Abstract: The present invention provides a method of providing interactive services or contents. The method includes, receiving a ESG (Enhancement Service Guide) information including preference criteria indicating characteristics of the interactive services or contents for recommending the user the interactive services or contents based on user's personal interests, receiving a PDI (Profiles, Demographics, Interests) table via broadcast signals, wherein the PDI table includes plural PDI questions related to user's personal interests for interactive contents, wherein each of the PDI questions has a question ID identifying a PDI question, obtaining an answer for at least one of the PDI questions, storing the obtained answer in the PDI table, determining recommendation interactive services or contents by comparing the preference criteria with the obtained answer and presenting the determined recommendation interactive services or contents in ESG.

Abstract: An apparatus for virtually applying graphical enhancements including a video enhancement processor receiving at least one image frame of a football game extracted from a multimedia stream. The at least one image frame includes a plurality of players. The apparatus applies a graphical enhancement to the at least one image frame such that at least one of the players is graphically enhanced.

Abstract: A client device requests a streaming video from a storage device, which encodes the video's frame in communication packets according to an encoding protocol for transmission to the client. The client device decodes the communication packets to obtain frame segments and a frame marking header indicating a boundary of the video frame relative to other video frames in the video. The communication packets may also include other segment headers indicating a relative ordering of corresponding frame segments. The client device determines, based on the frame marking header, whether a sufficient number of communication packets have been received to render a video frame. In response to determining that the sufficient number of communication packets has been received, the client device assembles the video frame from the frame segments corresponding to the video frame and presents at least a portion of the video by rendering the assembled video frame.

Abstract: A portable system including a digital connection plug, a processing hardware unit, and a non-transitory storage device including code causing the processing hardware unit to perform operations including dividing a received source video file or virtualized source video into a plurality of equal- or non-equal-sized image components. A resulting data-content package is stored at the system such as at a framebuffer thereof. System operations further comprise generating a meta-index package comprising a plurality of index components, each index component corresponding to a respective one of the equal-sized image components, storing the meta-index package, and sending the data-content package and the meta-index package to the host device for publishing of the image components sequentially, in accord with an order of the meta-index package, for display rendering streaming video corresponding to the source video file or virtualized source video.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sharing interactive media guidance application information are provided. First interactive media guidance application information that is associated with media available on a first media equipment device is provided. Second interactive media guidance application information is received at the first media equipment device. The second interactive media guidance application information is associated with media available to a second media equipment device. The first interactive media guidance application information is compared with the second interactive media guidance application information to identify at least one of a similarity and a difference between the first interactive media guidance application information and the second interactive media guidance application information.

Abstract: A system comprises a storage and a processor. The storage is for storing a plurality of Internet protocol multicast video streams, each associated with a live television program content. The processor is in communication with the storage, and the processor is configured to receive the Internet protocol multicast video streams. The processor is also configured to receive a request for a previously transmitted portion of one of the Internet protocol multicast video streams from customer premises equipment in response to the customer premises customer requiring the previously transmitted portion for display. The processor is also configured to begin transmission of the previously transmitted portion as an Internet protocol unicast video stream to the customer premises equipment for immediate display.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments that relate to enhancing video content with personalized extrinsic data. A video content feature is rendered on a display. A user interface is rendered on top of the video content feature on the display. The user interface presents cast member indicia, where the cast member indicia correspond to respective cast members in the video content feature. In response to receiving a selection of one of the cast member indicia from a user, the user interface is updated to present additional information about the corresponding cast member. The additional information is personalized based at least in part on profile data associated with the user.

Abstract: A system may receive a first list of users of a provider network. For each of the first list of users, the system may obtain data pertaining to the user's categories of interest from a social media system; infer video programs based on the data; infer a list of one or more video channels based on the video programs; score the one or more video channels; rank the list of one or more video channels based on the scores; and recommend the ranked list of one or more video channels.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a controller to update a profile of preferences and recordings maintained at a central server when a user modifies preferences and recordings at a customer premises at a digital video recorder (DVR) or set top box (STB) with respect to a video on demand system via a link through the Internet and when a user modifies preferences and recordings with a video on demand system within a vehicle. The controller can also enable downloading audio-visual information synchronized with the video on demand system via a first wireless communication system to the vehicle in response to requests sent using a second wireless communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and a system enabling inter-destination synchronization of processing of content of at least a first and second media stream, wherein said first and second media stream are associated with one or more markers for marking one or more content parts of said first and second media streams respectively.

