Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory, and a display displays a first video stream on the display. The electronic device downloads and stores a portion of a second video stream and, once the portion of the second video stream has been downloaded, ceases to download the second video stream. The electronic device receives a request to display the second video stream on the display and, in response, determines whether the stored portion of the second video stream satisfies recency criteria with respect to a current stream time of the second video stream. In accordance with a determination that the stored portion of the second video stream satisfies the recency criteria, the electronic device displays at least a portion of the first video stream on the display concurrently with at least the stored portion of the second video stream.

Abstract: A method and system for producing video-segments of a live-action event involving monitoring a live-action event for detection of event-segments, detecting one or more event-triggers with detectors, determining if an event-segment occurred based on the detected event-triggers, and editing one or more video feeds into a video-segment to encompass the event-segment.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream and in response, displays the first video stream. The device allocates, in accordance with a bandwidth allocation, available bandwidth for receiving data at the device between receiving the first video stream and preloading one or more other, non-displayed, video streams. While displaying the first video stream on the display, the device preloads at least a portion of one or more non-displayed video streams based on the bandwidth allocation. After the preloading, the device receives a second request to display a second video stream. In response to receiving the second request, the device displays at least a portion of the second video stream on the display using a preloaded portion of the second video stream that was preloaded in accordance with the bandwidth allocation.

Abstract: A method and system for producing video-segments of a live-action event involving monitoring a live-action event for detection of event-segments, detecting one or more event-triggers with detectors, determining if an event-segment occurred based on the detected event-triggers, and editing one or more video feeds into a video-segment to encompass the event-segment.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream that corresponds to a first channel in a predetermined sequence of channels. In response to the first request, the device displays the first video stream. While displaying the first video stream, the device receives a second request to display a second video stream that corresponds to a second channel in the predetermined sequence of channels and is separated from the first channel by one or more intervening channels. In response to receiving the second request, the device displays at least a portion of the first video stream concurrently with recently received content of one or more of the intervening channels and displays recently received content of one or more of the intervening channels concurrently with at least a portion of the second video stream.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains information about a first and second sequence of media items. The device plays an initially-displayed media item of the first sequence and while playing the initially-displayed media item in a respective region of the display, detects a media-change input. In response to the input, when the media-change input corresponds to movement in a first direction, the device ceases to play the initially-displayed media item in the respective region and plays a first media item that is adjacent to the initially-displayed media item in the first sequence. When the media-change input corresponds to movement in a second, different, direction, the device ceases to play the initially-displayed media item in the respective region of the display and plays a second media item in the respective region, where the second media item is from the second sequence of media items.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream and in response, displays the first video stream on the display in a first video tile and plays first audio content that corresponds to the first video stream. While displaying the first video stream, the device receives a second request to display a second video stream. In response to receiving the second request, the device slides the first video tile off of the display and slides a second video tile that corresponds to second video tile onto the display. The device also starts to play second audio content for the second video stream and increases an amplitude of the second audio content relative to an amplitude of the first audio content in accordance with an amount of the second video tile that is displayed on the display.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream on the display. In response to receiving the first request, the electronic device displays the first video stream on the display. While displaying the first video stream on the display, the electronic device receives a second request to display a second video stream on the display. In response to receiving the second request, the electronic device displays at least a portion of the first video stream on the display concurrently with at least a portion of the second video stream, where the second video stream was received, at least in part, from a content source in response to a request from the electronic device to the content source for delivery of the second video stream from the content source.

