Abstract: Techniques are described for fulfilling an utterance request for an item represented within a video rendered at a client device. In some implementations, a user account associated with the request is identified, enabling a video stream transmitted in association with the user account at the time that the request was uttered to be identified. In one technique, a timestamp associated with the request is used to identify the relevant portion of the video stream. The item represented within the portion of the video stream can be identified using various techniques and/or information such as image recognition, metadata within the video, subtitles, closed captions, and/or a database mapping between the item and a video content item transmitted in the video stream.

Abstract: Techniques are described for optimizing video decoder operations.

Abstract: Techniques are described for adjusting parameter settings for bitrate selection algorithms for different segments of a population of devices streaming content. Streaming sessions are identified according to session characteristics. Within each segment of sessions, control parameter settings are sent to devices corresponding to a subset of each segment. Test parameter settings are sent to devices corresponding to another subset of each segment. If the test parameter settings result in better playback performance relative to the control parameter settings, the test parameter settings become the new control parameter settings, and new test parameter settings are generated.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing metadata corresponding to primary content of live media streams that include secondary content inserted into the streams.

Abstract: Techniques are described for server-side fragment insertion and delivery of media content. After receiving a request to play back media content, a manifest is generated that includes fragments associated with the requested media content and fragments associated with different media content. A client device requests fragments from a media server according to the manifest, and the media server provides the correct fragment in response to the request.

Abstract: Techniques are described for encoding information in manifest data in a way that enables identification of a version of media content. Such a capability may be used to identify dynamic content inserted into the media content for the purpose of tracking the effect of the dynamic content on user generated feedback. This capability might also be used to identify a user or device associated with a particular copy of the media content for anti-piracy purposes.

Abstract: Techniques are described for fulfilling an utterance request for an item represented within a video rendered at a client device. In some implementations, a user account associated with the request is identified, enabling a video stream transmitted in association with the user account at the time that the request was uttered to be identified. In one technique, a timestamp associated with the request is used to identify the relevant portion of the video stream. The item represented within the portion of the video stream can be identified using various techniques and/or information such as image recognition, metadata within the video, subtitles, closed captions, and/or a database mapping between the item and a video content item transmitted in the video stream.

Abstract: Techniques are described for optimizing streaming video encoding profiles.

Abstract: Techniques are described for adjusting parameter settings for bitrate selection algorithms for devices streaming media content. Control parameter settings are selected for playback of first media content. Test parameter settings are selected for playback of second media content. If the test parameter settings result in better playback performance relative to the control parameter settings, the test parameter settings become the new control parameter settings.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for partitioning a manifest file to generate smaller manifest files for media content playback. A server partitions a manifest file prior to receipt of a request from a client or in response to a request from a client for a manifest for media content for a particular temporal range or subset of playback options.

Abstract: Techniques for delivering live streaming content are described by which a streaming heuristic is selected based on the delay between the live and client playheads. For live content for which the delay is short, a low latency streaming heuristic is selected which is designed to handle live content streams for which only a few seconds of content can be buffered. For live content for which the delay is longer, a higher latency streaming heuristic is selected which is designed to handle streams for which the delay is sufficient to build a buffer of content fragments.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described in which both supervised and unsupervised machine learning are used to classify video content for compression using encoding profiles that are optimized for each type of video content.

Abstract: Techniques are described for live streaming media content using on-demand manifests. Many manifest files providing playback options for different time periods of a live stream of media content can be generated and provided to viewer devices. Requests from viewer devices using the manifest files can be analyzed to determine a fragment to be provided for playback in relation to the time period of the live stream to be provided for playback.

Abstract: Techniques are described for live streaming media content using on-demand manifests. A manifest file providing playback options for a portion of the duration of the playback of a live stream can be provided to viewer devices. The viewer devices can also be provided location identifiers for the live stream. Based on the location identifier used by the viewer devices to request fragments of the live stream of the media content, the requests from the viewer devices using the manifest file can be analyzed to determine a fragment to be provided for playback in relation to the time period of the live stream.

Abstract: Techniques for encoding media content are described that reduce the overhead associated with metadata when the encoded content is streamed over a network. Some of these techniques involve the selection of parameters or consolidation of information to ensure consistency or uniformity of metadata values. Others relate to the recognition and removal of redundancies or optional information. Still others take advantage of characteristics of specific bit rate scenarios to more efficiently represent information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for generating manifest files for media content playback. A server can generate manifest files that include initialization metadata obtained from initialization fragments of media content files. Client devices can initiate playback of media content for playback using the manifest files without downloading or parsing the initialization fragments of the media content files.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for segmenting a manifest file to generate smaller manifest files for media content playback. A server can segment a manifest file prior to receipt of a request from a client or in response to a request from a client for a manifest for media content for a particular fragment range.

Abstract: Techniques are described for optimizing video decoder operations.

Abstract: Techniques are described for enabling the insertion of semi-targeted content in live content streams consumed by devices that do not support unconstrained dynamic fragment insertion.

Abstract: Techniques are described for optimizing memory used by a video decoder. A residual coefficient matrix including non-zero value residual coefficients of a larger parent matrix with both non-zero and zero value residual coefficients can be provided to the decoder. Residual coefficient matrix metadata can also be provided so that a modified and reduced inverse transform matrix can be selected and applied to the residual coefficient matrix.