Abstract: An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for advertisement management include monitoring ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system. Techniques include monitoring a client action or inaction as it relates to advertisement skipping for future advertisement selections.

Abstract: A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.

Abstract: An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for averting or inhibiting ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system may include techniques for both live content and on demand content. Techniques include modifying a buffer size for access to trick plays and/or constructing a manifest file with limited content based on ad breaks.

Abstract: An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for advertisement management include monitoring ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system. Techniques include monitoring a client action or inaction as it relates to advertisement skipping for future advertisement selections.

Abstract: A broadcast system and method that includes a video content network that connects a video server, a discovery server, a switched digital video service, a switched video manager, and a set-top box. The set-top box receives and stores an assigned location identifier, and receives a mapping from the discovery server, where the mapping includes records, each record associating a location identifier and a service group. The set-top box matches the assigned location identifier to the mapping to determine an assigned service group for the set-top box. The set-top box receives an address from the discovery server that identifies the switched video manager that is associated with the assigned service group. The set-top box operates in the broadcast system by communicating with the switched digital video service, and the switched video manager.

Abstract: An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for averting or inhibiting ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system may include techniques for both live content and on demand content. Techniques include modifying a buffer size for access to trick plays and/or constructing a manifest file with limited content based on ad breaks.

Abstract: An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for averting or inhibiting ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system may include techniques for both live content and on demand content. Techniques include modifying a buffer size for access to trick plays and/or constructing a manifest file with limited content based on ad breaks.

Abstract: A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.

Abstract: A system and method that receives a tune request in a switched digital video (SDV) system, where the tune request includes an identifier of a set-top box, and an SDV channel. The method receives a content stream associated with the SDV channel. The method retrieves conditional access (CA) information from a local cache, where the CA information includes encryption information for the content stream. The method converts the content stream to an encrypted content stream using the encryption information, and sends the encrypted content stream to the set-top box.

Abstract: An adaptive bit rate system uses adaptive streaming to deliver content to client devices capable of adaptive bit rate streaming. Techniques for averting or inhibiting ad skipping by an adaptive bit rate client device that receives media chunks from the adaptive bit rate system may include techniques for both live content and on demand content. Techniques include modifying a buffer size for access to trick plays and/or constructing a manifest file with limited content based on ad breaks.

Abstract: A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.

Abstract: A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.

Abstract: A system and method that receives a tune request in a switched digital video (SDV) system, where the tune request includes an identifier of a set-top box, and an SDV channel. The method receives a content stream associated with the SDV channel. The method retrieves conditional access (CA) information from a local cache, where the CA information includes encryption information for the content stream. The method converts the content stream to an encrypted content stream using the encryption information, and sends the encrypted content stream to the set-top box.

Abstract: A broadcast system and method that includes a video content network that connects a video server, a discovery server, a switched digital video service, a switched video manager, and a set-top box. The set-top box receives and stores an assigned location identifier, and receives a mapping from the discovery server, where the mapping includes records, each record associating a location identifier and a service group. The set-top box matches the assigned location identifier to the mapping to determine an assigned service group for the set-top box. The set-top box receives an address from the discovery server that identifies the switched video manager that is associated with the assigned service group. The set-top box operates in the broadcast system by communicating with the switched digital video service, and the switched video manager.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for facilitating device redundancy in a fault tolerant system is described. One aspect of the invention relates to common redundancy for a set of devices in a redundancy group. Each of the devices is in either an active role or a standby role. Virtual configurations for the devices are stored in a management system. Advertisements are periodically sent from each of the devices in the active role to each of the devices in the redundancy group. Each of the advertisements includes a configuration sequence number. An update in one of the virtual configurations is announced by incrementing the configuration sequence number in at least one of the advertisements. An updated virtual configuration is obtained at each of the devices in the standby role from the management system in response to detecting the configuration sequence number as incremented in the at least one advertisement.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for facilitating device redundancy in a fault tolerant system is described. One aspect of the invention relates to common redundancy for a set of devices in a redundancy group. Each of the devices is in either an active role or a standby role. Virtual configurations for the devices are stored in a management system. Advertisements are periodically sent from each of the devices in the active role to each of the devices in the redundancy group. Each of the advertisements includes a configuration sequence number. An update in one of the virtual configurations is announced by incrementing the configuration sequence number in at least one of the advertisements. An updated virtual configuration is obtained at each of the devices in the standby role from the management system in response to detecting the configuration sequence number as incremented in the at least one advertisement.

Abstract: Protection against unauthorized access to stored content on a video appliance such as a set-top box/PVR (Personal Video Recorder) is provided by encrypting stored content using an event key derived by hashing a base key unique to the set-top box/PVR with event-specific information unique to the stored content. A content handle derived from the event-specific information (and optionally identical thereto) is stored along with the encrypted stored content, identifying it. To decrypt an item of stored content, the event key is recreated by once again hashing the base key (securely stored within the set-top box) with the event-specific information associated with the item of stored content (re-derived from the content handle, as necessary). This event key, identical to the event key used to encrypt the stored content, is then used to decrypt it, making it available for playback. Unauthorized access to deleted content is prevented by erasing (e.g.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for simultaneously decrypting multiple services received on separate encrypted multiplexed transport streams. A plurality of encrypted multiplexed transport streams may be received at a television terminal. Each transport stream may have at least one service. The plurality of multiplexed transport streams may be received by, for example, multiple tuning devices and/or provided from a storage device, such as a Personal Versatile Recorder (PVR). A plurality of desired services are selected from a subset of the transport streams. The desired services are multiplexed into a desired service multiplex and decrypted by a single decryption engine to provide a desired decrypted multiplex. The desired decrypted multiplex is then demultiplexed so that the desired services can be decoded and provided to a user.