Abstract: A system for providing television (TV) service including high definition television (HDTV) service, and for providing verification that a subscriber has connected an HDTV to the system includes a TV service provider headend and a set top box (STB). The HDTV may have an HDTV digital video interface (DVI) interconnect. The STB may be electrically coupled to the headend and have an STB DVI interconnect. When the HDTV DVI interconnect is initially electrically coupled to the STB DVI interconnect, the HDTV generally presents a data signal to the STB and the STB generally presents the data signal to the headend.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computing device may display a video browser screen on an output device. The video browser screen may include a list of video programs arranged as a carousel. The carousel may have a plurality of entries, where an entry may represent a video program that may be provided by a service provider. A video program represented by an entry may be, for example, a live video program, a video program available on demand, or a video program that may have been recorded by a device that may be provided by the service provider. The computing device may acquire an indication to navigate to an entry in the carousel. The computing device may navigate to the entry and acquire an indication to select the entry. The computing device may select the entry and display the video program associated with the selected entry on the output device.

Abstract: A digital content provider that provides content channels to users via a computer network selects an artist message. The content provider retrieves a predictive model trained to calculate an artist affinity score indicating a likelihood that a given user will provide positive feedback to a given artist message. The predictive model is trained, using machine learning, based on feedback from users for previous plays of artist messages. The content provider retrieves artist features describing the artist who recorded the artist message, and user features describing a candidate user. The content provider calculates an artist affinity score for the candidate user and selected artist message using the predictive model. The content provider determines to play a content item by the artist to the candidate user, determines to play the selected artist message associated with the content item based on the artist affinity score, and transmits the artist message and content item.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to interaction based on live webcast. In an example, an interaction method includes: receiving a bullet-screen comment message transmitted by a live broadcast client; in response to identifying a reference word string from the bullet-screen comment message, comparing the bullet-screen comment message with answer data corresponding to an interaction task to obtain a matching result; and outputting the matching result.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards remotely generating encoding metadata at a remote content distributor for use by a local user computing device. The remote content distributor receives and encodes content. During or after the encoding process, the remote content distributor generates encoding metadata that indicates how the content was encoded by the remote content distributor. The remote content distributor provides the encoding metadata to the user computer device. The user computing device receives the content and the encoding metadata and encodes the content based on the encoding metadata. The user computing device can then provide the encoded content to another computing device for decoding and presentation to a user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a client computing device for a first shot included in a media title being streamed to the client computing device for playback; in response to the request, sending the first shot to the client computing device for playback; and sending a representative image for at least one of the first shot and a second shot included in the media title, wherein the first shot comprises a first sequence of video frames that is included in the media title and captured continuously from a first point of capture, and the second shot comprises a second sequence of video frames that is included in the media title and captured continuously from a second point of capture.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed toward locally generating a replacement spot beam signal to be combined with other orbital television signals, where the replacement spot beam signal is generated from locally received over-the-air television signals. Over-the-air television signals are received at a user's premises via an over-the-air antenna and orbital signals are received at the user's premises via a satellite antenna. The orbital signals include a spot beam signal and other orbital signals. The spot beam signal is specifically generated for the geographical area associated with the over-the-air television signals. One or more available local channels are extracted from the over-the-air television signals and are converted into the replacement spot beam signal that is a satellite-compatible signal. The replacement spot beam, instead of the original spot beam signal, is then combined with the other orbital signals and provided to a content receiver.

Abstract: A system may receive an entity identifier for a user. The entity identifier may identify an entity that is associated with a category. The system may identify channel(s) for the category by obtaining data for the user, and analyzing the data to determine a score for each channel. The system may use the scores to select one or more of the channels. The system may provide content related to the selected channel(s) to a client device of the user, and the user may interact with the content via the client device.

Abstract: A system is described for distributing over the air (OTA) channels within buildings and homes. The system can implement one or more active multi-mode antennas for improved performance and reliability. The system can be configured as a mesh network where multiple nodes are distributed to improve the probability of channel capture across the VHF and UHF frequencies used for over the air TV distribution. A node consists of a beam steering antenna that operates at the VHF and UHF frequencies for TV signal reception, a receiver and demodulation circuit, a transcoder to convert the received information for re-distribution, and a transceiver capable of operation at a secondary frequency band for use in re-distributing the information to communication devices in proximity of the node.

