Abstract: A media content distribution service identifies a type of media device sending a request to the service over a network and to dynamically adapt content requested by the media device based on the identification. A request sent by a media device may, for example, identify a media content item a user desires to view at the media device, specify a search query for media content items, or otherwise request interaction with the service. According an embodiment, a media content distribution service may use information known about an identified media device type to dynamically adapt media content or other requested resources for display by the media device. By dynamically adapting media content and other resources based on an identified media device type, the media content distribution service may provide access to the services that is compatible with a wide range of media devices having varying device specifications and capabilities.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the secure distribution of media content to devices having minimal or no Internet connectivity. Computing devices referred to herein as “local servers” are strategically deployed at various locations, such as stores and other public locations. Packages of media contents are stored on the local servers, and may be updated using various online and/or offline data transfer techniques. Portable devices may directly connect to the local servers via various types of proximity-based connections, such as by wireless local area networks, by wired connections over Universal Serial Bus cables, or by sharing of removable media such as Secure Digital cards. The local servers may copy their media contents to authorized devices when such connections are established. The contents on a device may be automatically be updated the next time the device connects to one of the local servers, so as to include newly selected and/or available content.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the collection, distribution, and/or reporting of media content. According to an embodiment, media content items from one or more content providers are ingested into a content distribution system implemented by one or more server computer devices. These items of media content may comprise a variety of constituent elements, such as one or more video data units, one or more audio data units, descriptive metadata, subtitle units, thumbnails, or other information, which may be ingested all at once, or separately over time. Items may be processed using various workflows to refine content item components and/or generate new content items. Various publishing rules may be utilized to determine when the system is ready to publish a content item and distribute the item to client devices. Clients may request content items from various published listings, or search for content items by metadata and/or subtitles.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for generating thumbnails. According to one embodiment, a subset of images each depicting character face(s) is identified from a collection of images. An unsupervised learning method is applied to automatically cluster the subset of images into image clusters. Top image clusters are selected from the image clusters based at least in part on weighted scores of images clustered within the image clusters. Thumbnail(s) are generated from images in the top image clusters.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for generating thumbnails. According to one embodiment, a subset of images each depicting character face(s) is identified from a collection of images. An unsupervised learning method is applied to automatically cluster the subset of images into image clusters. Top image clusters are selected from the image clusters based at least in part on weighted scores of images clustered within the image clusters. Thumbnail(s) are generated from images in the top image clusters.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the secure distribution of media content to devices having minimal or no Internet connectivity. Computing devices referred to herein as “local servers” are strategically deployed at various locations, such as stores and other public locations. Packages of media contents are stored on the local servers, and may be updated using various online and/or offline data transfer techniques. Portable devices may directly connect to the local servers via various types of proximity-based connections, such as by wireless local area networks, by wired connections over Universal Serial Bus cables, or by sharing of removable media such as Secure Digital cards. The local servers may copy their media contents to authorized devices when such connections are established. The contents on a device may be automatically be updated the next time the device connects to one of the local servers, so as to include newly selected and/or available content.

Abstract: Methods are provided for determining, based on input parameters associated with a computing device and a network over which the computing device is connected to another computing device (such as a server), suitable transport parameters for requesting and receiving data, where the transport parameters are determined for efficient transmission with less susceptibility to interruptions and delays. The input parameters may be provided continuously in order to determine, on a real-time or near real-time basis, continuously updated transport parameters. Transport parameters may be rewarded and/or punished based on historical network data. Accordingly, embodiments enable the computing device and/or server to dynamically adjust transport parameters to provide a data rate that is chosen to accommodate changing network conditions.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the server-based stitching of a sequence of video segments. According to one embodiment, rather than combining the segments together into a single video file, a server (e.g. a segment-based HTTP server) is configured to dynamically switch between streaming the different segments in the sequence. That is, for instance, as the server reaches the end of one segment, instead of terminating the streaming, the server retrieves the video data for the next segment and continues streaming content from the next segment. Thus, the server streams a sequence of multiple and distinct video segments from a single addressable location (e.g. a URL), rather than streaming the distinct video segments from separate addressable locations. To a client, the stream appears to be a single video stream, even though composed of audio/video data from separate and distinct files or sources.

Abstract: A media content distribution service identifies a type of media device sending a request to the service over a network and to dynamically adapt content requested by the media device based on the identification. A request sent by a media device may, for example, identify a media content item a user desires to view at the media device, specify a search query for media content items, or otherwise request interaction with the service. According an embodiment, a media content distribution service may use information known about an identified media device type to dynamically adapt media content or other requested resources for display by the media device. By dynamically adapting media content and other resources based on an identified media device type, the media content distribution service may provide access to the services that is compatible with a wide range of media devices having varying device specifications and capabilities.

Abstract: A method of dynamically preparing a media clip for delivery from a server to a client is provided. Media attributes comprising media playback formats compatible with the client are provided to the server. A request is made by the client to provide a media content item at a specified starting time, and the server identifies a source where a media content file related to the selected media content item is located. The server obtains the media file from the source, and obtains a transcoded media segment file having a playback format compatible with the client media attributes. The transcoded media segment file may further be prepared in a transport format that is compatible with transport format media attributes of the client device, and a location of the prepared transcoded media segment file may be communicated to the client for the client to access the media segment.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the secure distribution of media content to devices having minimal or no Internet connectivity. Computing devices referred to herein as “local servers” are strategically deployed at various locations, such as stores and other public locations. Packages of media contents are stored on the local servers, and may be updated using various online and/or offline data transfer techniques. Portable devices may directly connect to the local servers via various types of proximity-based connections, such as by wireless local area networks, by wired connections over Universal Serial Bus cables, or by sharing of removable media such as Secure Digital cards. The local servers may copy their media contents to authorized devices when such connections are established. The contents on a device may be automatically be updated the next time the device connects to one of the local servers, so as to include newly selected and/or available content.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of downloading one or more chunks of a selected media file from a server to a computing device is provided. A client application resides on the computing device and is configured to obtain a metadata file describing how the selected media file may be chunked, to determine, based on the metadata file, the portion of the selected media file to download, and to download the portion. The client application prepares a local media file corresponding to one or more chunks of the downloaded portion of the selected media file, and facilitates playback of the local media file on the computing device. The time interval of the chunk may be selected based on a suitable chunk time interval for the computing device.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of streaming media on a computing device is disclosed in which a streaming protocol adapter is provided on the computing device for streaming media to a local streaming client on the computing device with enhanced resiliency. The streaming adapter downloads one or more stream files that include the media file formatted for delivery according to a transfer protocol, and also include streaming template transactions for supporting communicating from the streaming adapter to the streaming client. The streaming client may be a standard real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) client, and the streaming adapter may be an RTSP adapter.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the secure distribution of media content to devices having minimal or no Internet connectivity. Computing devices referred to herein as “local servers” are strategically deployed at various locations, such as stores and other public locations. Packages of media contents are stored on the local servers, and may be updated using various online and/or offline data transfer techniques. Portable devices may directly connect to the local servers via various types of proximity-based connections, such as by wireless local area networks, by wired connections over Universal Serial Bus cables, or by sharing of removable media such as Secure Digital cards. The local servers may copy their media contents to authorized devices when such connections are established. The contents on a device may be automatically be updated the next time the device connects to one of the local servers, so as to include newly selected and/or available content.