive activity. A user database stores information about a plurality of entities involved in the real-life field of competitive activity, including indications of a number of the plurality of entities that are entities of interest. An event database stores event information identifying an event related to the real-life field of competitive activity, identifying at least one portion of one of said number of media content items as associated with the event, and identifying at least one of the plurality of entities associated with the event. A manager communicatively coupled to the media database, user database and event database, determines whether the event has occurred based on the event information, determines whether the event is associated with any of the number of entities of interest, and generates a highlight message.

Abstract: A technique for determining whether a program transmitted in a programming signal by a signal source was perceived by audience members within a specified time period. The programming signal is combined with a code signal to form a broadcast signal, wherein occurrence of the code signal corresponds to an occurrence of the program, and wherein the code identifies the program. The broadcast signal is monitored at a central processing facility and each received code is stored with an adjacent segment of the programming signal to create a master data base. Using a device located in the vicinity of an audience member, code signals corresponding to a program as it is being performed by program reproduction equipment and perceived by the audience member are monitored, and each code signal is stored with its said adjacent segment of the programming signal to create audience monitoring data.

Abstract: A television receiver device consistent with certain implementations has a display associated with the television receiver device. A filter converts a stream of audio/video content that is to be displayed on the display associated with the television receiver device into a stream of digital audio data. A buffer stores a sample of the digital audio data. A modem transmits the sample of audio data from the buffer to a content identification server and that receives metadata identifying the audio data from the content identification server. A display processor renders at least a portion of the metadata to the display. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: Example systems and methods of generating a television channel list involve scanning virtual channels contained in a transport stream supplied to a television and determining, for each scanned virtual channel, whether that channel contains decodable video or audio content. A ring list used for tuning channels in channel up/down tuning operations is generated which contains only those scanned channels determined to have decodable video or audio content.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for managing media content is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a terminal device can have a controller element that receives a media guide from a Set-Top Box (STB), and presents on a display unit of the terminal device the media guide without presentation of said media guide on a media device coupled to the STB. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for enabling trick plays during a variable bit rate (VBR) playback of a media file transmitted to a user media device as a constant bit rate (CBR) flow includes determining a plurality of access points within the media file. The media file is configured to be played back from each of the plurality of access points. A minimum buffer value is calculated for each of the plurality of access points. The minimum buffer value identifies a minimum amount of the media file to transmit to the user media device before beginning playback of the media file from each of the plurality of access points to substantially ensure that the media file is configured to be played back from each of the plurality of access points continuously and uninterruptedly at a variable bit rate.

Abstract: Various embodiments facilitate the management of receiving device health. One embodiment provides a receiving device health manager that identifies receiving devices having degraded operational states, based on operational state data received from those receiving devices. The receiving device health manager may further determine and initiate corrective actions with respect to the identified receiving devices, based on information about customers associated with the receiving devices and/or about the receiving devices themselves. In one embodiment, a corrective action may include a customer service contact to schedule a receiving device repair visit by a technician. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A system and method that provide reduced latency in a video signal processing system. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise transmitting a first video information stream representative of a unit of video information. For example, the transmitted first video information stream may correspond to a video channel. A second video information stream representative of the unit of video information may be transmitted simultaneously with the first video information stream. The second video information stream may also, for example, correspond to the video channel. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a plurality of simultaneously transmitted video information streams. A video information stream of the plurality of received video information streams may be identified that, when processed, is expected to result in the lowest latency in presenting the unit of video information to the user. The identified video information stream may then be so processed.

Abstract: A service distribution system supports creation of a personalized and virtual service broadcast that can be selectively clipped and cached based on content descriptors of popularity, freshness, etc. A method for selectively receiving broadcast of one or more content items associated with a service to provide a unicast or multicast user experience is described. The method may comprise: detecting a characteristic of a service, or detecting a characteristic of one or more content items, wherein the one or more content items are associated with the service, and wherein the characteristic is generated by a mobile operator and pertains to an objective measure of current user interest, selectively receiving by broadcast, to the mobile device, one or more content items associated with the service based on the characteristic, and storing the one or more content items associated with the service for access through a user interface of the mobile device.

