Abstract: In particular embodiments a social networking system may receive from an external system outside the social-networking system, a request comprising a user identifier associated with a user of the social-networking system, query a social graph for stories generated by one or more connections of the user on the social-networking system, and transmit the stories to the external system. Similarly the social networking system may receive, from an external system outside of the social networking system, a request comprising a user identifier associated with a user of the social networking system, a content identifier, and a action performed by the user on the content identifier, generate a story for the received request, and publish the story to one or more connections of the user on the social networking system.

Abstract: A system and method for a user interface to manage the recording, downloading and sharing of content from multiple sources are described. Various embodiments allow requesting content from a service provider by a user and receiving a user interface from the service provider, where the user interface indicates the availability of the content via multiple sources, and where the multiple sources include an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a broadcast service and a peer-to-peer network. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a program listing display control apparatus including: a program listing picture storage block configured to store a program listing picture in which are disposed program time slots to which a plurality of broadcast programs are allocated; a display control block configured to control a display apparatus to display the program listing picture; a control information input block configured to input control information for controlling the acquisition of additional information to be added to the program listing picture; and an information acquisition block configured to acquire program identification information for identifying the programs to which the additional information is added and the additional information regarding the programs identified by the program identification information, on the basis of the control information input through the control information input block.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a streaming apparatus, and a method in a network system, comprising at least a first and a second streaming apparatus (1001, 1002) for data streaming, each being adapted to upload and store media data, comprising a plurality of media data compositions, for example representing movies and/or TV channels, the network system further comprising a plurality of user devices (11).

Abstract: The MEDIA CONTENT BASED ADVERTISING SURVEY PLATFORM METHODS (“AD-SURVEY”) transforms user advertisement exposure data via AD-SURVEY components, into ad effects data including user responses to survey questions. A method is disclosed, comprising: obtaining TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags at a server; providing the obtained TV program schedule listing data to a user mobile device, receiving a user media program selection message from the user mobile device; retrieving an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; extracting key terms from the ad tags based by parsing ad contents; querying a survey question list based on the extracted key terms; generating and sending a survey question from the query to the user mobile device; and obtaining a user reaction to the survey question.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to record stereoscopic media content supplied by a multimedia system, receive from a communication device a request for the recorded stereoscopic media content, determine rendering capabilities of the communication device, generate transcoded content by transcoding the recorded stereoscopic media content according to the rendering capabilities of the communication device, and transmit to the communication device the transcoded content. Other embodiments are disclosed and contemplated.

Abstract: Apparatus and devices are described for generating clips by executing one or more tasks contained in a recipe. The recipe can be received at a server, such as a content server, perhaps as part of a clip request. The server can generate a clip by parsing the recipe. Parsing the recipe can include determining whether a given task of the one or more tasks is a data-source task and, in response to determining that the given task is a data-source task, extracting one or more slices of data from a data source specified in the data-source task and adding the one or more slices to the clip. The data source can include a video data source or a combined video and audio data source. Once generated, the clip can be sent from the server.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supplying unbound applications with data via in-band program channel signaling are described. Unbound applications are STB or other customer premise device applications which continue to run when a tuner in the device changes between program channels. Applications executed in a STB, in accordance with the present invention, e.g., eBIF applications, continue to run despite changes in program channels with data being supplied via in-band signaling, out of band signaling, or a combination of in-band and out of band signaling. The methods and apparatus are well suited for supporting delivery of program catalog information relevant to an individual program channel using in-band signaling reducing or eliminating the need to delivery a multi-channel program catalog via out of band signaling to support various VOD applications.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein that provide a TV receiver that supports a set of existing iTV standards and proprietary iTV implementations. Further, the TV receiver can be extended to support additional iTV standards and proprietary iTV implementations. A digital television data stream is received and processed by a client. The digital television data stream is analyzed to determine which interactive television format is present. A registry of interactive television virtual machines is searched to determine whether a virtual machine is registered for the interactive television format. Each of the interactive television virtual machines is adapted for one of the interactive television formats. If a virtual machine that matches the interactive television format is found, it is loaded and hosted. Hosting the virtual includes providing services to the virtual machine through common application programming interfaces (APIs) machine includes. The common APIs may be used by any virtual machine that is loaded.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for providing a virtual channel service are disclosed. The method includes maintaining a contents list recorded in a personal video recorder and a virtual channel information, determining a playback order of recorded contents included in the list in accordance with a preset algorithm, and playing back in sequence the recorded contents through a predetermined virtual channel. As a result, a user may approach easily to the recorded contents.

