Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for creating countdown animations. The countdown animations may alert children that they are approaching their viewing limits, wherein the viewing limits are set by parents and/or guardians. A method may include generating a countdown of an amount of time remaining in a user selected period of time for accessing media content. The method may include identifying a character of a plurality of characters based on a user criterion. The method may include searching a database of a plurality of countdown animations to select a countdown animation associated with the identified character. The method may include generating for display the selected countdown animation simultaneously with the media content.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adapting playback bit rate in a content delivery system based on scene complexity of the video content as well as network conditions and other performance factors. A scene complexity map of the video content indicates the complexity levels of different scenes within the video content. Using the scene complexity map, a content player may download scenes of lower scene complexity levels from video streams encoded to lower bit rates to manage the bandwidth consumed to download the video content and allow for the downloading of scenes of higher complexity levels from video streams encoded to higher bit rates.

Abstract: A method is provided for encoding at least one integral image representative of at least one object in perspective in a scene. The method implements the following steps: applying a discrete wavelet transform directly to the pixels of the integral image, delivering a plurality of transform coefficients; and encoding the delivered transform coefficients.

Abstract: A system and method is provided where, in one aspect, a user signals that the user is interested in a particular image being displayed as part of a video, wherein objects in the image are detected and recognized, and wherein an action is taken based on information associated with the recognized objects. By way of example only, the actions may include recording a show (with or without a user's prior confirmation) or displaying information about a product in the image.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for decompressing video data, storing the compressed video data in such a way that random access is possible and the data can be mapped efficiently into existing memory systems and interface protocols. The compression is accomplished via lossless compression using an algorithm optimized for video data. Due to the compressed format, data transmission consumes less bandwidth than using uncompressed data and prevents degradation in the decoded video.

Abstract: An image decoding device is equipped with a header information decoding means for decoding profile/level information included in a video parameter set after decoding byte-aligned 16-bit extension information (next_essential_info_byte_offset) in the video parameter set.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set-top-box (STB) having a controller to join a multicast group having an associated multicast address, wherein the multicast address is associated with a first content type of a plurality of content types, access encoded content associated with the first content type from the multicast address, wherein the encoded content is transmitted by at least one source associated with the multicast group to the multicast address, decode the accessed encoded content, and display the decoded content on a channel mapped to the multicast address. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for synchronizing media data and auxiliary data received by a service through a broadcast network or a communication network in a multimedia broadcast service are provided. The method includes receiving regular media data provided for a broadcast service, receiving and storing control information regarding adjunct media data comprising auxiliary data regarding the regular media data, determining location information of the adjunct media data included in the control information, and receiving and storing the adjunct media data according to the location information. If an identifier of the adjunct media data is included in a header of the regular media data, reading the stored adjunct media data corresponding to the identifier of the adjunct media data, and executing the adjunct media data in synchronization with the regular media data according to synchronization information included in the header.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are provided to deliver messages between a television distributor and groups of television receivers. A data processing system provides a message exchange service that routes messages to any number of queues based upon various routing keys. Each of the customer-operated television receivers establishes a queue with the routing service that is bound to any number of routing keys. Keys may be selected based upon characteristics of the receiver, geographic factors, demographic factors, subscribed services, customer preferences or the like. When a service wants to send a message to a particular group, it sends the message to the group's routing key, and the routing service delivers the messages to each of the receivers bound to that particular key.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to determining and using a normalized in progress program indicator that can be used for resuming content playback are described. In some embodiments the normalized in progress program indicator, also referred to as a normalized in progress program time, indicates a portion, e.g., fraction, of a program which has been viewed. The normalized in progress time is generated by determining an in progress program point after excluding the time of advertisements that may have been included in a content stream with the program. A user may begin watching a program on one device and resume playback of a different version of the same program on another playback device with the normalization process allowing for the playback starting point to be easily determined whether the same or a different version, with a different duration, of the program is played back.

