Abstract: This application pertains to gift-giving and video-dropping methods and systems. A gift drop or a video drop is facilitated using a mobile smart device and an interactive map. The system includes a gift or video drop database stored in a remote gift drop computer server. The system includes a gift or video drop logic section operable on a smart mobile device or a computer. The gift or video drop logic section includes an interactive gift or video drop map. The gift or video drop logic section presents the interactive gift or video drop map to a user, and facilitates the dropping of a symbolic gift item or a video onto the interactive map. The gift or video drop logic section determines whether the user is within certain predefined geographic boundaries, and either makes visible or gives a symbolic gift item to the user based on their location, or plays the video.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing media content playout includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code. The hardware processor executes the software code to receive a first state message from a first media player playing a first media content and a second state message from a second media player playing a second media content, the first media content and the second media content being the same media content. The software code further determines a coordination state for playout of the first media content and the second media content based on one or more of the first and second state messages, and transmits a first coordination message including the coordination state to the first media player and a second coordination message including the coordination state to the second media player to synchronize playout of the first media content and the second media content.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for intelligent routing of notifications related to media programming. In one aspect, a smart television (TV) can be implemented to track a user's TV watching behavior, and anticipate programming based on that behavior. In some other aspects, the smart TV can be implemented to detect a user's presence, and based on that detection, can automatically change the TV channel to media programming analyzed to be desirable to the user. In some further aspects, the smart TV can be implemented to transmit notification instructions to electronic devices within a network in an attempt to alert the user to upcoming media programming. Additionally, the smart TV can be implemented to transmit detection instructions to the electronic devices within the network, whereby the electronic devices attempt to detect a user's presence through voice or facial recognition.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards integrated tools for editing and otherwise working with close-captioning captions (or subtitles), including an on-screen editing interface that allows a user to select and edit caption text directly on-screen. Caption editing can include changing positioning metadata associated with a caption, changing timing metadata associated with a caption, and/or changing text content/text style metadata of a caption. A counter is provided to assist the user with respect to how many additional characters can be added to the caption. Also provided is a search interface that locates captions within a large set of captions, such as the full set of captions for a video.

Abstract: A computing system detects a channel multi-match with non-matching programs, based on fingerprint-based ACR analysis of digital fingerprint data representing a channel rendered by a content presentation device. The system then responsively determines a channel rendered by the device through a process including (a) determining that channels of the multi-match group are all affiliate channels of the same network as each other and (b) determining, as the channel, which affiliate channel of that network serves a location of the content presentation device. The system then uses the determined channel as a basis for carrying out of at least one channel-specific operation, such as recording audience-measurement data and/or invoking dynamic content modification.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a plurality of distribution areas. A distribution area is defined by one or more geographic primitives and associated with a distribution area identifier. Also, a geographic primitive is defined by one or more location identifiers. The method stores distribution area identifiers for the plurality of distribution areas in a first data structure. Information for media content is received and the method generates a content bundle for the media content based on the information for the media content. The content bundle is associated with a distribution area identifier and metadata that describes characteristics of the media content. The content bundle is stored in a second data structure.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to identify locations corresponding to monitored panelists, and when a first one of the identified locations corresponds to two or more affiliates, sum tuning minutes of the two or more affiliates. Disclosed example apparatus are also to generate an affiliate probability based on the sum, and convert first data of households in the first one of the locations to a candidate receivability session based on the affiliate probability. Disclosed apparatus are further to generate a seed panel, the seed panel to include at least one of the monitored panelists selected based on a population associated with return path data, and donate second data associated with a donor pool of first panelists to second panelists included in the seed panel, the second panelists associated with faulty media monitoring equipment.

Abstract: Provided are a method and a device for forwarding a video-on-demand flow, which may be applied to a network with virtualization of network functions. In an example of the method, for a Virtual Broadband Remote Access Server (vBRAS) Service Orchestrator (vBRASSO) managing at least one vBRAS in a vBRAS resource pool in the network with virtualization of network functions, if a particular vBRAS completes user authentication, the vBRASSO determines a Point Of Presence (POP) switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information from the vBRAS, and notifies the POP switch of a route for forwarding the video-on-demand flow to the user in such a way that the POP switch advertises the route to a core router configured to receive the video-on-demand flow from a video-playing source in the network with virtualization of network functions.

Abstract: A client device includes a display device and one or more image capture devices configured to capture video data of a local area surrounding the client device. Different users of an online system are identified from the captured video data, provided privacy settings maintained for the users authorize their identification from the video data, and the client device transmits a request for content to the online system that identifies each of the identified users. The client device receives content items selected for each of the identified users from the online system. From the received content items, the client device generates a feed of content that includes at least one content item selected for each of the identified users and presents the generated feed of content via the display device.

Abstract: A programmable and universal video platform enabling digital ads from ad sales teams, online digital exchanges, demand side platforms or other digital video advertising aggregators, to be inserted into linear television cable programming feeds. Content programmers distribute a programming schedule file for each linear programming feed. This data is then combined in the traffic and billing system with the advertising insertion orders from the various sales channels to create a local ad insertion schedule file. This schedule file includes a planned ad spot, but a time-based approach to ad insertion allows the schedule file to be modified such that the planned ad spot can be replaced with a replacement ad selected using the VAST digital ad selection protocol. Detection of the standard cue message in the programming feed triggers insertion of the replacement ad from the modified schedule file.

