Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating streaming of media content. Video content is retrieved over a network from one or more client devices capturing video content. Data items associated with the plurality of video content are also retrieved. A list order for the plurality of video content is determined according to at least a portion of the retrieved data items, and a user interface is encoded for display where the user interface contains a plurality of items corresponding to the plurality of video content, the items being positioned within the user interface according to the list order.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for implementing distributed infrastructure are provided. In some techniques, a plurality of user devices, each at a customer premises, can provide video calling services over a network. In some embodiments, each of one or more user devices might be established as a distributed infrastructure element for cloud computing, cloud-based application hosting, and/or cloud-based data storage. One or more software applications, customer data, and/or media content (collectively, “hosted content”) might be provided to the one or more user devices for hosting thereon. Resource usage information and/or network connectivity information might be collected for each user device, and suitability of a user device to host the hosted content might be determined based at least in part on the collected resource usage information and/or network connectivity information. One or more courses of action may be determined, and invoked, based on performance metrics of the user devices.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an electronic program guide for television or radio programs includes presenting listing of present or future programs on-screen, presenting listings of past programs on-screen and indicating whether the past program is available again at a future time. Also, a system and method for handling information controllable from an electronic program guide for television or radio programs comprises receiving information in a user's system, storing the received information in the user's system, displaying access to the stored information by means of a user interface and enabling the user to select one of a plurality of management options for controlling the operation of the stored information through the user interface.

Abstract: A device and method are provided for delivering three-dimensional (3-D) content. The device includes a receiving unit configured to receive a first signal containing at least two-dimensional (2-D) content, a processing unit configured to (i) determine an amount of a difference in the content in the first signal to be visualized by a left visual sensor and a right visual sensor, (ii) determine whether the amount of the difference is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum value, and to discard the signal to be visualized by one of the right and left visual sensors when the amount is determined to be less than or equal to the predetermined minimum value, and (iii) generate a second signal containing the 2-D content of the first signal and 3-D content in which the first signal to be visualized by the one of the right and left visual sensors is discarded.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques to establish a multicast communication session between a source device and multiple sink devices in a Wireless Display (WD) system. Two or more sink devices may be interested in receiving the same media data from the source device. According to the techniques, the source device establishes a multicast session with the sink devices in the WD system, and sends a single copy of multicast media data for the multicast session to the interested sink devices using a receiving multicast port. The source device selects a receiving multicast port number as a destination identifier for each multicast session. The sink devices interested in receiving the media data of a given multicast session bind on the receiving multicast port for the multicast session. This disclosure describes several exemplary multicast subscription procedures to ensure correct binding on the receiving multicast port at each of the sink devices.

Abstract: A system and method may include providing a media stream via a network, the media stream comprising one or more advertisement content segments, identifying aggregate information associated with a viewer, assigning the one or more advertisement content segments to one or more categories and a category score associated with the one or more categories, filtering the one or more advertisement content segments based at least in part on the one or more categories, the category score associated with the one or more categories and the aggregate information associated with the viewer, and outputting the filtered one or more advertisement content segments to the viewer.

Abstract: A virtual content store may be provided. Upon receiving a request for a content stream from a subscriber at a regional headend, a central content vault may be examined to determine whether the content stream is available. Once the content stream is determined to be available in the central content vault, a streaming session may be established to the subscriber from the regional headend. The content stream may be retrieved from the central content vault and provided to the subscriber via the streaming session.

Abstract: Provided is an information providing system using video tracking, such that tracking of an original image can be performed without editing/processing the original video and without requiring a high level programming knowledge, and information can thus be easily provided. The system is configured so that an overlay screen (10) is superimposed on an original video screen (2) and displayed in synchronization with the original video, said overlay screen (10) provided with a transparent or translucent object graphic (5) acting as control information corresponding to a predetermined purpose of providing information, with respect to an object (4) represented by an original video image which is displayed on the original video screen (2) once or a plurality of times in accordance with the situation.

Abstract: The present disclosure involves a method of conducting a transaction. In one aspect, the method includes: displaying a media program on a media display device; indicating, while the media program is being displayed, an item associated with the media program is available for purchase; receiving authentication information of a prospective purchaser of the item; and completing a purchase of the item in response to the authentication information. In another aspect, the method includes: receiving, from a media display device, a user authentication request that contains user login credentials; granting the user authentication request in response to the user login credentials; and sending an authentication permission to the media display device; wherein the receiving and the sending are each performed such that the user login credentials and the authentication permission are sent through one or more intermediate hops without being inspected by any of the intermediate hops.

