Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing viewing information is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an designation of a second user from the first user; and transmitting the first user viewing information to the designated second user. The shared viewing information may comprise the identity of a currently viewed media program, a list of scheduled media program viewings, or the media program itself.

Abstract: A video segment including interactive links to information about an actor appearing in the segment may be prepared in an automatic or semi-automatic process. A computer may detect an actor's face appearing in a frame of digital video data by processing the video file with a facial detection algorithm. A user-selectable link may be generated and activated along a track of the face through multiple frames of the video data. The user-selectable link may include a data address for obtaining additional information about an actor identified with the face. The video data may be associated with the user-selectable link and stored in a computer memory. When later viewing the video segment via a media player, a user may select the link to obtain further information about the actor.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements into a streamed media program is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a user computer for accepting user input, the user input directly defining user preferences regarding the presentation of the advertisements in the streamed media program and for inserting advertisements in the streamed media program according to the defined user preferences; and a media program provider communicatively coupled to the user computer, for transmitting the streamed media program to the user computer for presentation to the user on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a script starts automatic control of a remote device. The script issues a command to the device. The script causes a marker to be set at a position in an event buffer. The marker indicates events generated by the device should be stored in the event buffer. The action performed by the device results in events being asynchronously sent to the event buffer where the events are stored in the event buffer. The script initiates a wait for routine that waits for a target event to occur before execution of the script can continue and receives the events from the event buffer where the events are stored in the event buffer. The events are analyzed to determine if the target event occurred to allow the script to continue execution where the target event was stored in the event buffer before initiating the wait for routine.

Abstract: A computer customizes additional content provided with video advertisements in a video segment, by identifying a video advertisement included in a segment of video content streaming to a client device, determining a parameter of the client device or of a user of the client device, and selecting customized advertising content from multiple predetermined advertising choices, based on the parameter and on an identity of the video advertisement. An interactive ad object may be provided at a time determined by timing of the video ad in a streaming video session. The interactive ad object may include a link to additional information related to the video ad. The link may be customized for a particular client device and video session, for example by linking to the customized advertising content at a remote server.

Abstract: Configuration of advertisements in a streaming video segment from a serving node is based on a result of an interactive game process executing on a client device. A configuration of advertisements in the streaming video is determined based on the game result. The configuration may include which advertisements are selected to play during ad slots to be included in the video segment, or a number of ad slots to be provided in the video segment. The serving node may configure the video segment with the advertisements selected based on the game result in the determined number of ad slots so that the selected advertisements are played during the ad slots when the video segment is streamed to the client device. If the video segment is configured with no ad slots based on the game result, then the video segment may be streamed to the client device without advertisements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recommending a media program of a set of media programs to a user of a set of users is disclosed. The method and apparatus computes a measure wij of the implied similarity of a first media program (i) and a second media program (j) that corrects for the popularity of the media programs, thus resulting in a more accurate indication of the relatedness of the media programs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing community based metadata is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of detecting an object in a frame of media program, transmitting first data comprising the frame of the media program having the detected object to display device for presentation to a user, receiving second data comprising user entered metadata associated with the identified object, tracking the object across proximate frames of the media program, associating the entered metadata with the object in at least one of the proximate frames of the media program, and storing the associated entered metadata.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes encoding a media file using a variable bitrate encoding algorithm based on a plurality of bitrate ranges to generate a set of encoded segments. For each bitrate range, an encoded segment for each segment of the media file is determined from the set of encoded segments based on a quality level of the encoded segment and each bitrate range. The method then identifies a playlist for each bitrate range including the encoded segment for each segment of the media file that was determined for each bitrate range. At least one playlist includes an encoded segment that was generated based on another bitrate range using the variable bitrate encoding algorithm.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for navigating a media program via a searchable transcript of the dialog of the media program is disclosed. In one embodiment, a textural transcript of the dialog is generated, wherein the textural transcript comprising a plurality of portions wherein each portion is associated with a segment of the media program, a command is accepted to display the transcript and in response to that command, user interface data is transmitted to the client computer for presentation in a user interface, wherein the user interface comprising a concurrently presented media program player and the textural transcript.

