Abstract: Methods and devices for presenting guide listings and guidance data in three dimensions in an interactive media guidance application are provided. In some embodiments, methods for presenting guide listings and guidance data in three dimensions in an interactive media guidance application are provided, the methods comprising: presenting guide listings in a two-dimensional configuration; receiving a user selection of at least one of the guide listings in the two-dimensional configuration; identifying guidance data related to the selection; and presenting the guidance data so that the guidance data appears to be in a third dimension relative to the two-dimensional configuration.

Abstract: An audio client in a home entertainment system has a detachable remote commander with a display screen. A menu of music available at the server is downloaded to the remote commander from the server over the network and through the client device. The user can easily select a tune he/she wants to listen to using the remote commander. With storage and decoding capability, the commander can be used as a portable audio player.

Abstract: A system for and method of transmitting audio and visual programming content, by identifying an amount of broadcast transmission capacity available for transmitting the content to one or more users. The content is separated into at least first and second portions based on user demand for the content and/or the identified available broadcast transmission capacity. The first portion of the content is transmitted, to a receiver/STB associated with at least one of the users, using the identified broadcast transmission capacity; and the second portion of the content is transmitted to the receiver using transmission other than broadcast transmission. The content can include nonlinear content. Transmission other than broadcast transmission can include unicast transmission, which can be in response to a user request and/or an initiation by a server. The received nonlinear content can be stored at the receiver for play back at a time different from the time of transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing pairing between a remote device and a plurality of devices including establishing a list of pairing-capable devices, the list comprising a portion of the plurality of devices, measuring a plurality of link qualities between the remote device and the pairing-capable devices, comparing, with a processor, the plurality of link qualities with one another and determining a highest link quality, selecting, by a computing device, an available pairing-capable device having the highest link quality, pairing with the selected device, and controlling a presentation device, the controlling including checking if the selected device is the associated device and where the selected device is not the associated device, relaying commands via the network to the associated device.

Abstract: A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for receiving a broadcast comprising a plurality of program channels and generating a playback stream using at least one of a buffered program channel and stored indexed content (e.g., commercials, programs, songs) for insertion. Control data controls which receivers insert which indexed content and when the indexed content is inserted into a received program channel, allowing for playback of songs from playlists, tiered subscription services, and sponsorship of broadcast program channels to provide market-directed content to selected receivers and listeners. Buffer management operations prevent uncontrolled buffer growth and commercial content avoidance through rapid channel changes.

Abstract: A contents receiving system uses a digital broadcast wave or a broadband network to enable a user to suitably view main content, and provide a user with subsidiary content information desired by the user. Each of subsidiary content control receivers A (101), B (102) transmits ID information specific to each of the subsidiary content control receivers A (101), B (102), and a request for acquiring subsidiary content, from a communication control unit (405) to a main content receiving display unit 100. The main content receiving display unit 100 uses a content separation control unit (310) to separate a stream into subsidiary content corresponding to the request. Then, a request information input/transmission control unit (313) transmits the separated subsidiary content and the received ID information to the subsidiary content control receiver in question. The subsidiary content control receiver judges from the ID information that the subsidiary content should be acquired.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting video on demand requests in a system supporting hierarchical content stores, e.g., program caches, is described. Requested content is requested by a local streaming device from a remote cache when it is not available in a local cache. Content, e.g., I, P and B frames, supplied by the remote cache is tracked and content delivery is initiated prior to receipt of the full program from the remote content store. Trick play content is requested as needed from the remote content store to respond to trick play commands. Frames which are received as part of the trick play content stream are tracked and not included in normal play data subsequently obtained from the remote cache. The storage of the trick play data along with subsequent normal play data results in a full set of the program content being received and stored in a local cache for streaming in response to a VOD request.

Abstract: A method for connecting a media player to a remote server is provided. The method comprises processing a request for connecting to an remote server while reproducing data recorded on an enhanced navigation medium, processing connection information recorded on the enhanced navigation medium to determine whether connection to the remote server is permitted, and requesting connection to the remote server, if connection to the remote server is permitted in accordance with the connection information.

Abstract: In some implementations, closed captioning streams of textual data are extracted from video signals received by a client device. The closed captioning streams may be searched for occurrences of textual data in the closed captioning streams that match one or more search terms. When the number of matches between the search terms and a particular closed captioning stream exceeds a threshold number, a notification may be sent indicating that content programming determined to be of interest to a viewer has been located and/or the content programming may be recorded.

