Abstract: Systems and methods for improved video formats used in delivery and playback are presented. According to an embodiment, the movie package format contains tiers that provide for multiple sets of movie variations that are individually selectable for transfer to a device for local playback. A locally stored movie package may contain any subset of available tiers for a movie. Non-resident tiers can be discovered and downloaded into the movie package as needed or when available. Tiers, and other movie files may be updated or added to the movie package at any time. Then users can request updates or the updates can be pushed to the user without affecting the previously downloaded files.

Abstract: Systems and methods for broadcasting a video stream are disclosed. The systems and methods can receive a video stream from a broadcaster, process the video steam, store the video streaming, and deliver the video stream to a viewer as a live video stream or a video on demand. The viewer may use an access token to access the video stream. The systems and methods may include an error detection mechanism for detecting an interrupt in the video stream. The systems and methods can restore the access token to its original state if an error is detected. The systems and methods can also include one or more link sharing mechanisms for sharing links to a video stream. The shareable links may be associated with share tokens.

Abstract: Devices and methods for routing content are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for routing content include receiving audio data representing a command from a first electronic device, determining content that is associated with the command, sending responsive audio data to the first electronic device, and sending instructions to the second electronic device to output the content associated with the command. In some embodiments, a method for routing contents includes determining a state of the second electronic device and sending instructions to output the content to a selected one of the first and second electronic devices based on the state of the second electronic device.

Abstract: A web server uses selection criteria for identifying an electronic consumer device to identify a codeset likely to be appropriate for communicating with the electronic consumer device and data indicative of at least one code of the identified codeset is provided to a remote control device whereupon the data indicative of the at least one code of the identified codeset is automatically activated by the remote control device.

Abstract: Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the collection, distribution, and/or reporting of media content. According to an embodiment, media content items from one or more content providers are ingested into a content distribution system implemented by one or more server computer devices. These items of media content may comprise a variety of constituent elements, such as one or more video data units, one or more audio data units, descriptive metadata, subtitle units, thumbnails, or other information, which may be ingested all at once, or separately over time. Items may be processed using various workflows to refine content item components and/or generate new content items. Various publishing rules may be utilized to determine when the system is ready to publish a content item and distribute the item to client devices. Clients may request content items from various published listings, or search for content items by metadata and/or subtitles.

Abstract: A multi-platform television comprises at least one television signal interface to receive premium television services from at least two different television service providers. The television further comprises a programmable conditional access system to enable conditional access to the premium television services received by the at least one television signal interface from the at least two different service providers.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing playback of audio content during a trick-play mode in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. Media content can include audio content and video content. The audio content is divided into segments and the video content includes frames. Synchronization information associates a presentation time of each of the segments of the audio content with a presentation time of one or more frames associated with the images of the video content. When a trick-play mode is requested, the next frame from the video content to present is determined. The synchronization information is used to determine the segments of the audio content associated with the next frame. The determined segments audio content are presented as the frames are displayed in trick-play mode.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining online content insertion points in an online publication is provided. The method is implemented using a break point identifying (“BPI”) computer device in communication with a memory device. The method includes receiving a candidate online publication that includes a plurality of audio segments, identifying one or more of the plurality of audio segments, determining at least one break candidate within the candidate online publication based on the identification of one or more of the plurality of audio segments, determining at least one content insertion point with the candidate online publication based on the at least one break candidate. Each content insertion point represents a point in the candidate online publication for presenting online content, and store the at least one content insertion point in association with the candidate online publication.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for a media guidance application that manages media subscriptions between a user and a content provider. In particular, the media guidance application may automatically identify subscription terms that are beneficial for both a user and for a content provider.

Abstract: The insertion of an advertisement or other new content into a time slot between content segments advantageously occurs by selecting the new segment to fill its associated slot as closely as possible. Play out of a successive content segment occurs for distribution over at least one of a first set of channels and at least one second channel until the occurrence of the time slot whereupon the new content segment undergoes play out for distribution over the at least one second channel. If the new content segment has a duration longer than the time slot, the length of at least one content segment gets reduced to provide substantially seamless play out.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for displaying media is provided herein. The method includes the steps of receiving, at a media server, streaming media from a source device located at a first user's premises and transmitting the streaming media from the media server to a display device at the second user's premises. The media server is located remotely from both the first user's premises and the second user's premises. The first user's premises and the second user's premises may be the same. The media server may be located at a cable television headend.

Abstract: The timing for displaying an overlay a video is optimized using a system that includes an engagement component that receives information regarding frames of a video at which respective users of a plurality of users stop engaging with the video and an analysis component that calculates user engagement scores for the frames based on the information, wherein the user engagement scores reflect a percentage of the plurality of users that stop engaging with the video at the respective frames, and wherein the higher the percentage the lower the user engagement score. The system further includes an identification component that identifies a subset of the frames associated with relatively lower user engagement scores in comparison to other frames of the video and an overlay component that configures an overlay for displaying over the video near at least one of the frames included in the subset.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for aggregating media content from multiple sources for viewing on a local display or for placeshifting to a remote display. The aggregation system responds to instructions received from a remote device via the digital network to provide the video output incorporating the media content received from any of the media sources to the locally-connected display. The media aggregation system also simultaneously provides a placeshifted video stream to the remote device via the digital network that incorporates media content received from any of the plurality of media sources selected in response to the instructions received from the remote device.

Abstract: Provisioning commercial-free or break-free media content. Example types of media or media content may include advertising media, broadcast media, social media, news media, and etc. In a satellite broadcast television implementation, subscribers may be provided the ability to search for and optionally access commercial-free programming.

Abstract: A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. A web-based Content Management System receives content uploaded online in file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area specified by the uploaded metadata.

Abstract: Provisioning commercial-free or break-free media content. Example types of media or media content may include advertising media, broadcast media, social media, news media, and etc. In a satellite broadcast television implementation, subscribers may be provided the ability to search for and optionally access commercial-free programming.