Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to control of consumption of content in an appliance. The content can include linear programming and non-linear assets. Such control can permit (i) changing a channel in the appliance (e.g., a CPE without upstream functionality) and thus selecting a linear-programming asset, a non-linear asset, and so forth, and (ii) controlling consumption of such assets. In one aspect, a device with upstream network connectivity can control the consumption of media in the appliance. The device can leverage data management and control functionality of a service provider network to acquire information related to assets available for consumption and to transmit asset requests to the service provider network, which can transmit content and signaling to the appliance in accordance at least in part with the asset request, thus controlling media consumption in the appliance.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an aluminum alloy vehicle body includes the following steps: vehicle body part molding, including: profile stretch-bending and machining; vehicle body frame assembly welding, including: performing assembly welding on a lower vehicle body, left and right side panels, and front and rear roof crossbeams; outer panel manufacturing, including: manufacturing an outer panel by injection molding; and whole vehicle assembling, including: assembling interior trim parts and the outer panel to a vehicle body frame, and assembling chassis parts to the vehicle body frame. The vehicle body parts and the vehicle body frame are made of an aluminum alloy material, and the outer panel is made of a non-metallic composite material.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing data assets and rights thereto are disclosed. One method can include generating an access token representing access rights of one or more users or device. A request for access to data can be received from the one or more users and the request can be granted or denied based upon the access rights of the one or more users. The access token can be modified based upon granting or denying the request.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses may encode a media content item based on metadata from previous encoding. The encoding may also generate encoding metadata, which may comprise a qualitative or quantitative characterization of the encoded media content item. A prediction engine may, based on this metadata, determine new encoding settings for the same or a different video resolution. The prediction engine may cause an encoded media content item to be stored and may cause encoding of the media content item using the new encoding settings.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing content are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a request for content comprising at least a first segment. The method can also comprise determining an expiration condition of the first segment, and replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition. The method can also comprise providing the second segment to a user or a device.

Abstract: A playback device may determine a quality measurement associated with one or more versions of a content fragment. The quality measurements may be based on one or more encoding characteristics associated with the plurality of versions of the content fragments. The quality measurements may be received by a content delivery system from the one or more devices and may be used by the content delivery system in determining a content playlist. By determining the quality measurements at the user device side, a larger number of quality measurements may be received and more accurate quality measurements may be utilized for determining the content playlist.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for delivery of one or more channels of programming in an IP network. An edge gateway device may retrieve segments of programming, based on information in a manifest file, and output the segments via multicast to one or more edge devices. Advertising content may be inserted, or replaced if already present, before the segments are multicast. Segments encoded at various bit rates may be available for retrieval. Segments may be selected for retrieval based in part on a quality indicator associated with each segment.

Abstract: A method and system for delivering content is provided.

Abstract: A multicast content delivery system can use both multicast and unicast streams to efficiently use available bandwidth to deliver content. Available multicast content can be identified to gateways serving consumption devices, and the gateways can receive requests for unicast content deliver, but honor the requests with multicast group sessions.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to control of consumption of content in an appliance. The content can include linear programming and non-linear assets. Such control can permit (i) changing a channel in the appliance (e.g., a CPE without upstream functionality) and thus selecting a linear-programming asset, a non-linear asset, and so forth, and (ii) controlling consumption of such assets. In one aspect, a device with upstream network connectivity can control the consumption of media in the appliance. The device can leverage data management and control functionality of a service provider network to acquire information related to assets available for consumption and to transmit asset requests to the service provider network, which can transmit content and signaling to the appliance in accordance at least in part with the asset request, thus controlling media consumption in the appliance.

Abstract: A network digital video recording (nDVR) system may take into account the capabilities of a requesting user's local DVR when managing network recordings. The user's local DVR may include a temporary buffer that is normally used to record what the DVR is tuned to, and may be used for local trickplay functionality such as pausing live television. The nDVR features described herein may track the usage of the user's temporary DVR buffer, and use that in determining what to stream in response to a user's playback request. The nDVR system can also determine if the user's local DVR has an unused tuner at a time of a program recording, and can instruct the user's local DVR to also tune to the program.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding a scene of media content based on visual elements of the scene. A scene of media content may comprise one or more visual elements, such as individual objects in the scene. Each visual element may be classified based on, for example, the motion and/or identity of the visual element. Based on the visual element classifications, scene encoder parameters and/or visual element encoder parameters for different visual elements may be determined. The scene may be encoded using the scene encoder parameters and/or the visual element encoder parameters.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and software for using a network to efficiently distribute media content assets from a virtually unlimited content library and/or other storage to a plurality of client devices, as well as bi-directional local content sharing between head ends, and dynamic distribution and generation of media content assets within the network.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and software for using a network to efficiently distribute media content assets from a virtually unlimited content library and/or other storage to a plurality of client devices, as well as bi-directional local content sharing between head ends, and dynamic distribution and generation of media content assets within the network.

Abstract: A network digital video recording (nDVR) system may take into account the capabilities of a requesting user's local DVR when managing network recordings. The user's local DVR may include a temporary buffer that is normally used to record what the DVR is tuned to, and may be used for local trickplay functionality such as pausing live television. The nDVR features described herein may track the usage of the user's temporary DVR buffer, and use that in determining what to stream in response to a user's playback request. The nDVR system can also determine if the user's local DVR has an unused tuner at a time of a program recording, and can instruct the user's local DVR to also tune to the program.

Abstract: A method and system for delivering content is provided. In one example, responsive to a request by a client device identifying a video program, the system is configured to determine different first and second network paths for delivery of the video program from a content source; deliver the video program via the first network path to the client device; and responsive to a change in status of the video program being delivered via the first network path, deliver the video program via the second network path to the client device.

Abstract: An encoder may determine one or more encoding characteristics associated with a content segment of a content asset. The one or more encoding characteristics may comprise an estimated bitrate required for transmission of the content segment over a network. The one or more encoding characteristics associated with the content segment may be inserted into a portion of an other content segment, such as into a header of the other content segment. The content segment and the other content segment may be configured for linear transmission, such as using adaptive bitrate streaming. When the other content segment is received at a playback device prior to the content segment, the playback device may use the one or more encoding characteristics of the content segment embedded in the header of the other content segment to determine one or more playback characteristics of the content segment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for delivering content to user equipment are described. The content may be delivered using Internet Protocol (IP) delivery, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) delivery, or another delivery format. For example, the system may receive content including a plurality of segments. The system may use manifest data to identify each of the plurality of segments. The system may also use the manifest data to generate index data for the plurality of segments, and the index data may be delivered to user devices with the plurality of segments. In some aspects, the system may use location information (e.g., timestamps, such as program clock references) for one or more data packet of the one of the plurality of segments to generate location information for other data packets.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses may encode a media content item based on metadata from previous encoding. The encoding may also generate encoding metadata, which may comprise a qualitative or quantitative characterization of the encoded media content item. A prediction engine may, based on this metadata, determine new encoding settings for the same or a different video resolution. The prediction engine may cause an encoded media content item to be stored and may cause encoding of the media content item using the new encoding settings.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding media content based on an ending delay of first media content and a startup delay of second media content. Second media content may be configured for transmission after first media content in a media content stream. The first media content may be associated with an ending delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the first media content. The second media content may be associated with a starting delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the second media content. The first media content and the second media content may be encoded using different encoding formats. Based on comparing the ending delay and starting delay to a threshold, encoding parameters may be selected, one or more frames may be removed from the first media content and/or the second media content, and/or buffers of one or more devices may be adjusted.