Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for unifying local channels with Over-the-Top (OTT) services (e.g., Internet-streaming media services). In one example aspect, a location is determined. Based on the determined location, a list of local channels available for broadcast in the geographic area is retrieved. The list of local channels is then compared to a list of channels offered via at least one OTT service. Based on the comparison with the OTT service channel offering, a subset of available local channels may be determined. The electronic programming guide (EPG) data and other programming metadata associated with the local channels may be downloaded and provided to the OTT service. The local channels, along with the EPG data and programming metadata, may be merged with the OTT service so that the local channels may be streamed via the OTT service.

Abstract: One example process includes receiving a master manifest for an advertisement, requesting a child manifest for the advertisement from the master manifest, and fetching a first ad segment identified in the child manifest. The master manifest identifies a plurality of child manifests for the advertisement. The child manifest corresponds to a selected bitrate. The method can also include fetching a second ad segment identified in the child manifest during playback of the first ad segment. The child manifest can include a uniform resource locator that resolves to a location of the first ad segment at an edge server. Other examples of related systems, processes, and devices are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and automated processes are described to automatically replace digital advertisements, for example swapping wasted ad slots in a media program. Systems and automated processes may provide identifiers describing advertisements to a playback device, receive an identifier from the playback device indicating an encountered advertisement, determine saturation of the playback device based on the received identifier, replace the identified advertisement. Replacing the identified advertisement may include identifying an advertiser corresponding to the identified advertisement, identifying a different advertiser and a replacement advertisement corresponding to the different advertiser, and transmitting an identifier for the replacement advertisement to the playback device.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for dynamically displaying a program guide. In some examples, a first program may be playing in a first portion of the display. A first input may be received that activates a program guide, and the program guide may be overlaid on the first program. The program guide may obscure a portion of the program, while the program continues to play in the background. Further selections may be received within the program guide that may cause the program guide to change display (e.g., expand, become more/less translucent, change position, etc.) without disrupting the program playing in the background. A single input may also be received to dismiss the program guide, regardless of the location in the program guide, allowing the currently playing program to be displayed without obstruction of the program guide.

Abstract: The present invention recognizes media content using signatures generated by network devices with limited processing power. A signature comprises a first set of frequency-amplitude pairs associated with a first piece of content. The signature is compared with stored signatures corresponding to known content. Each of the stored signatures comprises a stored set of frequency-amplitude pairs. The first piece of content is identified as being or including known content in response to the first signature matching a stored signature.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and automated processes allow automatic replacement of advertisements or other content in media programs. A content management system, another computer system, or the like operating on a digital network receives indicia from playback devices that have encountered identified advertisements in a media program. The encounters may be recorded in a database for subsequent analysis. If desired, for example if the identified advertisement become saturated for a viewer or particular playback device, the advertisements may be replaced with more relevant or engaging advertisements prior to playback of the advertisement to the viewer, thereby allowing a fresher, more relevant and more engaging experience for the viewer.

Abstract: The present invention recognizes media content using signatures generated by network devices with limited processing power. An audio signal is prepared for application of a discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Outputs from the DFT include real components and imaginary components that are used to calculate output magnitudes associated with frequency bins. The frequency-amplitude pairs include the output magnitudes and the associated frequency bins. A signature of the audio signal is generated by selecting a predetermined number of frequency-amplitude pairs having dominant output magnitudes. The network devices that generate the signatures may transmit the signatures to a server for analysis. The server may trigger actions in response to detecting known content based on the received signatures matching known signatures.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and automated processes optimize bandwidth utilization in wireless network systems such as satellite systems, 5G and other cellular networks, and wireless local area networks with multiple distribution nodes. Redundant unicasts of media streams are replaced by multicasts that can be transmitted by a subset of the available distribution nodes. This allows customer devices to receive redundant content over shared bandwidth that is available to the particular customer devices requiring access to the redundant content. Subsets of distribution nodes can be selected for transmitting multi-casts, thereby further reducing the amount of system bandwidth needed to provide high-quality media streams to multiple customer devices operating within the wireless network system.

Abstract: Systems, devices and processes are provided to facilitate the authentication of media player devices for media streaming. Specifically, the various embodiments provide a media player device authentication technique that monitors the locations of media player devices to determine a pattern of device co-location with a primary device. The media player devices can then be selectively designated as confirmed devices based on their determined pattern of device co-location with a primary media player device. Those media player devices that are designated as confirmed devices can then be selectively enabled for media streaming. Conversely, media player devices that are not designated as confirmed devices based on a pattern of co-location can be prevented from receiving media streams even when they have the correct login information and password.

Abstract: A remote storage digital video recorder (RSDVR) retains multiple copies of media programs so long as the copies are expected to be useful to at least one user. Rather than assigning copies to specific users at the time the program is recorded, copies can be assigned as the users request access to the particular media programs. Copies of unassigned programs can be deleted according to a schedule to reduce disk storage and processing demands on the system. A pool of program copies that are not initially assigned to particular users can be maintained until the user makes a specific request to view the program. This “late assignment” of program copies can substantially reduce the amount of data stored by the RSDVR system without substantially impacting the viewer experience.

