Abstract: A method for a system that provides an enhanced content guide includes a controller that receives electronic program guide data and parses the received electronic program guide data to identify a program listed in the electronic program guide and data corresponding to at least one program description attribute for the identified program. At least one external source of content information is searched using the Internet interface for information related to the identified program using the at least one program description attribute. A user interface generator generates an enhanced content guide user interface including the information related to the identified program for display on a display device in response to selection of the identified program in the electronic program guide.

Abstract: A method and system enables sharing content between a plurality of users over a communications network. A link to content that has been shared by a user is selected, the link includes at least one access characteristic defining a set of users able to access the content. A request signal including the at least one access characteristic associated with the content and at least one user characteristic associated with a requesting user over the communications network is transmitted for receipt by an authorization processor. A level of access available is determined for the content by comparing the at least one access characteristic and the at least one user characteristic in the request signal with a source of content specific authentication information including data representing content-specific access levels. Access to the requested content is provided via an internet interface to an output device in accordance with the determined level of access.

Abstract: A method and system of providing access to related content includes a primary display that is tuned to a desired program. Information that identifies the desired program is retrieved from an electronic program guide using a content processor. A plurality of locations on a communication network are automatically searched for additional episodes of the desired program using the retrieved information via an interne interface. Links for accessing the additional episodes of the tune program are provided via a user interface display processor on a secondary display.

Abstract: A method and system of providing a content guide that identifies a spatial relationship between the elements in the content guide is described. A controller receives electronic program guide data. The received electronic program guide data is parsed to identify a plurality of programs listed in the electronic program guide and data corresponding to at least one program description attribute for the identified programs. A relationship is determined between each identified program based on the at least one program description attribute. At least one cluster is generated and includes at least one of the plurality of identified programs based on the determined relationship. A user interface display processor generates a user interface display image representing a clustered content guide and including the at least one generated cluster enabling the user to view the relationship of the plurality of programs.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying and providing content to a user is described. The method is performed by a controller with an internet interface. A controller receives electronic program guide data, the electronic program guide data being selectively displayed on a primary display device. An attribute processor parses the received electronic program guide data to identify at least one program description attribute for a currently tuned program. A content processor searches the received electronic program guide and detects at least one further program having the identified at least one program description attribute. The content processor identifies the at least one further program as recommended content in step and a user interface generator generates, a user interface display including the recommended content user interface including a user selectable data item representing the recommended content for display on a secondary display device different from the primary display device.

Abstract: A method and system including a controller with an internet interface of providing enhanced content is provided. The controller receives an electronic program guide data and retrieves at least one characteristic identifying a program currently being displayed on a primary display device within the electronic program guide. At least one external content source is searched using the internet interface for information related to the program based on the at least one characteristic and the information related to the program obtained during the search is stored into a memory. The information stored in the memory and related to the first program is displayed by a user interface display processor on a second display.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding a broadcast data stream that includes encrypted advertisement cue messages. The encrypted advertisement cue message data representing a advertisement to be inserted into a stream and data representing an insertion time within said broadcast data stream that is associated with said advertisement. The advertisement cue messages are encrypted and encrypted using a encryption technique. The encrypted advertisement cue message masks the insertion time for the advertisement and prevents automatically skipping of the advertisement data.

Abstract: An electronic program guide is displayed where the program guide indicates the various media being consumed by a plurality of users. Such users can be linked together via a relationship from a social networking website. In addition, the grid can display broadcast channel listings. The grid optionally provides the feature of adding and removing corresponding user and channel listings.

Abstract: In response to a request for media, a determination is made whether a user should receive the requested media. When the user has the proper content privilege, a content manager will authorize the delivery of such content. Otherwise, alternative content is delivered to the user based on the content privileges.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for supporting multiple-screen interactivity between at least a first screen on a first device and a second screen on a second device. The system includes an interactivity server for providing complementary content for display on the second screen relative to primary content displayed on the first screen. The system further includes a communication device for communicating the complementary content to the second device to display on the second screen thereof.

Abstract: A user who recommends media assets can have a second user link or lock onto such recommendations. The second user is then presented with the option to receive such assets, when purchased. Such recommendations can be presented on a per asset or on an asset class level. The pricing of such assets can be modified based on the number of assets that are purchased and in relationship to the number of links that the second user has to other users.

Abstract: Robust Header Compression (ROHC) offers a way to compress packet header information for more efficient transmission of data. The compression is achieved through various confidence modes set up by the transmitter and the receiver. The Initialization and Refresh state (IR) is the first state of the compressor. This provides a complete, uncompressed context of the data that is being transmitted. In typically operation, the ROHC compressor will periodically transmit IR packets providing context information allowing the ROHC decompressor to decompress one or more packets following the IR packet. However, under certain conditions such as decompressor start-up, it is possible for the decompressor to miss an IR packet. Exemplary methods and apparatus are described in which a decompressor uses a later-received IR packet to decompress earlier packets for which the decompressor had not received context information.