Abstract: A method to provide secure delivery of video manifest/playlist files by generating a single use, per-user encryption key to encrypt the video manifest/playlist file is disclosed. A video player generates a session ID when establishing connection with a manifest server. The manifest server is in communication with a key server and uses the session ID and content ID to generate the single use encryption key specifically for the session ID generated by the video player. The manifest server encrypts the manifest file prior to providing it to the video player. The content of the manifest file can then only be decrypted by the single use encryption key. The video player communicates with the key server to retrieve the single use key and to decrypt the manifest file.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards a surf mode of operation for streaming content such as video content, in which different content is arranged as different channels though which a user can surf by changing the streaming channels. The starting times of the different content can be staggered. Aspects comprise streaming first content corresponding to a first interactively selectable streaming channel to an output device, receiving a change request to change to a second interactively selectable streaming channel, and in response to the receiving the change request, streaming second content corresponding to the second interactively selectable streaming channel to the output device.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that generally relate to content delivery techniques in audio-visual systems. In an audio-visual system, a method of using sensors to incrementally present content elements on a display includes presenting a first content element on the display, receiving first data from a sensor, the first data associated with a first distance. An increment coefficient is identified, and a portion size is determined by reducing the first distance by the increment coefficient. Finally, an unseen portion of a second content element is incrementally added to the display, and a presented portion of the first content element is incrementally removed from the display, the size of the portions added and removed being equal to the determined portion size.

Abstract: A recording device and a method are described herein that provide a network-based personal video recording service utilizing adaptive bit rate technology for a plurality of users. In operation, the recording device records at a minimum a single bit rate (one set of segmented files) of the broadcast content within each user's network personal video recorder storage unit. Plus, the recording device stores the other bit rates (remaining sets of segmented files) in a central storage location or some other storage location.

Abstract: Techniques are described for allocation hardware and/or bandwidth resources of a viewer device between a live streaming media content playback of a video player and a concurrently provided live chat. For example, the network and hardware resources used by a video player for streaming media content playback can be adjusted based on chat conditions of the live chat.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to correct misattributions of media impressions are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining first demographic-based impressions via a beacon transmitted in response to access to content by a first set of panelists, obtaining, from a database proprietor, second demographic-based impressions of the content on a second set of persons, forming a pseudo-inverse matrix determined based in part on the first impressions, and having a truncated value and a damped value to form third demographic-based impressions of the content on the second set of persons based on the second impressions, and computing at least partially corrected demographic-based impressions values by multiplying a vector of database proprietor impression data by the pseudo-inverse matrix.

Abstract: The present technology relates to a receiving device, a receiving method, a transmission device, and a transmission method for operation of various services. The receiving device acquires trigger information for providing various functions, the trigger information containing type information indicating the type of trigger information and channel information indicating a series for each function provided by the trigger information. The receiving device performs processing corresponding to each function on the basis of the trigger information identified by the type information and the channel information. The present technology is applicable to a television receiver being able to receive a digital broadcast signal, for example.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for dynamically inserting secondary content into a live stream or a video on demand (VOD). The secondary content can include, for example, a public service announcement or warning, censoring content, live or prerecorded commentary, an advertisement, or any other type of content to be integrated with or inserted into the main content. Example methods may include receiving a content stream including a first fragment having a first duration and a second fragment having the first duration. Certain methods may include determining an increased quality of service associated with encoding the content stream into fragments having a second duration. Certain methods may include generating, based at least in part on the increased quality of service, a third fragment having the second duration, and sending the content stream having the third fragment to a user device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a companion application that allows users to discover secondary content that supplements primary content that the user is enjoying and to run the secondary content within the application. Examples of primary content include, games, television shows, movies, and music. In one embodiment, a companion application runs on both the primary device, which is the device generating the primary content, and on the companion device. The companion application helps the user discover available secondary content. In addition to discovering secondary content that may be relevant to the user, the companion application includes an application-run environment in which secondary content applications may run.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for tracking streaming of media content on a second computing device, detecting termination of the streaming of media content on the second computing device, determining when the streaming of the media content was terminated on the second computing device, and automatically resuming streaming of the media content on a first computing device, at a point where the streaming of the media content was terminated on the second computing device.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of processing a sequence of image frames to reduce its length. One implementation may involve extracting coefficients (e.g., Discrete Cosine Transform coefficients) from components of individual frames, and comparing the resulting coefficients for sequential frames to identify frames having the least change from a prior frame. Also, scene change values for each frame may be calculated and placed in a sorted list to facilitate identification of frames for removal. Frame removal may be conducted in rounds, where a group of pictures (GOP) may only have one frame removed for any given round.