Abstract: A secondary content such as an advertisement may be inserted based on users' interests in 360 degree video streaming. Users may have different interests and may watch different areas within a 360 degree video. The information about area(s) of 360 degree scenes that users watch the most may be used to select an ad(s) relevant to their interests. One or more secondary content viewports may be defined within a 360 degree video frame. Secondary content viewport parameter(s) may be tracked. For example, statistics of the user's head orientation for some time leading to the presentation of the ad(s) may be collected. Secondary content may be determined based on the tracked secondary content viewport parameter(s).

Abstract: Devices, systems and process for facilitating a user choice watch party (DFWP) are disclosed. A system includes server that includes computer instructions which instruct the server to initiate a user choice watch party (UCWP), receive a request to designate a first user device, from a set of user devices, as a primary user choice user device (PUCUD), query the set of user devices for devices to participate in the UCWP as secondary user choice user devices (SUCUD), generating a user choice interface (UCI), retrieving two or more user choice primary content (UCPC) options, instructing the PUCUD and the SUCUDs to output to respective users the UCPC options, receiving at least two user choices, determining, based on the user choices and from the two more UCPC options, a selection result indicating a chosen UCPC option to present during the UCWP, and presenting the chosen UCPC during the UCWP.

Abstract: Generally, according to aspects of the present invention, a media content item may be casted by a user equipment (UE) to another UE over a local area network (LAN). The UE (cast device) may cast a local media content item stored on the cast device to said another UE (media playback device) by streaming the local media content item to the media playback device over the LAN, so that the media playback device may play back the local media content item. The cast device may cast an online media content item stored on a remote server to the media playback device by causing the server to stream the online media content item to the media playback device over the Internet, so that the media playback device may play back the online media content item.

Abstract: Delay in delivery of a content asset to a user device may be reduced by fetching a portion of the content asset and storing it in a cache. From the cache, segments of the portion of the content asset may be sent to the user device. An indication of a trickplay command associated with playback of the content asset on the user device may be received, such as a fast forward command, a rewind command, or a play command. Based on a type of the trickplay command, the portion of the content asset in the cache may be adjusted, such as by adjusting a time to live (TTL) of a segment of the content asset in the cache, by evicting a segment of the content asset in the cache, or by predictively pre-fetching and storing other segments to the cache.

Abstract: In an approach for enhancing an experience of a user listening to and/or watching an audio-visual content by modifying future audio and/or video frames of the audio-visual content, a processor captures a set of sensor data from an IoT device worn by the first user. A processor analyzes the set of sensor data to generate one or more connotations by converting the emotion using an emotional vector analytics technique and a supervised machine learning technique. A processor scores the one or more connotations on a basis of similarity between the emotion exhibited by the first user and an emotion expected to be provoked by a second user. A processor determines whether a score of the one or more connotations exceeds a pre-configured threshold level. Responsive to determining the score does not exceed the pre-configured threshold level, a processor generates a suggestion for the producer of the audio-visual content.

Abstract: A method for presenting EPG user interface, including: in response to a first input command, displaying an EPG user interface including a first presentation page; and in response to a second input command, switching the EPG user interface from the first presentation page to a second presentation page, where the first presentation page includes a first set of channels and programs in a first time period corresponding to the first set of channels; and the second presentation page includes the first set of channels and programs in a second time period corresponding to the first set of channels.

Abstract: Various embodiments describe methods, systems, and devices for deploying live media content as a time-shifted playback. Exemplary implementations may receive, from a client computing device, a content request for a time-shifted playback of live media content. The time-shifted playback may use a unique copy of a live media content configured for playback associated with the content request. The content request may indicate a past point in time in the live media content from which the time-shifted playback originates. The client computing device may be provided access to an assigned private path for accessing segments of the time-shifted playback starting from a requested segment that corresponds to the indicated past point in time. Access by the client computing device to further segments of the time-shifted playback may be prevented in response to determining that the subsequent content request for playback of the second live media content is received.

Abstract: A digital broadcast receiving apparatus capable of executing a function with a higher added value is provided. A broadcast receiving apparatus configured to receive contents includes: a receiving unit configured to receive the contents; an interface via which the contents received by the receiving unit is outputted; a control unit configured to control an output state of the contents from the interface. In this case, the control unit is configured to determine the output state of the contents from the interface in accordance with a combination of control information indicating a copy control state of the contents, control information for specifying necessity or not of protection when to output the contents, information indicating resolution of video of the contents, and information indicating transmission characteristics of video of the contents, which are received by the receiving unit together with the contents.

Abstract: Embodiments provide for methods, computer program products, and systems to improve media playback comprising receiving a variant stream, identifying respective maximum segment durations for a plurality of different types of client devices that will play media content contained in the variant stream, generating, using the variant stream, a respective playlist for each of the plurality of different types of client devices, wherein the respective playlists each contain different maximum segment durations, and delivering the respective playlists to at least one of the plurality of different types of client devices via a distribution network.