Abstract: An information processing system comprises a terminal system which includes a terminal device and also comprises a server system. In the terminal system, a microphone provided in the terminal device senses a sound in the vicinity thereof. Sound information representing the sound sensed by the microphone or a feature of the sound is transmitted to the server system. In the server system, the sound in the vicinity of the terminal device is specified based on the sound information. Also, presentation information to be presented by the terminal device is specified based on the specified sound, and the presentation information is transmitted to the information processing device. The terminal system receives displays the presentation information transmitted from the server, and presentation information is displayed on a display unit of the terminal device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enhancing program-viewing experience with viewership, message, and supplemental data include receiving a program identifier for a media program to be viewed; receiving one or more of viewership, message, and/or supplemental data relating to the media program; compiling the viewership, message, and/or supplemental data with the program identifier; storing the viewership, message, and/or supplemental data in a memory in association with the program identifier; and providing display data representing the viewership, message, and/or supplemental data and the program identifier.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, detecting at a mobile communication device a presence of a set-top box communicatively coupled to a display device, negotiating a transfer of operational control of the display device from the detected set top box to the mobile communication device, receiving a media stream at the mobile communication device by way of wireless communication with a media source, and transmitting a selected media program from the mobile communication device to the display device by way of a wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the detected set-top box for presentation at the display device without decoding of the selected media program being performed by the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A data processing method and a television controlled by a remote controller are described. The television includes a tuner to receive a broadcast program, an infrared (IR) module to receive an IR signal from a physical remote controller, a controller to change a power-off state into a power-on state based on the received IR signal, a radio frequency (RF) module configured to receive an RF signal from the physical remote controller, and a display module to display a screen remote controller in a predetermined region while displaying the received broadcast program in a screen of the television. The screen remote controller's size is changeable depending on a user's selection. The screen remote controller comprises a first control region comprised of sub-regions used to change at least one channel of the television and a second control region comprised of at least one sub-region used to link to the Internet.

Abstract: In a television system in which at least program title information for programs which are to be transmitted in the future is transmitted in advance to form a channel guide listing, apparatus is provided for searching the listing for specific user-entered information, and upon successful conclusion to the search, the apparatus schedules the tuning of the desired program, or in the alternative, notifies the viewer of the availability of the program. In those instances where descriptive text accompanies the program listing, apparatus of the invention performs a search of the text for a particular text string which may relate to the title, the star, the director, or the context of the program, among other search criteria.

Abstract: A method comprising broadcasting a live game tournament in the form of a multicasted streaming interactive video stream from a hosting service to a plurality of viewers over the Internet. Audio from an announcer is overlaid by the hosting service onto the multicasted video stream.

Abstract: A set-top box device includes a network interface module and a client interface module. The network interface module is configured to receive interactive content instructions and an interactive content notification over an Internet protocol data connection, and to receive an associated on-demand content video stream from a television service provider. The network interface module is also configured to connect to a website containing product information for a product associated with the on-demand content video stream. The client interface module is configured to output the on-demand content video stream, to output the interactive content notification concurrently with the on-demand content video stream in response to outputting a portion of the on-demand content video stream and based on the interactive content instructions, and to output the website currently with the on-demand content video stream in response to a selection of the interactive content notification.

Abstract: One embodiment takes the form of a method and apparatus for sharing a purchased pay-per-view (PPV) event over a plurality of set-top boxes (STB). Thus, a PPV event purchased through one STB may be viewed through every STB associated with the customer ID number of the purchaser, including an STB located in a separate location from the PPV purchaser. The customer information used to locate the STBs associated with the customer ID may be retrieved from a database or may be provided by a billing site. Providing for the purchaser to view the PPV event on several STBs may allow the customer of the PPV service maximum access to the purchased PPV event.

Abstract: A video hosting web site receives uploaded video content and processes the video to determine ad surfaces. The ad surfaces comprise spatio-temporal regions of the video suitable for placement of advertisement such as background surfaces or other regions of low interest. The uploaded video and ad surfaces are stored to a video database that is accessible to viewers visiting the video hosting web site. When a shared video is requested, the video hosting site provides the requested video content together with the ad surfaces and advertisements. The advertisements are blended with the ad surfaces in the video at playtime so that the advertisements appear as part of the video scene. This allows the video hosting web site to present advertisements to the viewer without significantly distracting the viewer from the requested content.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a system and a method for bypassing an emergency alert break-in for a recorded event. For example, in one embodiment, a set top box is disclosed that includes a memory component for storing computer executable instructions; a communication interface for receiving media content data from a cable service provider; a decoder module for decoding the received media content data; an emergency alert break-in monitoring module for identifying an emergency alert break-in from the received data; a digital video recorder controller module for determining whether the identified emergency alert break-in affects a recording of a program on a recorded channel; and an emergency alert break-in bypass module for bypassing the identified emergency alert break-in for enabling the digital video recorder controller module to record the program without the identified emergency alert break-in.