Abstract: A method may include requesting aggregated index information relating to media content stored on a least two digital video recorder (DVR) devices. The aggregated index information is received in response to the request. The aggregated index information includes a number of content entries, each entry including location information identifying a DVR device on which the associated media content is stored. A listing of the media content is displayed based on the aggregated index information.

Abstract: A system is configured to receive a portion of a word; retrieve a group of words matching the portion of the word; retrieve information associated with a set of words in the group, where the information, for a particular one of the words, indicates a measure of popularity of the particular word, geographic location information associated with the particular word, time information associated with the particular word, or user preference information associated with the particular word; rank the set of words based on the information; present a list of words from the set of words for display based on the ranking; receive selection of a word from the list of words; perform a search for television content based on the selected word to identify a group of television content; receive selection of television content from the group of television content; and present the selected television content for display.

Abstract: A method for outputting an EPG and a broadcasting receiver employing the method are disclosed. More particularly, a method for outputting an EPG and a broadcasting receiver employing the method are disclosed, in which the EPG output from the broadcasting receiver includes RSS information to allow a user to easily identify the RSS information from the EPG.

Abstract: Content delivery systems and methods are operable to provide recoverable program content to a media device. An exemplary embodiment detects an occurrence of a qualifying event, wherein the qualifying event is associated with an unavailable portion of a program of interest; communicates a request to establish a backchannel between the media device and a program content device in response to detecting the occurrence of the qualifying event; communicates a request for a recoverable portion of the program of interest from the media device to the program content device over the backchannel, wherein the requested recoverable portion of the program of interest corresponds to the unavailable portion of the program of interest; and receives at the media device the recoverable portion of the program of interest from the program content device.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for detecting hacked modems in a cable network system. A cable Internet service provider can provide the disclosed heuristic to determine whether a particular cable modem has likely been hacked by obtaining a score corresponding to this likelihood. This score, as well as information regarding failure and success of various tests, can be used to generate a report identifying the likelihood that various modems have been hacked.

Abstract: A residential gateway includes an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) network communication port and a first isolation transformer circuit. The IPTV network communication port is configured to receive a signal from an ITPV network. The first isolation transformer circuit is in communication with the IPTV network communication port. The isolation transformer is configured to receive the signal from the IPTV network communication port, and to transform a ground of the signal to float at a ground potential of a power source of the residential gateway.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed that target content to a subscriber. One such device has a processor communicating with memory. The processor receives a library of content associated with a demographic and stores the library in memory. The processor receives an instruction to retrieve particular content from the library of content and inserts the particular content in an insertion slot.

Abstract: A media recommendation system gathers negative user feedback associated with media content. Based on the gathered feedback, the media recommendation system extracts a list of recommended media content from program data describing available media content.

Abstract: A set-top box may receive program guide information from a server. The program guide information may identify a group of programs and specify, for each program, an indicator of set-top boxes tuned to the each program or providing the each program. The set-top box may further provide, to a display and using the received program guide information, a program guide, where the program guide represents each program, in the group of programs, as a shape, and where a size of each shape corresponds to the indicator of set-top boxes tuned to the represented program or providing the represented program. The set-top box may also receive updated program guide information from the server and dynamically increase or decrease at least one shape in the program guide, based on the updated program guide information.

Abstract: Several data streams contain video, audio and/or other data. Some of the data streams are pre-recorded in a multiplex on a storage medium while other data streams are located out of the data stream multiplex on the storage medium. The data streams are synchronized using a navigation file (List_of_PlayItems), which comprises descriptors (Play-Items, SubPlayItems) pointing to parts of said data streams, wherein said descriptors define the arrangement in time for said data streams by means of data sub stream paths.

Abstract: A system for providing interactive television program guide features and other features and information related to a specific user interest or programming category in niche hubs is provided. All of the television programming features provided by user television equipment that relate to a specific user interest or programming category may be accessed from the niche hub. For example, a movie lovers niche hub may provide programming features such as television program listings for movies, video-on-demand listings for movies, pay-per-view listings for movies, web site links related to movies, movie-related merchandise, movie news groups, movie chat groups, movie e-mail clubs, movie contests, movie trivia questions, movie actor interviews, movie reviews, movie channel package ordering, etc. The programming features of the niche hubs may be transmitted from a server, database, or other storage facility via a television distribution facility.