Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for maintaining a programming lineup of adaptive-bitrate content streaming is provided. The apparatus includes a timeline module configured to maintain a programming lineup of media content available over a network. The media content may comprise a plurality of streamlets. The apparatus also includes at least one data module configured to maintain multi-bitrate streamlet information. The system includes the apparatus and a client module configured to acquire content based upon the programming lineup provided by the timeline module. The method includes maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network, and maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.

Abstract: A virtual set-top box (vSTB) for executing a middleware component on an electronic device emulating hardware capabilities of the physical STB, including providing a management component to create an STB execution environment to process streaming media content received over a connection for presenting the content on a display of the electronic device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for adaptive content splicing with respect to content corresponding to a televised event are disclosed. First content may be received and may be determined to correspond to an event that is televised. One or more indicators of one or more state changes with respect to the event may be detected. A content composite may be created. An adaptable content item received from a first system may be processed. A content object re may be processed. The adaptable content item may be modified based at least in part on the content object to form the content composite. The creating the content composite may be a function of rules mapped to a current geolocation. Second content corresponding to the programming content may be received. The second content may be output for display in conjunction with the content composite.

Abstract: A set-top box or other receiving device may detect such channels that the EPG cursor visits frequently, visits for relatively long periods of time or that are frequently displayed on the screen in the electronic program guide (EPG), or otherwise frequently visited or viewed. The system determines that such channels are those that the user is likely to return to when browsing the EPG in the future and then adapts the EPG to present such channels on top of the EPG together with each other separately from the other full list of channels presented in the. This may be performed each time the EPG is opened. A customized EPG having the particular group of channels presented according a specific identified user's previous channel browsing activity may also be generated.

Abstract: Disclosed is an over-the-air (OTA) antenna meter application (“meter app”) that wirelessly connects to an OTA antenna meter (“meter”) installed with an OTA antenna and presents information that facilitates a user in installing the OTA antenna at the premises of a customer. For example, the meter app can help the user in pointing and peaking the OTA antenna for one or more broadcast channels, e.g., those selected by the customer. The meter app can store installation information of the OTA antenna for various installations, which can be used in generating a recommendation of, or predicting, installation information for installing the OTA antenna at a specified address. The predicted installation information can include broadcast channels that would be available for reception at the specified address and their signal strength, a specific location of installation on the premises, or whether a pre-amplifier and/or filter is required.

Abstract: Various systems, devices and methods automatically identify advertisements or other portions of television or other media content prior to broadcast using automated content analysis. Information about identified content may be used for any number of different purposes, including advertisement identification; advertisement replacement; second screen browsing or augmentation of identified content; tracking of times or places that ads or other content are viewed; and many others.

Abstract: A virtual set-top box (vSTB) for executing a middleware component on an electronic device emulating hardware capabilities of the physical STB, including providing management components to create an STB execution environment to process streaming video media content received over a connection for presenting the content on a display of the electronic device.

Abstract: A system and method are provided of minimizing network bandwidth used from an external network by client peers in a local network. The method can include the operation of organizing a plurality of clients each having media streamlets and a client parent in a structure within the local network. Mapping information propagates through the structure. The mapping information represents local streamlet locations as stored by the plurality of clients. Another operation is retrieving a local streamlet from a client identified in the mapping information as having the local streamlet for the requesting client.

Abstract: A computing device includes program instructions to select, based on indicia of interest for media content for each of a plurality of users, a first user and second user to engage in an interaction related to a media content item. The computing device further includes programming to select a topic related to the media content item for the interaction and initiate the interaction between the first and second user based on the topic.

Abstract: Systems and methods are operable to control operation of a portable media device based on machine readable information of a graphical artifact shown on a display concurrently with presentation of a video portion of a media content event. A portable media device, using a portable media device provisioned with an image capture device, captures at least one image that includes the display that is presenting the graphical artifact and the video portion of the media content event, identifies the graphical artifact in the captured at least one image, determines the machine readable data based on the identified graphical artifact, and operates the portable media device to perform at least one operation based on the determined machine readable data.

Abstract: Systems and methods of a media device are operable to perform a channel change operation. An exemplary embodiment receives a first data table from a data table server, wherein the first data table comprises first control information used to perform a channel change operation such that the media device reconfigures itself to change to a new channel from a currently presenting channel or to a new media content event from a currently presenting media content event. The exemplary embodiment later receives a second data table after initiation of the channel change operation, wherein the second data table is broadcast to the media device in one of a plurality of received broadcasting media content streams that has the new media content event, and wherein the second data table comprises second control information that corresponds to at least some of the first control information used to perform the channel change operation.