Abstract: Devices, systems and processes facilitate adaptive user progressions through content. A process includes receiving a detected first user input motion and determining, based thereon, a first progression type. The process may include executing: a slow scrub progression when input motion occurs within a first area defined by a first velocity threshold VT1 upper limit and a first array sector range AS1; executing a fast scrub progression when input motion occurs within a second area defined by a second velocity threshold VT2 upper limit and a second array sector range AS2; executing a slow swipe scrub progression when input motion occurs within a third area defined by a third velocity threshold VT3 upper limit and a third array sector range AS3; and executing a fast swipe progression when input motion occurs within a fourth area defined by a fourth velocity threshold VT4 upper limit and a fourth array sector range AS4.

Abstract: The present invention recognizes media content using signatures generated by network devices with limited processing power. A signature comprises a first set of frequency-amplitude pairs associated with a first piece of content. The signature is compared with stored signatures corresponding to known content. Each of the stored signatures comprises a stored set of frequency-amplitude pairs. The first piece of content is identified as being or including known content in response to the first signature matching a stored signature.

Abstract: The present invention recognizes media content using signatures generated by network devices with limited processing power. An audio signal is prepared for application of a discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Outputs from the DFT include real components and imaginary components that are used to calculate output magnitudes associated with frequency bins. The frequency-amplitude pairs include the output magnitudes and the associated frequency bins. A signature of the audio signal is generated by selecting a predetermined number of frequency-amplitude pairs having dominant output magnitudes. The network devices that generate the signatures may transmit the signatures to a server for analysis. The server may trigger actions in response to detecting known content based on the received signatures matching known signatures.

Abstract: Systems, devices and processes are provided to facilitate the authentication of media player devices for media streaming. Specifically, the various embodiments provide a media player device authentication technique that monitors the locations of media player devices to determine a pattern of device co-location with a primary device. The media player devices can then be selectively designated as confirmed devices based on their determined pattern of device co-location with a primary media player device. Those media player devices that are designated as confirmed devices can then be selectively enabled for media streaming. Conversely, media player devices that are not designated as confirmed devices based on a pattern of co-location can be prevented from receiving media streams even when they have the correct login information and password.

Abstract: Devices, systems and processes facilitate adaptive user progressions through content. A process includes receiving a detected first user input motion and determining, based thereon, a first progression type. The process may include executing: a slow scrub progression when input motion occurs within a first area defined by a first velocity threshold VT1 upper limit and a first array sector range AS1; executing a fast scrub progression when input motion occurs within a second area defined by a second velocity threshold VT2 upper limit and a second array sector range AS2; executing a slow swipe scrub progression when input motion occurs within a third area defined by a third velocity threshold VT3 upper limit and a third array sector range AS3; and executing a fast swipe progression when input motion occurs within a fourth area defined by a fourth velocity threshold VT4 upper limit and a fourth array sector range AS4.

Abstract: The various embodiments described herein provide systems, devices and/or processes to improve the deinterlacing of interlaced video content. Specifically, the various embodiments described herein facilitate the deinterlacing of video content by using both intraframe and interframe pixel prediction values to generate replacement pixel values to be used in the resulting progressive scan video. Specifically, the embodiments described herein generate both intraframe pixel prediction values and intraframe pixel prediction values for each pixel in the interlaced video that is to be replaced. The intraframe pixel prediction values and intraframe pixel prediction values are then blended together to generate the replacement pixel values that are used in the progressive scan video. In one embodiment, the blending of intraframe pixel prediction values and intraframe pixel prediction values is based at least in part by estimations of motion in the video about the pixel being replaced.

Abstract: Viewing of advertisements in broadcast television programming is electronically monitored using network communications to determine viewership of programming that is promoted in the ads. This correlation is enabled through a distributed information system that permits digital identification of ads in programming, as well as distributed tracking of ad and program viewership. Through automated gathering of viewership information and distributed data processing, advertising effectiveness can be very accurately tracked.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for multimodal transition among devices connected to a plurality of different networks. A device may be presenting a multimedia item in a first mode (e.g., an audiovisual mode) on a first device. A transition event may occur, prompting the systems and methods described herein to initiate a transition request to transition the multimedia item from a first device to a second device. The second device may be analyzed to determine the constraints of the device (e.g., storage, hardware/software, connectivity strength, etc.). The first mode of the multimedia item may also be analyzed. Based on the analysis of the multimedia item in the first mode and the second device, the multimedia item may be converted from a first mode to a second mode (e.g., an audio-only mode of the multimedia item) and subsequently displayed on the second device.

Abstract: Advertisements in broadcast television programming are digitally replaced with different ads prior to viewing. Replacement can occur in time and/or place shifted content, and can be used to promote a particular advertisement that the viewer has not yet seen, thereby improving the reach of the ad without oversaturation. Data reporting by the playback devices is collected in a database of viewed ads. The information in the database can be used to refresh previously-viewed ads, to increase saturation of particular ads, to replace previously-broadcast but no longer relevant ads, or for other purposes as desired.

Abstract: Systems, devices and processes are provided to facilitate video streaming. The various embodiments facilitate the detection of program promotions in a video stream, where program promotions include commercial content that advertises future programs. In general, the embodiments facilitate the detection of program promotions in a video stream through the use of automated process monitors the video stream and determines that a content block is a program promotion when that content block meets a defined set of criteria. This set of criteria can include criteria such as time adjacency, timespan, audio, video and textual factors, and when the content was previously first detected. In such embodiments the ability to detect program promotions using the set of criteria facilitates the replacement of these program promotions with other, potentially more valuable, content.