Abstract: A reference picture information decoding unit (13) omits decoding of a reference list sorting presence or absence flag and/or a reference list sorting order based on the number of current picture referable pictures.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a content notification for a set-top box is disclosed. An embodiment is disclosed that receives security information at a web portal and the security information has identification information for a user assigned to a set-top box, services a request to create a content notification preference for the set-top box at the web portal in response to successful entry of security information, determines media content received by the set-top box and the media content selected for display, determines the content notification preference associated with the set-top box, the content notification preference has a content notification rule to monitor media content received by the set-top box, and sends a content notification to a recipient based on the content notification preference.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling Internet users to schedule recordings of electronic programming content. One method includes displaying on a web page, over the Internet, a user interface element associated with an advertisement for electronic programming content; wherein selection of the user interface element, by a user of a web browsing device, initiates a recording device of the user, separate from the web browsing device, to schedule a recording of the electronic programming content. Another method for enabling Internet users to request television content includes displaying on a web page, over the Internet, a user interface element associated with an advertisement for television content; wherein a user's selection of the user interface element initiates a request for the advertised television content from a carrier that provides television service to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for identifying a content source of media content being transmitted to a viewer in situations when a specific media asset is being transmitted to the viewer from two different content sources nearly simultaneously. For example, if a certain movie is being broadcast at nearly the same time by two different channels, the system is able to identify the channel that the viewer is watching. The system performs the identification by obtaining fingerprints for two different channels, matching the fingerprints based on time and then finding a divergent pair of fingerprints by iterating in reverse chronological order through the pairs and comparing the fingerprints. The system then compares the fingerprints to fingerprints in a log that stores fingerprints and corresponding generation times for content that the viewer is consuming. The matching fingerprint corresponds to the correct content source.

Abstract: A method for dynamic routing is provided. Status information of a multichannel video and data distribution service (MVDDS) channel from customer premises equipment (CPE) is received. The status information is evaluated to determine if data destined for the CPE over the MVDDS channel should be routed over a secondary channel. Data destined for the CPE is route over the secondary channel when the data is determined to be routed over the secondary channel.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods of providing content to a user via communications between a content provider and a user over a plurality of disparate communication channels are provided. Content is provided to a user via a first transmission channel for presentation. Metadata associated with the content identifies a content event trigger at a point in the content. The content is displayed using a first presentation system. When the content event trigger is reached, supplemental content is provided to the user via a second transmission channel. The supplemental content is provided to the user during continued presentation of the content, and the supplemental content is provided to the user using a content providing system that is wholly separate from the first presentation system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting a desktop display comprising classifying a first region of the desktop display as persistently changed and a second region of the desktop display as sporadically changed, adjusting, in relation to a user experience (UX) bias and a resource constraint, a target image quality for the first region, decimating the first region in accordance with a spatial decimation factor to generate a first decimated region, compressing the first decimated region at the target image quality and compressing the second region to generate a plurality of compressed regions and transmitting the plurality of compressed regions to a client via an IP network.

Abstract: A method for content delivery using dynamic adaptive hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) streaming (DASH) without using HTTP. The method includes receiving a media presentation description (MPD) file and one or more DASH segments by a client device. Information in the MPD file is used to filter the one or more DASH segments. The filtered DASH segments are stored in a segments buffer. Particular DASH segments are requested from the segments buffer by the client device based on the information.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and arrangements for accomplishing trick modes. This is achieved by assigning samples within a track to sample groups, wherein all samples within a sample group belong to one temporal level and by allowing the client to access one temporal level independently of lower temporal levels. In this way, the flexibility for the client regarding play out of different frame rates is increased which can result in a lower bandwidth utilization.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for resource utilization in a source device when transmitting video data in a Wireless Display (WD) system. A method for wireless display of compressed content may comprise determining, by a source device, a decoding capability of a sink device, receiving, by the source device, a request to display compressed content at the sink device in a wireless display session, and in the case that the decoding capability of the sink device allows for decoding of the compressed content, transmitting the compressed content from the source device to the sink device, whereby transcoding the compressed content is avoided in the source device.