Abstract: Creating a listing of suggested content and programming for a virtual channel is performed by generating rankings of previously viewed or accessed content. The method determines whether such content is either cyclical in nature as being related to a series or if such content is broadcasted less frequently.

Abstract: A delivery arrangement for linear TV programs uses SVC in which encoded enhancement layer video data is pre-downloaded to a STB and encoded base layer video data is live broadcasted to the STB at viewing time Pre-downloading of the enhancement layer data is done during off-peak viewing periods taking advantage of an abundance of network bandwidth while reducing bandwidth demand during peak viewing periods by broadcasting only the base layer data The enhancement layer data is downloaded in a modified MP4 file and stored in the STB for later synchronization and combination with the base layer, which is sent to the STB in a real time protocol (RTP) stream The combined base and enhancement layer data is SVC decoded for presentation to the enduser The pre-downloaded enhancement video file may be provided with digital rights management (DRM) protection, thereby providing conditional access to the enhanced video

Abstract: At a receiving device after a power-on or physical channel change, the physical channel is monitored for activity relating to services for which electronic service guide (ESG) data had been previously cached. The ESG data for a service will include some service identification information, such as an interne protocol (IP) address associated with the service. The monitoring of the physical channel for activity related to a service can be done by listening for the IP address associated with the service. If activity is detected, the service is determined to be active and its cached ESG data valid. Service acquisition data included in the cached ESG data is used to present the service to the user. The invention thus allows the presentation of services to the user using cached ESG data as soon as the services are detected to be active, without the need to wait for the reception of fresh ESG data.

Abstract: Advanced multiplexing methods and apparatus that are especially useful in multiplexing variable bit rate input video streams onto a fixed bandwidth output stream with minimum effect on video quality are described. A multiplexer provides feedback to a stagger transmitter to help it maintain its output bit rate. In addition, the stagger transmitter parses Network Abstraction Layers (NALs) from the given streams and makes decisions on which NALs to forward to the MUX.

Abstract: A stagger transmitter manipulates the Type of Service (TOS) information contained in packets transmitted therefrom. Downstream network devices, such as a network Multiplexer (MUX), use the TOS information to handle the packets. A MUX controls the bandwidth allocated to each of the original and staggered streams in accordance with the TOS information. The stagger transmitter manipulates the TOS information of packets in accordance with other information contained in the packets, such as Network Abstraction Layer (NAL) information. As such, the staggered stream copies of more important packets, as indicated by their NAL information, can have their TOS information set by the stagger transmitter so that a network MUX will forward such staggered packets in addition to the original packets, thereby providing redundancy and error protection for such packets.

Abstract: In the transmission of streams of data, such as coded video, staggercasting, in which a primary and a secondary stream are transmitted at some relative time offset (i.e., “staggered”), allows a receiver to pre-buffer frames of the secondary stream to replace frames of the primary stream that may have been lost in transmission. In an illustrative implementation, staggercasting is performed in which the secondary stream contains a subset of the coded video frames transmitted in the primary stream. The primary stream contains reference frames, which are essential to properly decoding the video data, as well as disposable frames which are not. The secondary stream, however, contains copies of the reference frames and may contain copies of some of the disposable frames or no disposable frames at all. When frames of an interleaved stream of the primary and secondary streams are lost, such an arrangement will allow reconstruction at the receiver of an uninterrupted video stream at a temporarily reduced frame rate.

Abstract: The apparatus and method for estimating the size of content being received before the actual transmission of the data utilizes Electronic Service Guide (ESG) information. The ESG information assists a client device in obtaining file information before the file is actually transmitted by the source of the same. In this manner, the power supply of the user device can be managed more efficiently and provide the user with the ability to make storage determinations at their user device before expending the power resources necessary to obtain (i.e., download) and store a particular file of interest to the user without requiring any user intervention.

Abstract: The present principles provide a method for a personalized mobile broadcast service operator (Service provider) to send content in the form of files with different compression formats in a variable bandwidth channel to one or more users who have access to the same service. Operators providing mobile broadcasts have the option of using residual bandwidth to provide these services. In such services, depending on the amount of bandwidth available for a mobile broadcast, a scheduler can choose to broadcast file content with higher compressed parameters thereby reducing the network footprint of the content file during lower bandwidth situations. A lower compressed format of the same content could then be potentially scheduled to broadcast at a later time when more bandwidth becomes available eventually replacing the highly compressed copy which was received earlier on the client.