Abstract: The disclosed virtual theater system includes capture devices for capturing video and audio of a live event and converting the video and audio into a data stream. The system also includes a production center for receiving the data stream and compressing the data stream to generate a compressed data stream, for determining the number of one or more viewing devices subscribed or reserved to view the live event, and for determining data bandwidth consumption characteristics of the one or more viewing devices. Also included is a server for receiving the compressed data stream, the number of one or more viewing devices, and the data bandwidth consumption characteristics from the production center over a network. The server also duplicates and divides the compressed data stream out to the one or more viewing devices depending on the number of viewing devices subscribed or reserved (cyberseats reserved) to view the live event.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present application disclose a text information input method and apparatus, where the method includes: firstly, invoking a first edit box of a handheld device; afterwards, updating display content of the first edit box according to an editing operation performed by an operator on the first edit box; and then, detecting whether first display content of the first edit box at a current moment and second display content of the first edit box at a previous moment are the same, and if they are different, sending the first display content to a set top box, so that the set top box updates display content of a second edit box.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for inserting an advertisement in a broadcasting system based on adaptive streaming. To this end, content related information for advertisement content is generated by an advertisement providing server and a content transmitting server. A client is informed of an update required time of the content related information to receive new content related information from the content transmitting server. Therefore, the advertisement content can be reproduced in a set period.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for presenting an interactive programming guide are provided. An embodiment may include providing an apparatus configured to deliver media programs and an interactive programming guide to a monitor to be viewed by a user. The interactive programming guide may list channels and media programs available to the user. The apparatus may be configured to filter the interactive programming guide by limiting the channels and media programs listed in the interactive programming guide based on one or more attributes of the media programs. The user may be able to choose the attributes to be used as the filter either through a current media program being watched by the user or through the interactive programming guide. The attributes may be identified through metadata associated with the media programs.

Abstract: Systems and methods of gathering, processing, and distributing information of a sporting event over a wireless network covering the sporting event, including a first portable device carried by a spotter of the sporting event to acquire global positioning system (GPS) data corresponding to the first portable device, to receive input data regarding status of the sporting event from the spotter, and to transmit the GPS and input data over the network, and a second portable device carried by a patron of the sporting event to receive the transmitted data, and to selectively display graphical representations of the transmitted data according to an input from the patron.

Abstract: Disclosure is directed to determining a condition of the television receiver and communicating information regarding that condition to end-points that are external to the television receiver. The television receiver may create a two-dimensional barcode with information regarding the receiver condition and output the two-dimensional barcode for display on a display device. Once displayed on the display device, the two-dimensional barcode may be scanned into a mobile device where the information regarding the receiver condition may be stored, processed and/or forwarded to another location or device.

Abstract: In a set-top-box system, messages from a service provider are stored and delayed until activity from a set-top-box remote is detected. Messages are then generated and provided to a television associated with the set-top-box. Delaying of the message display until set-top-box activity is detected allows short display times, thus preventing burn-in on some television screens, while providing a greater likelihood that messages will be viewed.

Abstract: A method and device for ranking video feeds provide a user with the best feed depending on what the user wishes to see. The method includes obtaining one or more video feeds and ranking the video feeds. The ranking is based, at least in part, upon input from a viewer indicating an object of interest. The ranking can consider things such as video stream resolution and signal strength.

Abstract: While a user views a primary content item (for example, a movie on a television screen), secondary content items are selected and presented to the user, either on the same screen or on a screen of the user's companion device. To choose selections that are relevant to the user's current interests, the selection process considers information beyond the realm of primary and secondary content. Over time, the selection process learns to make more relevant selections by monitoring selection choices made by other systems.

Abstract: A method includes providing a programming guide including listings associated with a number of channels provided by a television service provider. The method may also include receiving, from a user, input corresponding to a request to add a listing in the programming guide associated with an online content provider, and providing a user interface requesting that the user add information associated with the online content provider. The method may further include receiving, via the user interface, an identifier associated with the online content provider, storing the identifier in a memory, and modifying the programming guide to include a listing associated with the online content provider.