Abstract: A source file representing media such as video, photographs or graphics, is uploaded and stored. During a pre-transcoding process, the source file is converted to a predetermined number of different formats, and the converted files are stored. When the source file is requested, the best file format for the requesting device is determined. If the best file format is one of the pre-transcoded formats, a pre-transcoded file is provided to fulfill the request. If the best file format is not one of the pre-transcoded formats, then the source file is transcoded to generate an on-demand transcoded file in the best file format and the on-demand transcoded file is provided to fulfill the request.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains information about a first and second sequence of media items. The device plays an initially-displayed media item of the first sequence and while playing the initially-displayed media item in a respective region of the display, detects a media-change input. In response to the input, when the media-change input corresponds to movement in a first direction, the device ceases to play the initially-displayed media item in the respective region and plays a first media item that is adjacent to the initially-displayed media item in the first sequence. When the media-change input corresponds to movement in a second, different, direction, the device ceases to play the initially-displayed media item in the respective region of the display and plays a second media item in the respective region, where the second media item is from the second sequence of media items.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains a file header for a file that corresponds to a plurality of separately indexed clusters. The file is divided into segments one or more of which include multiple sequential clusters. The file header includes a segment index that enables identification of a segment that includes requested content. The device receives a request to seek to a respective position within the file. In response, the device identifies a first segment that includes content that corresponds to the respective position based on the segment index, obtains the first segment, and obtains a content index for a respective cluster within the first segment. After obtaining the first segment and the content index, the device identifies respective content within the respective cluster that corresponds to the respective position based on a content index and provides the respective content to a user.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains information that enables distribution of content between clients operating as peers in a peer-to-peer network. A first subset of the clients have first file format processing capabilities and a second subset of the clients have second file format processing capabilities. The peer-to-peer network enables access to a first set of file portions corresponding to the first file format and a second set of file portions corresponding to the second file format. The first set of file portions and the second set of file portions both include one or more shared file portions. The device provides, to one or more clients, information that enables the respective content to be shared over the peer-to-peer network that enables shared file portions be obtained either clients in the first subset of clients or clients in the second subset of clients.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains a file header for a file corresponding to a plurality of clusters, where the file header includes a cluster index. The device receives a request to seek to a respective position within the file and, in response to receiving the request: identifies a cluster of the plurality of clusters that includes content that corresponds to the respective position based on the cluster index; obtains a cluster header associated with the cluster based on information retrieved from the cluster index, where the cluster header includes a content index; and after obtaining the cluster header, identifies respective content within the cluster corresponding to the respective position based on the content index. The device provides at least a portion of content corresponding to the file to a presentation device for presentation to a user, starting with the respective content.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains information that enables distribution of content to a plurality of clients having different file format processing capabilities. The device provides, to a first client, first information that enables access to respective content in a first file format and provides, to a second client, second information that enables access to the respective content in a second file format different from the first file format. The first information identifies a first set of file portions that can be combined to generate the respective content in the first file format. The second information identifies a second set of file portions that can be combined to generate the respective content in the second file format. The second set of file portions includes one or more shared file portions that are included in the first set of file portions.

Abstract: A computer system generates a first decompressed media stream based on a first compressed media stream. While providing the first decompressed media stream to a presentation device, the computer system receives a content-transition indication for providing a second decompressed media stream to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream. The content-transition indication corresponds to a request to display the second decompressed media stream starting at a respective point within a predefined portion of the second decompressed media stream. The computer system receives a second compressed media stream corresponding to the second decompressed media stream.

Abstract: A computer system generates a first decompressed media stream based on a first compressed media stream and provides the first decompressed media stream to a presentation device. While providing the first decompressed media to the presentation device: the computer system receives a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream. The computer system stores first buffered data corresponding to the first decompressed media stream and receives a second compressed media stream corresponding to the second decompressed media stream.

Abstract: A computer system generates a first decompressed media stream based on a first compressed media stream. While providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device, the computer system receives a content-transition indication to switch to a second decompressed media stream. In response to receiving the content-transition indication, the computer system selects a first transition point in first content corresponding to the first compressed media stream and selects a second transition point in second content corresponding to the second compressed media stream. The second transition point is selected in accordance with a bandwidth available for receiving the second compressed media stream and the first transition point is selected based on the second transition point. The computer system requests the second compressed media stream starting at the second transition point and ceases to provide the first decompressed media stream at the first transition point in the first content.

Abstract: A computer system receives a first compressed media stream and stores corresponding data in a first compressed buffer. The computer system generates a first decompressed media stream based on the first compressed media stream. While providing the first decompressed media stream to a presentation device, the computer system receives a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream. While continuing to generate the first decompressed media stream using the first compressed buffer, the computer system receives a second compressed media stream corresponding to the second decompressed media stream and stores corresponding data in a second compressed buffer. After storing the data in the second compressed buffer, the computer system provides a second decompressed media stream, based on the second compressed media stream, to the presentation device instead the first decompressed media stream.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream that corresponds to a first channel. In response to receiving the first request, the device starts to download the first video stream from a content source for the first video stream. After starting to download the first video stream, the device displays the first video stream and starts to preload one or more video streams including a second video stream that corresponds to a second channel that is adjacent to the first channel. While displaying the first video stream, the device receives a second request to display the second video stream. In response to receiving the second request, the device displays at least a portion of the second video stream using a preloaded portion of the second video stream.

Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream and in response, displays the first video stream. The device allocates, in accordance with a bandwidth allocation, available bandwidth for receiving data at the device between receiving the first video stream and preloading one or more other, non-displayed, video streams. While displaying the first video stream on the display, the device preloads at least a portion of one or more non-displayed video streams based on the bandwidth allocation. After the preloading, the device receives a second request to display a second video stream. In response to receiving the second request, the device displays at least a portion of the second video stream on the display using a preloaded portion of the second video stream that was preloaded in accordance with the bandwidth allocation.