Abstract: A video apparatus is provided with automatic deinterlacing and inverse telecine pre-filtering capability to automatically analyze the frames of the video to determine at least whether the video is one of telecine, non-telecine progressive and non-telecine interlaced formatted, and to automatically reformat the video into a non-telecine progressive format if the video is determined to be one of telecine and non-telecine interlaced formatted.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for video compression. In one embodiment, a method of encoding a matrix of transform coefficients is performed. The method includes receiving a matrix of transform coefficients, creating a probabilistic model representing dependencies and correlations between coefficient locations and groups of coefficients from said matrix, and utilizing the probabilistic model to create an entropy encoding of the matrix. The probabilistic model my be, by way of example, a Markov model.

Abstract: A system and method of transmitting data packets. The system determines one or more system conditions of the server computer and modifies a process of transmitting the data packets from a server computer to a client computer, the modifying based at least in part upon the determined system conditions. The determined system conditions can include: (i) the number of forced processings of network events, (ii) the number of clients computers that are behind their scheduled delivery time, (iii) the number of client computers that have requested streamable data objects, (iv) the total byte count of the streamable data objects that have been requested by the client computers, (v) the number of the streamable data objects that have been requested by the client computers, (vi) the number of streamable data objects that are maintained by the streaming media server, and/or (vii) the actual transmission rate of the streaming media server with respect to the client computers.

Abstract: System and method for generating video frames. The system includes a frame generator which generates one or more intermediate frames based upon one base frames. Each of the base frames are comprised of a plurality of macroblocks. Furthermore, one or more of the macroblocks have a motion vector. The macroblocks are comprised of a plurality of pixels. In the frame generation process, the frame generator performs a number of steps such as: (i) determines whether frame generation is appropriate, (ii) examines the first and second base frames to check for the presence of textual characters, (iii) selects a frame generation method based upon information in the first and second frames, (iv) filters the generated frames. In one embodiment, the system includes a server computer having an encoder, a client computer having a decoder, and a network connecting the server computer to the client computer.

Abstract: System and method for generating video frames. The system includes a frame generator which generates one or more intermediate frames based upon one base frames. Each of the base frames are comprised of a plurality of macroblocks. Furthermore, one or more of the macroblocks have a motion vector. The macroblocks are comprised of a plurality of pixels. In the frame generation process, the frame generator performs a number of steps such as: (i) determines whether frame generation is appropriate, (ii) examines the first and second base frames to check for the presence of textual characters, (iii) selects a frame generation method based upon information in the first and second frames, (iv) filters the generated frames. In one embodiment, the system includes a server computer having an encoder, a client computer having a decoder, and a network connecting the server computer to the client computer.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to automated methods and systems for converting image streams having a first frame rate to a second frame rate without the need for user intervention. Embodiments of the present invention obviate the effects of processing of a telecine process. In one embodiment, where frames are encoded by a single video field, a statistical analysis of the differences between adjacent frames reveals a telecine pattern, thereby identifying which frames to remove. In another embodiment, where frames are encoded by even and odd video fields, which are interleaved to produce the frame, a statistical analysis of the differences between adjacent fields reveals the telecine pattern, identifies which frames to remove, and identifies frames that are candidates for re-interleaving.

Abstract: A system and method provide random access to a multimedia object over a network. One embodiment of the invention includes a streaming media server that is connected to a client computer over a network. The streaming media server includes at least one multimedia object that is adapted for transmission (“streaming”) across the network. A pre-roll calculation program determines a pre-roll for each segment of the multimedia object and generates a modified multimedia object which includes a pre-roll for each of its segments, a pre-roll identifying a portion of the multimedia object to be transmitted by the streaming media server and received by the client computer prior to playback of the multimedia object at a selected segment. The pre-roll allows the client computer to present, starting at a selected segment, the multimedia object in its entirety without interruption.