Abstract: This video distribution server which receives moving images from an originating terminal and distributes these moving images to a viewer terminal implements a questionnaire within the broadcast on the basis of commands from the originating terminal and provides the same questionnaire to a Web server.

Abstract: A system and method for redaction based on group association is disclosed. The method includes carrying out an analysis that includes coming to a determination that, notwithstanding at least some features of a plurality of group-associated objects are being concealed, a visible association between the objects in combination with size and shape definitions for corresponding redactions of the group-associated objects is such that an identity deducibility condition is either met or is not met.

Abstract: A method of reducing computer resource requirements for display of additional content on a client device configured for playback of media content can include determining, by an application installed on a client device, that display of additional content has been triggered from a first context of the application, identifying, by the application, a context identifier corresponding to the first context, determining, by a content manager installed on the client device, that an item of additional content associated with the context identifier is stored in a cache of the client device, identifying, by the content manager, an elapsed display time associated with the item of content, and initiating, by the application, display of the item of additional content based on the elapsed display time.

Abstract: A method for determining the magnitude of leakage in a subscriber's premises CATV installation; a frequency multiplexer for coupling between an antenna and a receiver for the multiplexed frequencies; and, a method for a technician to certify a CATV subscriber's premises for the provision of CATV services are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of reducing computer resource requirements for display of additional content on a client device configured for playback of media content can include determining, by an application installed on a client device, that display of additional content has been triggered from a first context of the application, identifying, by the application, a context identifier corresponding to the first context, determining, by a content manager installed on the client device, that an item of additional content associated with the context identifier is stored in a cache of the client device, identifying, by the content manager, an elapsed display time associated with the item of content, and initiating, by the application, display of the item of additional content based on the elapsed display time.

Abstract: A method of using applications of pattern recognition or image analysis is disclosed. A request for a content item is received. A version of the content item is selected from a plurality of versions of the content item based on one or more applications of one or more algorithms. The one or more algorithms include one or more image-analysis algorithms, pattern-recognition algorithms, or genetic algorithms. One or more of the plurality of versions has undergone transformation into a plurality of combinations of content segments that comprise the plurality of versions. The one or more algorithms target one or more success rates with respect to one or more metrics. The selected version of the content item is communicated to the device of the user in response to the request.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for applying behavioral-based parental controls for media assets. The disclosed techniques herein discuss determining a media asset viewed by a user and character actions of a character within the media asset. Behavioral user data is received which includes a user action. A determination is made whether the user action matches one of the character actions. If a match is found, a parental control restriction setting for the media asset is applied and this parental control restriction is stored in memory.

Abstract: A smart playlist system is described. In one example embodiment, a collector module obtains content utilization data from a plurality of client devices associated with respective plurality of viewers. A hot list generator module generates a list of popular content items based on the obtained content utilization data. A customization module generates a customized playlist for a target viewer from the plurality of viewers, based on the list of popular content items and a profile of the target viewer. The communications module communicates the customized playlist to a client device of the target viewer.

Abstract: Disclosed example audience measurement apparatus determine a first audience metric based on set-top box return path tuning data obtained from set-top boxes located in a first geographic area; determine a second audience metric from a portion of audience measurement data corresponding to a second geographic area, the portion of the audience measurement data associated with monitored sites in the second geographic area having second set-top box characteristics that correspond with first set-top box characteristics of the set-top boxes located in the first geographic area; determine ratios of (i) respective first audience metrics determined for respective demographic stratifications to (ii) corresponding second audience metrics determined for the respective demographic stratifications; and combine the ratios after multiplication with third audience metrics determined, for the respective demographic stratifications, from the audience measurement data to determine an audience exposure metric that estimates exposur

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes identifying an upcoming content modification opportunity on a channel. The method also includes responsive to identifying the upcoming content modification opportunity on the channel, identifying a group of multiple content-presentation devices tuned to the channel. The method also includes for each content-presentation device in the identified group, determining a respective probability of that content-presentation device successfully performing a respective content-modification operation in connection with the identified upcoming content modification opportunity on the channel. The method also includes using at least the determined probabilities as a basis to select, from among the content-presentation devices in the identified group, a subgroup of content-presentation devices.

Abstract: Described is a method of delivering content over a network using an approach referred to as “Multicast Assisted Unicast Delivery” (MAUD), as a multicast network is used to assist, rather than substituting for, an otherwise unicast path. Content is requested by client devices from a content server over unicast. The responses containing the requested content are separated into two components: a first component containing elements that are specific to individual client devices (for example session specific data), and a second component that is common to all client devices (typically this is the video content being requested). The first component can be delivered over unicast and the second component over multicast. Identifiers are introduced into each of the first and second components to aid recombination of the components to form the original responses. The separation and recombination are handled by suitably configured proxy servers.