Abstract: Video content is processed for delivery using an automated process that allows for convenient packaging of encrypted or digital rights management (DRM) protected content in a manner such that the packaged content can be efficiently stored in a content delivery network (CDN) or other content source for subsequent re-use by other media clients without re-packaging, and without excessive storage of unused content data.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are provided to automatically identify advertisements or other portions of a broadcast television stream before the stream is distributed via a cable, DBS, IPTV or other medium. The television broadcast is received at the data processing system, and audio content of the television broadcast is analyzed to generate an audio fingerprint of a portion of the audio content. The identified audio fingerprint are compared to audio fingerprints stored in a database to thereby identify the portion of the television broadcast based on the generated audio fingerprint. By identifying the contents of an actual broadcast prior to redistribution of the broadcast, additional actions may be taken that are unique to the identified content.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices may generate speech files that reflect emotion of text-based content. An example process includes selecting a first text from a first source of text content and selecting a second text from a second source of text content. The first text and the second text are aggregated into an aggregated text, and the aggregated text includes a first emotion associated with content of the first text. The aggregated text also includes a second emotion associated with content of the second text. The aggregated text is converted into a speech stored in an audio file. The speech replicates human expression of the first emotion and of the second emotion.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for restricting user devices from accessing a communication network. In one implementation, multiple user devices are assigned to a user profile. At least one access parameter is designated for the user profile. An access device monitors data usage, time usage, and content usage of each of the devices associated with the user profile. In some examples, the access device may consolidate the data usage and time usage of all of the devices. If one or more of the consolidated data usage, consolidated time usage, or content usage violates the access parameter of the user profile, the access device restricts at least one of the multiple user devices from accessing the communication network.

Abstract: A virus scanning router may manages a local network, including routing network traffic between devices on the network and routing network traffic being sent to and from such devices via an external communication system. The virus scanning router remotely scans for viruses the files stored on one or more such devices on the network. The virus scanning router may be a device trusted by the other devices on local network to facilitate the virus scanning router reading and scanning one or more files stored on such devices for viruses. The virus scanning router also takes corrective actions such as isolating the infected device or isolating an affected network zone to which the remote device belongs.

Abstract: Systems, methods, machine-readable media, and media device are provided to facilitate seamless flow content splicing to dynamically insert particularized content items in television programming content. A plurality of particularized content items may be received and stored in a content store. First content that corresponds to television programming may be received and processed to detect a first set of color characteristics of video content. A subset of the particularized content items may be selected based on matching a second set of color characteristics of the subset of the particularized content items to the first set of color characteristics of the video content corresponding to the television programming. The first content may be output for display. Then, the subset of the particularized content items may be output for display in succession so that display of the subset of the particularized content items directly follows display of the first content.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices provide efficient bandwidth allocation on a satellite, mobile telephone or other data connection by allowing nodes to share bandwidth for commonly-requested data. A transmission center, uplink or other gateway suitably recognizes when content requests from multiple different nodes are simultaneously requesting delivery of the same content. When the same content is recognized, the gateway device allocates shared bandwidth on the data transmission link for the requested content that is accessible to both the first and second nodes.

Abstract: Method, systems, and computer-readable media are provided to facilitate content discovery based on augmented context. A first set of images of a graphical display may be acquired and analyzed to identify visual characteristics of an object represented. Attributes of the object may be identified. Specifications may be transmitted to the television receiver and/or a remote data source in order to pull matching information. A user-selectable interface element may be generated for presentation as an option to take an action relating to the object represented. A visual output of the interface element may be output as an overlay on the first set and/or a second set of images displayed by the computing device. A user selection responsive to the outputting of the visual output of the at interface element may be processed. A communication may be transmitted to the television receiver to cause the action responsive to the user selection.

Abstract: Messaging services for providing updates for multimedia content delivered over the Internet for a live event. In one embodiment, a messaging server provides real-time updates for multimedia content of a live event delivered over the Internet to multiple media players that request the multimedia content over the Internet. In one embodiment, the real-time updates indicate when the multimedia content is available for delivery over the Internet. In another embodiment, the real-time updates can be used to dynamically insert advertisement markers for advertisement breaks in the multimedia content.