Abstract: The invention provides a retransmission manager for use in a digital content delivery system, wherein the delivery system comprises a plurality of user devices, a set of content providers for delivering digital content to the user devices in the form of bursts of content through a source unit. The retransmission manager is connected to the user devices to receive notifications therefrom, each notification received from a given user device identifying a burst received by the given user device which is candidate for retransmission. The retransmission manager selects a set of bursts among the bursts identified by the notifications based on the amount of available bandwidth at the source unit and on negotiation messages received from at least one of the plurality of content providers, the negotiation message being related to at least one burst identified in the notifications and including, for each burst, a negotiation parameter.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for accelerating advertising placement decisions is disclosed. A server receives a source signal stream having a channel identifier and an indication that an advertisement placement opportunity is located in the signal stream a time period prior to an advertisement signal point. The server identifies a list representative of a plurality of recipient signal streams having the channel identifier and at least one audience attribute prior to expiration of the time period. The server obtains a plurality of targeted advertisements corresponding to the list representative of the plurality of recipient signal streams. The server stores the plurality of advertisements in at least one cache.

Abstract: Closed caption (CC) data is carried across a digital interface such as HDMI by a source such as a set top box arrange CC data into a HDMI packet that is then transmitted, along with video packets, across the interface to a sink such as a TV. The CC data is kept in the same format that it was received and the TV's decoder processor processes the packets and renders CC text as if the CC data had been received by the tuner of the TV.

Abstract: A modem apparatus including means for communicating authentication information of a host along a first path to prompt a first validation for receiving data over the first path, and means for communicating identifying information of the modem apparatus and a request for network resource allocation over the first path to prompt a second validation after the first validation, the second validation enabling the reception of data over a second path that has a higher rate of transmission than the first path.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving information associated with a user of media services, wherein the received information does not uniquely identify one media head end for he user, identifying a plurality of head ends responsive to the received information, and generating, for display on a client device associated with the user, information for displaying a program guide aggregating channels for the plurality of head ends.

Abstract: A video playback device, provided in a P2P-based network, comprises a channel pre-cached buffer, for storing a plurality of video blocks corresponding to a number of pre-cached channels; a display interface, for receiving a request for channel browsing from a viewer and executing playback of the video blocks pertaining to a selected channel indicated on the request; and an agent module, for receiving the request for channel browsing from the display interface, obtaining a seed/peer list pertaining to the selected channel indicated on the request, and downloading the video blocks from seed and/or peer nodes based on the seed/peer list; characterized in that the agent module applies an automatic refreshing mechanism for updating the corresponding video blocks to each pre-cached channel by supplying the most updated video blocks in the channel pre-cached buffer.

Abstract: A media processor having a controller operable to recognize a portion of a video stream in an Interactive TV (iTV) network having video compression artifacts corresponding to a stored model and perform model-based video correction of the portion recognized using synthetically generated images of objects in a captured video scene. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A terminal can acquire information required for an image configuration by accessing actual Electronic Service Guide (ESG) information using linking information when broadcast providers transmit Lightweight Application Scene Representation (LASeR) content including the linking information related to the LASeR content and the ESG information provided in a Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) Convergence of Broadcast and Mobile Services (CBMS), Open Mobile Alliance Broadcasting (OMA-BCAST) or Open Air Interface (OAI) standard. The broadcast providers can directly control a configuration of a broadcast image to be displayed on the terminal, such that differentiated broadcast images can be provided on a broadcast provider-by-broadcast provider basis.

Abstract: A method and on-demand computing system for hierarchical caching of content in an on-demand computing device. The method receives, at the on-demand computing device, a request to send media content to a playback device, where the media content is stored in a media library of a content server. The method retrieves the media content from a hierarchical cache for the on-demand computing device, and sends the media content to the playback device. The hierarchical cache includes a first cache, a second cache, and the content library, where the first cache has a length based on an age of the second cache.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatus for the identification of locations in a presentation stream based on metadata associated with the presentation stream. Locations within a presentation stream are identified using signature data associated with the presentation stream. The identified locations within a presentation stream may be utilized to identify boundaries of segments within the presentation stream, such as segments of a show and interstitials (e.g., commercials) of the show. The identified portions of a presentation stream may then be utilized for filtering segments of content during presentation.