Abstract: A computational recommendation engine is described. In embodiment(s), identifiers of ranked programs can be distributed to television client devices, and then a viewing vector from each of the television client devices can be received where the viewing vectors indicate which of the ranked programs have been displayed for viewing at different ones of the television client devices. A client devices group can be created that includes a subset of the television client devices based on the viewing vectors that are received from respective ones of the television client devices. A ranked program can be determined that has not been displayed for viewing by some of the television client devices in the client devices group, and a recommendation of the ranked program can be communicated to the television client devices in the client devices group that have not had the ranked program displayed for viewing.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed which relate to browsing through search results on a handheld communications device, and displaying a desired search result on an external display device. The system includes a handheld communications device having a user interface to search for a plurality of media resources, an application server to deliver the media resources, and a set-top box to receive a request to display a desired media resource on a display device coupled to the set-top box, such as an IPTV. The user interface presents novel methods to send the desired search result to the IPTV via the application server. The user may “throw” the media resource to the set-top box using a hand gesture to invoke an accelerometer in the handheld communications device.

Abstract: When searching for programs similar to a program designated by a viewer, a program selection support device not only searches for similar programs based on program-related information such as program contents, but also determines an algorithm used for similarity judgment based on viewer-related information, such as a program viewing history of a viewer, personal information of the viewer, evaluations by other viewers, and information added by a program producer, or based on a category of the designated program, and searches for similar programs using the determined algorithm. The program selection support device displays the programs found as a result of the search.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for graphically providing features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver in response to viewer instructions received from a remote control. Imagery including various tiles each corresponding to one of the provided features is presented on the display. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates a selected one of the plurality of tiles, and, in response to the received two-dimensional input, the feature associated with the selected tile is provided.

Abstract: A media stream processing method, a communication system, and a relevant device are disclosed, so as to improve the user experience. The method includes the following steps: a first media receiving device receives media streams, where the media streams include a first media stream and a second media stream; and the first media receiving device processes the first media stream quickly and plays the second media stream normally so that media play progress of the first media receiving device is synchronous with media play progress of the second media receiving device, where the second media receiving device is configured to receive multicast media streams, and the first media receiving device and the second media receiving device are in the same multicast group. A communication system and a relevant device are also disclosed herein. In this way, the user experience is improved.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes: a saving part; a user inputting part; a receiving part which receives broadcasting signal including at least one data information; a signal processing part which performs signal processing by extracting the data information from the received broadcasting signal; and a controlling part which enables a user to determine whether to save the data information through the user inputting part if the data information is received, and controls the signal processing part to save the data information determined to be saved in the saving part.

Abstract: Systems and methods are discussed for providing guidance for Internet-delivered media. In some embodiments, information on available media on the Internet is gathered. The information is associated with existing media guidance data. The associations enable a media guidance application to identify relevant online media and to display listings in a user-friendly way. A user interface for an online media guidance application is also provided. The user interface allows a user to narrow down the large amount of Internet-delivered media in a systematic way according to criteria that interests a user.

Abstract: Audience measurement methods and systems for producing audience information of a media presentation. At least one embodiment includes a moveable apparatus comprising an audio capturing means for picking up audio from a media presentation distributed to an audience through at least one media rendering device to produce an audio signal, processing means for processing the audio signal to derive the content identification information, user interface means for entering the presence information of panel members, memory means to store the content identification information and the presence information, and communication means for transmitting the content identification information and the presence information for further processing to generate audience information.

Abstract: A method of recording television content is disclosed and includes receiving one or more television program search criteria from a set-top box device at a recurrent searching system. The method also includes storing the one or more search criteria at the recurrent searching system. Further, the method includes performing a first search of electronic program guide (EPG) data accessible to the recurrent searching system based on the television program search criteria and performing at least one additional search of EPG data accessible to the recurrent searching system based on the television program search criteria after the first search.

Abstract: A system for presenting media programming guides is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media receiver having a controller element to generate a Media Program Guide (MPG) that groups media programs according to a redundancy of media programs and a viewing history of a subscriber of the media receiver. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A data distribution apparatus includes a data file configured to store video data and advertisement data to be provided to a receiving terminal of a Video on Demand service; a video distributing unit configured to distribute video data in accordance with a distribution request from the receiving terminal; a video presentation confirming unit configured to confirm a presentation state of the video data at the receiving terminal; an advertisement distribution determining unit configured to determine distribution of advertisement data to the receiving terminal when it is confirmed that the video data to be distributed by the video distributing unit is being called; and an advertisement distributing unit configured to distribute the advertisement data.