Abstract: A system for reporting counted impressions in a network device. The system includes a data warehouse which collects event data pertaining to viewership history on the network device. Through a user interface, such as a web browser, a user can retrieve information about the counted impressions of the network device which displayed specific promotions. The event data may pertain, for example, to channel change events, channel surfing behavior of the viewer, time events, connections to peripherals, network locations of the network device, viewing behavior of the viewer, and subsequent event data after a promotion was displayed. A trigger may be embedded in the promotion such that when the promotion is displayed an impression is counted.

Abstract: Idle Video-On-Demand (VOD) channel capacity is used to deliver promotional content to selected set-top boxes (STBs) in a cable television network. Commercial segment cues are used to instruct a set-top box to switch away from a broadcast program to the VOD channel during a commercial segment, and then switch back again to the original broadcast program at the end of the segment.

Abstract: A multimedia network involves sending an initial schedule message prior to broadcast or multicast of a content file. The content file could be a promotion or other file that must be efficiently sent to a large number of end node devices, such as television set top boxes. The schedule message contains at least a bulk transfer end time for the content file so that the end node devices are aware of when the later bulk data transmission of the content file should be completed. The schedule message may contain other parameters such as promotion identification, message start time, duration, frequency, multicast address and port number. The bulk message containing the promotion is then sent using an efficient bulk transfer messaging technique, such as a multicast Universal Data Protocol (UDP) message which does not require acknowledgment of individual packets or individual addresses of the end node devices to be maintained.