Abstract: Server side content impression progression tracking is performed using ping triggers and pings. A server generates ping triggers for content based on an impression list from a configuration provided by the content originator. The server sets different times at which the ping triggers are to fire during content playback. When media playback on a client reaches a time set for a ping trigger, the ping trigger causes the client to return a ping to the server to indicate that playback has reached the designated time. In this manner, the pings granularly track content viewership on different clients, wherein the granular tracking measures not only whether content was viewed or not, but also how much of the content was viewed. Subsequent content to a particular client can be customized based on preferences derived from pings tracked from the particular client.

Abstract: Provided is a system for efficiently creating snippets or clips from media assets without re-encoding the entire portion of already encoded media content falling within the snippet boundaries. The system partitions and encodes the original media asset as set of slices with each slice encoding a different temporal chunk of the media asset. The system identifies a first slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet start time, and a second slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet end time. The system produces a snippet start slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the first slice and a snippet end slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the second slice. The system generates the snippet from the snippet start slice, an unmodified subset of the set of slices between the first slice and the second slice, and the snippet end slice.

Abstract: A scalable architecture is provided for decentralized scaling of resources in a media content encoding platform. The scalable architecture is comprised of a first slicing tier, a second broker tier, and a third encoding tier. Each tier can be horizontally and vertically scaled independent of one another. The second broker tier receives media content slices from the first slicing tier. The second broker tier retains the slices directly in main memory of different brokers without writing the slices to a database or disk. The brokers distribute the slices from main memory across the third encoding tier for encoding based on availability of different encoders in the third tier. This architecture improves overall encoding performance as some of the delays associated with managing and distributing the slices at the second tier are eliminated by operation of the brokers.

Abstract: The implementation provides for controlled dynamic content replacement within media content. The media content is encoded in its original form with markers marking segments for time or condition triggered replacement. Each marker is provided a type. A request link is generated for requesting the media content. The link encodes control data for the different marker types. In response to a media content request, the server scans encoded chunks of the media content for markers. From the request link, the server obtains the control data for an identified marker type and determines whether to replace the content based on triggering of the control data. This allows advertising content to remain as part of the media content until reaching a certain number of impressions or a certain time. Thereafter, the content is dynamically replaced with temporally relevant content or other content from an ongoing campaign during real-time media content playback.

Abstract: Provided is a system for efficiently creating snippets or clips from media assets without re-encoding the entire portion of already encoded media content falling within the snippet boundaries. The system partitions and encodes the original media asset as set of slices with each slice encoding a different temporal chunk of the media asset. The system identifies a first slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet start time, and a second slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet end time. The system produces a snippet start slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the first slice and a snippet end slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the second slice. The system generates the snippet from the snippet start slice, an unmodified subset of the set of slices between the first slice and the second slice, and the snippet end slice.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide server-side implementation and enforcement of blackout rules for streaming content. A server receives a request from an end user device and extracts a first identifier identifying the end user device and a second identifier identifying the requested stream from the request. The server determines if blackout rules identified for the requested streaming content using the second identifier apply to the end user device based on the first identifier. The blackout rules may restrict IP addresses, IP address subnets, or geographic regions defined using zip codes or DMAs. The first identifier can be an IP address that directly or indirectly maps to the blackout rules. If the first identifier is restricted by a blackout rule, the server identifies the restrictions of the rule, when they apply, and how they are to be applied before dynamically altering the content that is streamed to the end user device.

Abstract: Provided is a system for efficiently creating snippets or clips from media assets without re-encoding the entire portion of already encoded media content falling within the snippet boundaries. The system partitions and encodes the original media asset as set of slices with each slice encoding a different temporal chunk of the media asset. The system identifies a first slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet start time, and a second slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet end time. The system produces a snippet start slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the first slice and a snippet end slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the second slice. The system generates the snippet from the snippet start slice, an unmodified subset of the set of slices between the first slice and the second slice, and the snippet end slice.

