Abstract: A viewing environment adjustment system, including: one or more sensors each configured to monitor an aspect of the viewing environment; one or more processors; and one or more memory devices having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: determine that media content is being displayed on a display located in the viewing environment; receive data from the one or more sensors; and adjust a corresponding aspect of the viewing environment based on the received data exceeding a selected threshold value in response to determining that media content is being displayed.

Abstract: Processes, systems, and devices generate a training set comprising a first presentation having a first visual aid and a first audio description. The first visual aid and the first audio description are based on initial data retrieved from a first data source using a first indexing technique. The machine-learning system is trained using the first presentation and the initial data retrieved from the first data source using the first indexing technique. The machine-learning system generates a second presentation having a second visual aid and a second audio description. The second visual aid and the second audio description are based on refreshed data retrieved from the first data source using the first indexing technique. The machine-learning system presents the second presentation via an avatar in a virtual meeting room. The avatar is generated by the machine-learning system to present the second visual aid and the second audio description.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for adjusting network speed to a gateway. The network speed adjustment system can include a gateway with the ability to manage a consumer-initiated temporary increase in network speed or network bandwidth. The network speed adjustment system can determine whether the provisioning system can support a network speed increase to the gateway. The provisioning system can measure the capacity of the network at the gateway location and determine whether the system can support providing the gateway with an increased network speed or increased bandwidth. When additional bandwidth capacity or network speed is available for a gateway location, a user can request the network increase by submitting a token via the gateway. The gateway can communicate with the provisioning system to increase the network speed according to the characteristics of the token.

Abstract: A TV lift assist device and methods of operation and assembly thereof are described. The device includes a TV Holder Assembly (“TVHA”), a riser assembly, and a stand assembly. The stand assembly include a center rail assembly and two outrigger rail assemblies coupled thereto. The outrigger rail assemblies extend from front to end, include a top and a bottom surface, a front foot pad, a Leg Height Adjustment Assembly, a first adjustable leg coupled to the first LHAA, and an end foot pad coupled to a bottom surface of the first adjustable leg. The LHAA facilitates levelling of the stand assembly by extensions or retractions of the first adjustable leg within the first LHAA when the first front foot pad is resting on a first surface at a first elevation and the first end foot pad is resting on a second surface at a second elevation.

Abstract: A system and method for initiating closed captioning. The system includes a processor that can receive an instruction to add closed captioning. The system may also, upon receiving the instruction, determine a time point at which to begin the closed captioning and determining an amount of closed captioning to include, and output, for display, the closed captioning.

Abstract: Devices, systems and processes for facilitating watch parties are described. For at least one embodiment, a system may include a sync server; a first user device communicatively coupled to the sync server; a second user device communicatively coupled to the sync server; and a content source providing a content. The sync server may transmit the content as each of a first content to the first user device and as a second content to the second user device. The sync server may be configured to adjust a first bit rate for the first content and, upon adjusting the first bit rate, the first content and second content may be respectively provided to each of the first user device and the second user device such that the devices can substantially simultaneously and separately present the first content to the first user and the second content to the second user.

Abstract: A facility for generating and displaying information regarding the packaging of individual media asset files associated with multiple scheduled presentations of interstitial media assets is provided. Scheduling information is received regarding future scheduled media presentations for each of a plurality of media assets via one or more content channels. Based at least in part on the received scheduling information, one or more package files are generated such that each package file includes a plurality of media asset files, each corresponding to at least one of the future scheduled media presentations, for distribution to a plurality of distinct media receivers. Database information is generated regarding the generating of the one or more package files, such that the database information includes a completion time associated with the generating of each package file.

Abstract: A computer network security manager device connects to a first wireless router and then connects to a plurality of devices (e.g., a plurality of IoT devices). The computer network security manager device then performs device agnostic activation of the plurality of devices to enable the plurality of devices to perform respective functions of each device. The security manager device prevents the plurality of devices from connecting directly to the first wireless router and only allows other devices on the Internet to communicate with the plurality of devices according to specific firewall rules. In response to receiving an indication that the first wireless router to which the network security manager device is connected is out of service or no longer exists, the network security manager device prevents other devices on the Internet from being able to communicate with the plurality of devices.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for audio/video recognition and adaptive packet transmission are disclosed. A first content item that includes audio content and video content may be received and processed to detect a set of one or more video characteristics and/or a set of one or more audio characteristics that may be analyzed to identify the first content item as corresponding to a service provider system. The first content item may be transferred for display with an endpoint media device. At least one electronic signal may be received and processed, the at least one electronic signal indicative of execution of at least one operation of a set of one or more operations relating to one or more images of the first content item consequent to the display of the first content with the endpoint media device.

Abstract: A facility for updating software installed on a media device in connection with installation of the media device in customer premises is described. Outside the customer premises, the facility transfers a later-issued version of the software installed on the media device from a server to a portable storage device. Within the customer premises, the facility transfers the later-issued version of the software installed on the media device from the portable storage device to the media device for installation on the media device.

