Abstract: One or more persistent customized social media environments are created allowing users to share content or an activity. The content or activity may comprise a shared media experience or shared participatory experience. Each user accessing the environment utilizes a device alone or in conjunction with other devices to complete a sharing experience. A persistent customized social media environment definition establishes a user environment which provides social networking services as well as content sharing and allows users who are connected to the persistent customized social media environment definition to experience instant messages, while those users who connect to the persistent customized social media environment at a later time will receive messages once they enter the environment.

Abstract: One or more persistent customized social media environments are created allowing users to share content or an activity. The content or activity may comprise a shared media experience or shared participatory experience. Each user accessing the environment utilizes a device alone or in conjunction with other devices to complete a sharing experience. A persistent customized social media environment definition establishes a user environment which provides social networking services as well as content sharing and allows users who are connected to the persistent customized social media environment definition to experience instant messages, while those users who connect to the persistent customized social media environment at a later time will receive messages once they enter the environment.

Abstract: One or more persistent customized social media environments are created allowing users to share content or an activity. The content or activity may comprise a shared media experience or shared participatory experience. Each user accessing the environment utilizes a device alone or in conjunction with other devices to complete a sharing experience. A persistent customized social media environment definition establishes a user environment which provides social networking services as well as content sharing and allows users who are connected to the persistent customized social media environment definition to experience instant messages, while those users who connect to the persistent customized social media environment at a later time will receive messages once they enter the environment.

Abstract: One or more persistent customized social media environments are created allowing users to share content or an activity. The content or activity may comprise a shared media experience or shared participatory experience. Each user accessing the environment utilizes a device alone or in conjunction with other devices to complete a sharing experience. A persistent customized social media environment definition establishes a user environment which provides social networking services as well as content sharing and allows users who are connected to the persistent customized social media environment definition to experience instant messages, while those users who connect to the persistent customized social media environment at a later time will receive messages once they enter the environment.

Abstract: A tuning device uses a counter mode encryption cipher to encrypt counters associated with media content in order to protect the media content when it is sent to requesting device or controller. The encrypted counters are decrypted in order to consume the media content. The controller may send particular direction to the tuning device as to how the media content, encrypted counters, and other associated data are sent to the controller.

Abstract: Innovative techniques for identifying and distinguishing content, such as commercials, can be used with means for marking key frames within the commercials to facilitate replacement of commercials and other programming segments in such a way as to provide improved focus and relevance for targeted advertising based on known and/or dynamic conditions. The identification of commercial features can also be used to provide improved trick play functionality while the commercial or other programming is rendered.

Abstract: A transport stream is encrypted in such a manner that the stream may be processed without requiring encrypted portions of the stream to be decrypted. Thus, an analysis is performed on the stream to determine at least one portion of the stream that is to pass unencrypted, thus enabling the stream to be processed in a manner that bypasses encrypted portions of the stream.