Abstract: A set-top box with enhanced behavioral controls and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectedly includes a television input, a television output, a processor, and memory. The set-top box may pair with an electronic door locking apparatus coupled to a door that is room-collocated with the set-top box in a hospitality establishment. The set-top box may then receive a status signal from the electronic door locking apparatus relative to the open/closed status of the door and locked/unlocked status of the door.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for altering or otherwise obscuring a progress bar to prevent spoilers in a media asset. A media asset is generated for display and an input is detected from a user during playback of the media asset. A determination is made whether the input comprises a command to display a progress bar. In the affirmative, a determination regarding a current point of playback of the media asset and the type of segment is made. An entry is retrieved from a database that maps the type of segment to a range of time. A determination is made whether the remaining time of the media asset is within the range of time. In the affirmative, a determination whether displaying the progress bar would spoil the media asset is made. In response to determining that displaying the progress bar would spoil the media asset, the progress bar is refrained from generating display.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a similarity measure between a first network broadcast time segment and a second network broadcast time segment. The method includes generating first training data comprising groupings of similar broadcast networks and groupings of dissimilar broadcast networks, extracting second training data comprising audience data and genre data for time segments of network broadcasts, and training an encoder neural network based on the first and second training data. The method includes executing the trained neural network with input data comprising the first network broadcast time segment and determining a similarity measure relative to the second network broadcast time segment.

Abstract: A server system receives a digital media asset captured by a media capture device along with a dataset associated with the digital media asset. The server system generates a modified digital media asset by overlaying or embedding a glyph that encodes information pointing to the network location of the information page onto the digital media asset. A requesting device scans the glyph from the modified digital media asset and decodes from the glyph the information pointing to the network location. The information includes a certification that the digital media and the dataset associated with the digital media asset are unaltered. The requesting device may transmit communications to the server system to indicate approval or disapproval of the digital media asset, or to edit the digital media asset. The server system receives the communication and may modify the information to reflect comments, approvals, disapprovals, or edits.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include accessing media segments that correspond to respective media items. At least one of the media segments may be divided into discrete video shots. The method may also include matching the discrete video shots in the media segments to corresponding video shots in the corresponding media items according to various matching factors. The method may further include generating a relative similarity score between the matched video shots in the media segments and the corresponding video shots in the media items, and training a machine learning model to automatically identify video shots in the media items according to the generated relative similarity score between matched video shots. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method sends a first instance of a media presentation description including first status information to a client. The first status information identifies a break from a stream of a media presentation for insertion of supplemental content. The method receives a request for a second instance of the media presentation description. The request includes information from the first status information that reverted the client back to the stream of the media presentation after insertion of the supplemental content. Then, the method sends the second instance of the media presentation description based on receiving the request from the client including the information from the first status information.

Abstract: A reception apparatus includes receiver and processing circuitry. The receiving circuitry is configured to receive a broadcast stream. The processing circuitry is configured to extract a service list table (SLT) from the broadcast stream. The SLT includes service information for each of a plurality of services in the broadcast stream. The processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the broadcast stream includes a digital rights management (DRM) service that is supported by the reception apparatus based on service category information in the service information for the plurality of services in the broadcast stream. The processing circuitry is configured to acquire DRM-related information, which is associated with the reception apparatus and delivered in the DRM service, based on a determination that the broadcast stream includes the DRM service that is supported by the reception apparatus.

Abstract: A video system, a video processing method, a device and a computer readable medium are disclosed. The system includes: a front-end device and a cloud server; the front-end device is configured to collect video stream data, and set a video identifier and a service scenario identifier for the video stream data, upload the video identifier, the video stream data and the service scenario identifier to the cloud server; the cloud server is configured to generate a video file corresponding to the video identifier according to the service scenario identifier, the video identifier and the video stream data; and store the video file.

Abstract: A consumption probability metric may be generated for a media asset. An aggregated forecast predicting user consumption of a media asset is received. A plurality of probabilities, each corresponding to a user of a plurality of users, is received, each indicating how likely a respective user is to consume the media asset. A weight for the plurality of users is calculated representing a ratio of the total number of users to a number of users in the plurality of users. A disaggregated forecast predicting user consumption of a media asset is determined based on the weight for the plurality of users and the plurality of probabilities. A modification factor is computed based on the aggregated forecast and the disaggregated forecast. A metric is generated that includes a plurality of user identifiers associated with the plurality of users and a plurality of modified probabilities each modified by the modification factor.

Abstract: The disclosure includes a method of generating and presenting non-processed streaming audio data and non-processed streaming video data to a first viewer and a second viewer. The method may include presenting, via a commercial television display unit, the non-processed streaming video data to at least one of the commentator, the first viewer, and the second viewer. The method may include generating the non-processed streaming audio data related to the live event by the commentator, and transferring the non-processed streaming audio data via an Internet to the first viewer and the second viewer. Also, the method may include providing the first viewer and the second viewer with a capability to synchronize a video presentation time of the non-processed streaming video data with an audio presentation time of the non-processed streaming audio data.