Abstract: A scalable architecture is provided for decentralized scaling of resources in a media content encoding platform. The scalable architecture is comprised of a first slicing tier, a second broker tier, and a third encoding tier. Each tier can be horizontally and vertically scaled independent of one another. The second broker tier receives media content slices from the first slicing tier. The second broker tier retains the slices directly in main memory of different brokers without writing the slices to a database or disk. The brokers distribute the slices from main memory across the third encoding tier for encoding based on availability of different encoders in the third tier. This architecture improves overall encoding performance as some of the delays associated with managing and distributing the slices at the second tier are eliminated by operation of the brokers.

Abstract: The implementation provides for controlled dynamic content replacement within media content. The media content is encoded in its original form with markers marking segments for time or condition triggered replacement. Each marker is provided a type. A request link is generated for requesting the media content. The link encodes control data for the different marker types. In response to a media content request, the server scans encoded chunks of the media content for markers. From the request link, the server obtains the control data for an identified marker type and determines whether to replace the content based on triggering of the control data. This allows advertising content to remain as part of the media content until reaching a certain number of impressions or a certain time. Thereafter, the content is dynamically replaced with temporally relevant content or other content from an ongoing campaign during real-time media content playback.

Abstract: The implementation provides for controlled dynamic content replacement within media content. The media content is encoded in its original form with markers marking segments for time or condition triggered replacement. Each marker is provided a type. A request link is generated for requesting the media content. The link encodes control data for the different marker types. In response to a media content request, the server scans encoded chunks of the media content for markers. From the request link, the server obtains the control data for an identified marker type and determines whether to replace the content based on triggering of the control data. This allows advertising content to remain as part of the media content until reaching a certain number of impressions or a certain time. Thereafter, the content is dynamically replaced with temporally relevant content or other content from an ongoing campaign during real-time media content playback.

Abstract: Server side content impression progression tracking is performed using ping triggers and pings. A server generates ping triggers for content based on an impression list from a configuration provided by the content originator. The server sets different times at which the ping triggers are to fire during content playback. When media playback on a client reaches a time set for a ping trigger, the ping trigger causes the client to return a ping to the server to indicate that playback has reached the designated time. In this manner, the pings granularly track content viewership on different clients, wherein the granular tracking measures not only whether content was viewed or not, but also how much of the content was viewed. Subsequent content to a particular client can be customized based on preferences derived from pings tracked from the particular client.

Abstract: The implementation provides for controlled dynamic content replacement within media content. The media content is encoded in its original form with markers marking segments for time or condition triggered replacement. Each marker is provided a type. A request link is generated for requesting the media content. The link encodes control data for the different marker types. In response to a media content request, the server scans encoded chunks of the media content for markers. From the request link, the server obtains the control data for an identified marker type and determines whether to replace the content based on triggering of the control data. This allows advertising content to remain as part of the media content until reaching a certain number of impressions or a certain time. Thereafter, the content is dynamically replaced with temporally relevant content or other content from an ongoing campaign during real-time media content playback.

Abstract: Provided is a system for efficiently creating snippets or clips from media assets without re-encoding the entire portion of already encoded media content falling within the snippet boundaries. The system partitions and encodes the original media asset as set of slices with each slice encoding a different temporal chunk of the media asset. The system identifies a first slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet start time, and a second slice that encodes a duration of the media asset spanning the snippet end time. The system produces a snippet start slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the first slice and a snippet end slice from decoding, clipping, and re-encoding the second slice. The system generates the snippet from the snippet start slice, an unmodified subset of the set of slices between the first slice and the second slice, and the snippet end slice.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide server-side implementation and enforcement of blackout rules for streaming content. A server receives a request from an end user device and extracts a first identifier identifying the end user device and a second identifier identifying the requested stream from the request. The server determines if blackout rules identified for the requested streaming content using the second identifier apply to the end user device based on the first identifier. The blackout rules may restrict IP addresses, IP address subnets, or geographic regions defined using zip codes or DMAs. The first identifier can be an IP address that directly or indirectly maps to the blackout rules. If the first identifier is restricted by a blackout rule, the server identifies the restrictions of the rule, when they apply, and how they are to be applied before dynamically altering the content that is streamed to the end user device.