Abstract: Disclosed is a configuration for inserting an advertisement (ad) break into a live stream by a server. One example embodiment includes a system (and method) that receives index files periodically from a media encoder of a live stream. Each index file comprising pointers to current segments of the live stream encoded in real-time. The system sets a status of the live stream to a live status and determines whether an indicator for ad break is included in a received index file. If there is no indicator for the ad break in the received index file, the system transmits the received index file to one or more client computers. If there is an indicator for the ad break in the received index file, the system processes the received index file by removing segments following the indicator from the index file, updates the status of the live stream to an ad-break status, and transmits the processed index file to the one or more client computers.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data. Combined resource metadata is created from combining the metadata of two or more files for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media. The combined data can be adjusted to synch audio and video portions as needed for combining the files. The virtual media file references the original media files and serves the content on-the-fly, rather than creating a new file with the combined media, at a savings of server response time and memory consumption, while maintaining high performance.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data. Combined resource metadata is created from combining the metadata of two or more files for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media. The combined data can be adjusted to synch audio and video portions as needed for combining the files. The virtual media file references the original media files and serves the content on-the-fly, rather than creating a new file with the combined media, at a savings of server response time and memory consumption, while maintaining high performance.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a computer readable medium for generating media packets, the method includes the steps of: (a) providing packet boundary information representative of locations of potential packet boundaries within media objects; said packet boundary information facilitating generation of packets of varying sizes; (b) selecting packet boundaries in response to a packet size selection information; and (c) generating media packets in response to the selected packet boundaries.