Abstract: An example method for visual testing and issue communication of programmed display of content includes obtaining a workflow of test scenarios for visual testing a display. The content displayed on the display is controlled by a set-top box (STB) device executing target instructions. The example method further includes identifying a visual testing issue associated with executing the test scenarios, and communicating the workflow and issue to a remote device for reproduction of the issue.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for selecting a redundant network source at a gateway. The system can include a gateway with the ability to support combining multiple network sources to increase the network speed or bandwidth from the gateway or selecting a redundant network source to increase the network speed or bandwidth for a particular application. The system can increase the network speed by adding a second network source for a particular application (e.g., video steaming, video call, etc.) or an application requiring lower latency than the current network source provides. The additional network source can send all the data packet traffic of the application or the application's traffic is split between the additional network source and the current network source of the gateway.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and machine-readable media are provided to facilitate content receiver control for particularized output of content items based on intra-content metrics. Observation data, corresponding to indications of detected content receiver operations associated with a content receiver and mapped to a first set of content items, may be processed. A first set of intra-content metrics may be detected. An audiovisual pattern of intra-content metrics may be mapped based on correlating the set of observation data with the first set of intra-content metrics. A second set of content items may be processed to detect a second set of intra-content metrics. A subset of the second set of content items may be selected based on a visual category and/or an audio category of the audiovisual pattern of intra-content metrics. The subset may be specified to cause a content receiver to modify operations to record and/or output content corresponding to the subset.

Abstract: Metadata relating to advertisements in a television or other media stream can be automatically evaluated and filtered for more efficient ad replacement. A received media stream, for example, can be evaluated by an ad identification system or the like to identify advertisements, and to create an ad marker structure that describes the ad. The marker is ultimately provided to an ad replacement system that manages the actual replacement in streams delivered to individual viewers. In the meantime, however, the marker can be further evaluated to “pre-quality” the associated ad for replacement, to filter the ad marker so that the marker information is more accurate, or to create “pods” of consecutive replaceable ads.

Abstract: Example systems, devices, and methods can initiate playback of content on a client device. The client device determines an advertisement slot is identifiable in the content with a lead time greater than a lead threshold. A first advertisement can be prefetched in response to a playback time of the advertisement slot approaching in the content. The first advertisement is targeted based on the client device and the content. The client device plays the prefetched first advertisement during playback of the content. The prefetched first advertisement can be stored in response to the client device pausing playback before the advertisement slot, skipping the advertisement slot, or rewinding before the advertisement slot. The first advertisement can be prefetched from a demand-side platform for delivery to a user account associated with the client device.

Abstract: A media device control system is provided herein. The media device control system receives a first indication of a geographic location of a set-top box associated with a user and receives a second indication of data representing one or more vacation time periods based on the geographic location. The media device control system determines that the user is predicted to be on vacation within a period of time based on the data representing the one or more vacation time periods and the geographic location. The media device control system receives user input confirming that the user will go on vacation within the period of time. The media device control system causes the set-top box to transmit signals to activate a television during the period of time based on the user input indicating that the user will go on vacation within the period of time.

Abstract: “Binge watching” of multiple episodes of a program is improved by the player device automatically skipping repeated portions of the program. Opening and closing credit scenes, for example, can be automatically skipped to thereby allow the viewer to progress through the entire season of programming at an even faster rate than was previously thought possible. Programming to be skipped may be identified by detecting audio or other digital fingerprints in the content itself, for example. Content to be skipped may be identified to the playback device according to anchor points or other references in the programming itself.

Abstract: Various arrangements of a local cloud system for providing television services are presented. A facility cloud host system may have a content service provider interface that is used to receive live television channel streams from a television content service provider. The local cloud system may have a transcoder that transcodes the live television channels into a format to be transmitted locally to client devices. The local cloud system may provide access to recorded content from a remote master cloud host.

Abstract: Embodiments are related to faster provisioning of targeted advertisements at a set-top box (STB) via an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the STB and a remote server. The disclosed IP-based advertisement distribution system enables targeted advertisements to be pulled from the remote server efficiently, causing the advertisements to be made available within a short time frame (e.g., less than one day from the time when the advertisements are available). The disclosed methods enables a STB to determine whether to retain existing targeted advertisements, discard them, or provision newly-available advertisements. The targeted advertisements can depend on various factors such as demographic information of an owner of the STB, lifestyle information of the owner of the STB, etc.

Abstract: Methods and systems for provisioning content streaming service are provided. An example method includes dividing a network associated with a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) having multiple zones within the MDU into multiple network segments respectively corresponding to the multiple zones, dividing a content resource provided by the MDU into multiple segments respectively corresponding to the multiple network segments. Each segment of the content resource includes content items specific to the corresponding network segment based on a predetermined network policy. The method further includes receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) for access to a content item of the content resource, determining that the UE is associated with one of the network segments and that the requested content item is included in the segment of content resource specific to the network segment, and granting the access to the content item to the UE.