Abstract: Configuration of advertisements in a streaming video segment works in cooperation with a client device. Using a selection algorithm, a server selects a first number of default video advertisements for a video streaming session, and a second number of alternative video ads greater than the first number. The server provides identifiers for the alternative video advertisements and transmits the identifiers to the client device prior to a corresponding ad break in the streaming video. During or before streaming of one of the default video advertisements to the client device, the server detects a signal from the client device requesting that one of the alternative video advertisements be swapped for the one of the default video advertisements, interrupts streaming of the default video, and initiates streaming of the one of the alternative video advertisements, in response to detecting the signal. Corresponding operations may be performed by the client device.

Abstract: Configuration of advertisements in a streaming video segment from a serving node is based on a result of an interactive game process executing on a client device. A configuration of advertisements in the streaming video is determined based on the game result. The configuration may include which advertisements are selected to play during ad slots to be included in the video segment, or a number of ad slots to be provided in the video segment. The serving node may configure the video segment with the advertisements selected based on the game result in the determined number of ad slots so that the selected advertisements are played during the ad slots when the video segment is streamed to the client device. If the video segment is configured with no ad slots based on the game result, then the video segment may be streamed to the client device without advertisements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining media program metadata is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving a media program callback message in a content delivery system from a client device displaying a webpage retrieved from a host server, the media program embedded in the retrieved webpage, the callback message comprising a callback address to the webpage, and storing the address as metadata associated with the media program in the database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining media program metadata is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving a media program callback message in a content delivery system from a client device displaying a webpage retrieved from a host server, the media program embedded in the retrieved webpage, the callback message comprising a callback address to the webpage, and storing the address as metadata associated with the media program in the database.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for providing list of a plurality of media programs responsive to a user search query is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting an general search query from a user computer, identifying a synonym for the general search query, identifying a category for the general search query according to the identified synonym, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified category to obtain a search result, and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer.

Abstract: Commenting tied to user-selected times during play of audio/video content is enabled by a computer system. An apparatus detects a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device. The apparatus determines a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time. The apparatus transmits the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server. The server may configure the video data for publishing on a website so that the comment data is displayed for a limited period based on the temporal point. Users may thereby conveniently record audio or textual comments that are output during subsequent play of the audio/video content, for sharing with friends and others.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for navigating a media program via a searchable transcript of the dialog of the media program is disclosed. In one embodiment, a textural transcript of the dialog is generated, wherein the textural transcript comprising a plurality of portions wherein each portion is associated with a segment of the media program, a command is accepted to display the transcript and in response to that command, user interface data is transmitted to the client computer for presentation in a user interface, wherein the user interface comprising a concurrently presented media program player and the textural transcript.

Abstract: In a streaming video system, a method determining a sequence of video programs playing on an interactive player device may include streaming a first video program including an ad break from a computer server to an interactive player device during a first streaming session. The method may further include automatically selecting a video advertisement or next program from a set of prospective video advertisements for play during the ad break or available programs, based at least in part on the first video program exclusive of any parameter based on user identity. The method may include providing the video advertisement to the interactive player device in the first streaming session at the ad break. Bases for selecting the next ad or program may include program popularity, rate of change in popularity, or other parameter. The method may be embodied in a computing apparatus or system.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for providing supplemental video content for third party websites is disclosed. In one embodiment, coded instructions are transmitted from a content enhancement server to a host server, for incorporation into the webpage source code. The host server is controlled by a first entity and the content enhancement server is controlled by a second entity commercially distinct from the first entity. Keywords are obtained by executing of the coded instructions in the webpage received in the client computer from the host server to send the address of the requested webpage to the content enhancement server, which generates supplemental substantive video content information for transmission to the client.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for generating a media program database having a plurality of media programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is comprises the steps of receiving first media program metadata from a first source, searching the Internet to find second media program metadata from a second source distinct from the first source, determining if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, merging the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, and storing the merged first media program metadata and second media program metadata in the media program database.