Abstract: A service that provides playback of media content, that may include advertising content, to a user. The system comprises device, that may be a portable wireless device, where the wireless device has a media drive and an application that reads content from a medium inserted in the media drive. The system further comprises a service that communicates with the wireless device via a wireless network. The service provides control commands to the application program for controlling playback of content from the medium when inserted in the media drive. The service may also provide advertising content to the user based on a user profile. A fee may be paid for the delivery of the content and/or the advertising to the user.

Abstract: A method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices (102) is provided that includes selecting one or more gift contents (204) from a content provider (108). At least a subset of the selected gift contents (204) is purchased from the content provider (108). The selected gift contents (204) are received from the content provider (108). The received gift contents (204) are stored on a donor mobile storage device (102a). At least a subset of the stored gift contents (204) is transferred from the donor mobile storage device (102a) to a receiver mobile storage device (102b). The transferred gift contents (204) correspond to the purchased gift contents (204).

Abstract: A method for providing contents to an off-line mobile storage device (102) is provided that includes determining that a mobile storage device (102) is accessing a content provider (108) in a first on-line session. The content provider (108) comprises a content database (114) that is inaccessible to the mobile storage device (102) when the mobile storage device (102) is off-line. The method also includes selecting a first set of contents from the content database (114) for storing as hidden contents (204) on the mobile storage device (102) during the first on-line session.

Abstract: Various methods are disclosed for producing an edited MPEG audio/video stream from first and second streams recorded in a transport-stream format normally intended for broadcast purposes. According to one implementation, a bridge sequence is generated which recodes data from both of the original streams, in the region of the edit point. Padding packets are inserted in the elementary streams to adjust a continuity counter values so as to allow continuous decoding across the join between bridge sequence and second sequence proper. In another implementation, seamless playback is not required, the bridge sequence is omitted, and various process are implemented “on-the-fly” to generate an edited stream compliant with MPEG-2 specification. To this end, exit and entry points are constrained to certain types of coded pictures, and offset between time-bases is adjusted to avoid buffer overflow.

Abstract: Broadcast data received in MPEG Transport Stream format (TS) is processed (8) to produce a modified transport stream for recording on an optical disc (3) to record the content of a selected audio-visual program. Various techniques are disclosed for permitting random access within the recording, but without re-packetizing or remultiplexing the audio and video elementary streams, for example into program stream format. The received TS (DVIN) occasionally includes stream mapping information (PAT/PMT) identifying a transport packet ID code associated with each elementary stream, said stream mapping information being subject to change throughout the received TS. The packet IDs in the modified transport stream can be re-mapped to a uniform set of values to permit random entry to the recorded stream. Alternatively, the current stream mapping information may be inserted at every potential entry point in the modified stream.

Abstract: Various methods are disclosed for producing an edited MPEG audio/video stream from first and second streams recorded in a transport-stream format normally intended for broadcast purposes. According to one implementation, a bridge sequence is generated which recodes data from both of the original streams, in the region of the edit point. Padding packets are inserted in the elementary streams to adjust a continuity counter values so as to allow continuous decoding across the join between bridge sequence and second sequence proper. In another implementation, seamless playback is not required, the bridge sequence is omitted, and various process are implemented “on-the-fly” to generate an edited stream compliant with MPEG-2 specification. To this end, exit and entry points are constrained to certain types of coded pictures, and offset between time-bases is adjusted to avoid buffer overflow.

Abstract: Various measures are proposed for enabling simultaneous reading and writing of real time information, such as a digital video signal, from/onto a disc-like record carrier. The measures embody a requirement to the size of the blocks of information recorded in fixed sized fragment areas on the record carrier. Further, measures are disclosed to enable reproduction and seamless editing. The seamless editing method requires the generation of one or more bridging blocks to be recorded in fixed size fragment areas on the disk like record carrier.

Abstract: The size of the blocks of information recorded in fixed-sized fragment areas on a record carrier are controlled to enable simultaneous reading and writing of real-time information, such as a digital video signal, from/onto a disc-like record carrier. Also, one or more bridging blocks are recorded in the fixed-size fragment areas on the record carrier to enable reproduction and seamless editing.

Abstract: Various methods are disclosed for producing an edited MPEG audio/video stream from first and second streams recorded in a transport-stream format normally intended for broadcast purposes. According to one implementation, a bridge sequence is generated which recodes data from both of the original streams, in the region of the edit point. Padding packets are inserted in the elementary streams to adjust a continuity counter values so as to allow continuous decoding across the join between bridge sequence and second sequence proper. In another implementation, seamless playback is not required, the bridge sequence is omitted, and various process are implemented “on-the-fly” to generate an edited stream compliant with MPEG-2 specification. To this end, exit and entry points are constrained to certain types of coded pictures, and offset between time-bases is adjusted to avoid buffer overflow.

Abstract: Broadcast data received in MPEG Transport Stream format (TS) is processed (8) to produce a modified transport stream for recording on an optical disc (3) to record the content of a selected audio-visual program. Various techniques are disclosed for permitting random access within the recording, but without re-packetising or remultiplexing the audio and video elementary streams, for example into program stream format. The received TS (DVIN) occasionally includes stream mapping information (PAT/PMT) identifying a transport packet ID code associated with each elementary stream, said stream mapping information being subject to change throughout the received TS. The packet IDs in the modified transport stream can be re-mapped to a uniform set of values to permit random entry to the recorded stream. Alternatively, the current stream mapping information may be inserted at every potential entry point in the modified stream.