Abstract: An exemplary system includes an element server in a video hub office configured to provide a media signal to a content processing device located at a customer premises and at least one computing device remote from the video hub office and the customer premises. The computing device comprises a first data store that includes a plurality of presentation elements, a second data store that includes information concerning associations of the presentation elements with a chunk that is a logical grouping of the presentation elements, and an element management subsystem that provides the presentation elements associated with the chunk to the element server in the video hub office, the element server configured to cache the presentation elements for use by the element server in fulfilling a request from the content processing device, wherein the computing device provides a user interface that presents information about the presentation elements associated with the chunk.

Abstract: A server distributes, to a mobile device, a catalog of available digital content and receives, from the mobile device, a request to download multiple digital content files based on the catalog. The server sends, to the mobile device, the multiple digital content files, where the each of the multiple digital content files includes access restrictions to prevent unauthorized rendering. The server receives, from the mobile device, a request to render one of the multiple digital content files on the mobile device and determines whether rendering of the one of the multiple digital content files on the mobile device is authorized. The server sends, to the mobile device, information to enable rendering of the one of the multiple digital content files if the mobile device is authorized and applies charges, to a user account associated with the mobile device, based on the sending the information to enable the rendering.

Abstract: A device receives, from a content provider device, a personal media file with a custom name and generates a universal file name for the file based on a digital fingerprint extracted from the file. The device associates the universal file name with the custom name and determines that the universal file name is associated with a previously-stored file, where the previously-stored file and the file with the custom name have an identical digital fingerprint. The device discards the file with the custom name, and associates the custom name with the universal file name for later retrieval.

Abstract: In one of many possible implementations, a system includes a content delivery subsystem providing online resource data and programming data associated with media content. The system further includes a content processing subsystem configured to communicate with the content delivery subsystem via a network. The content processing subsystem is configured to receive the programming data and to generate a program guide user interface including at least a subset of the programming data. The content processing subsystem is configured to access and utilize the online resource data to generate the program guide user interface when the online resource data is accessible via the network. The content processing subsystem is further configured to maintain and utilize offline resource data instead of the online resource data to generate the program guide user interface when the online resource data is inaccessible via the network.

Abstract: A digital television (DTV) receiver retrieves, from a memory, a standardized hostname and a standardized filename for a web-based service for providing a channel map associated with service providers. The DTV receiver adds, to the standardized hostname, a name for a particular service provider and sends, to a data server, a request for channel map information, where the request is based on the standardized hostname, the name for the particular service provider, and the standardized filename. The DTV receiver receivers, from the data server, a channel map file based on the standardized filename and extracts information from the channel map file to present to a user.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes detecting a request to launch an application on a device, accessing metadata associated with the application over a network, using the metadata to determine whether sufficient resources are available to launch the application on the device, and performing at least one action based on said determination. The at least one action may include launching the application on the device when sufficient resources are available or blocking a launch of the application on the device when sufficient resources are not available. In certain embodiments, the method is performed by the device. In certain embodiments, the device includes a set-top box configured to access a media service over the network. Corresponding methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems for providing enhanced content by way of a virtual channel are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes a service provider subsystem providing a virtual channel, associating the virtual channel with a content provider, receiving enhanced content to be provided by way of the virtual channel from the content provider, associating one or more selectable triggers with the virtual channel, and providing a user with access to the enhanced content in response to a selection by the user of one of the one or more selectable triggers. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: In one of many possible implementations, a system includes a content delivery subsystem providing online resource data and programming data associated with media content. The system further includes a content processing subsystem configured to communicate with the content delivery subsystem via a network. The content processing subsystem is configured to receive the programming data and to generate a program guide user interface including at least a subset of the programming data. The content processing subsystem is configured to access and utilize the online resource data on demand to generate the program guide user interface when the online resource data is accessible via the network. In certain implementations, the content processing subsystem includes offline resource data and is configured to utilize the offline resource data to generate the program guide user interface when the online resource data is inaccessible via the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a video messaging service for transmitting video messages between network terminals over a network. After a caller's video-messaging terminal receives a notification that a receiver failed to respond to a communication request, the caller's video-messaging terminal may enable the caller to record a video message and store it for viewing on-demand by a receiver's video-messaging terminal. After recording, the caller's video-messaging terminal transmits a stored message notification terminal to a network server which, in turn, transmits a stored message notification, including an identifier of the caller's video-messaging terminal, to the receiver. Based on the identifier, the receiver's video-messaging terminal may request access to the video message from the callers video-messaging terminal. In response to the request, the caller's video-messaging terminal retrieves the video message from storage and provides it to the receiver's video-messaging terminal over the network.

Abstract: A first set of data includes a plurality of presentation elements. A second set of data includes metadata concerning the presentation elements, the metadata including at least a hash value related to each of the presentation elements and a location of each of the presentation elements. An element management subsystem is configured to provide the presentation elements to a remote element server. The element server is configured to serialize and transmit the elements in a binary stream in response to a request, the elements being formatted according to a parameter of the request.

Abstract: A method is performed by one or more devices within a closed distribution network to provide context-sensitive transactional advertisements. The method includes sending, to a video client, a trigger for initiating a context-specific transactional advertisement associated with a linear program segment and sending the linear program segment for presentation by the video client. The method also includes receiving, based on the trigger, a request from the video client for instructions for the context-specific transactional advertisement; determining, based on the request, contextual information for the linear program segment; and sending, to the video client and based on the contextual information, the instructions for the context-specific transactional advertisement.

Abstract: Exemplary user interface enhancements for media content access systems and methods are described herein. An exemplary method includes a media content access system launching a graphical user interface for display, the graphical user interface initially including a graphical representation of a channel guide comprising a grid matrix of channel icons representing a plurality of media content channels through which media content is accessible by the media content access system and a graphical representation of an advertisement displayed together with the channel guide in the graphical user interface, detecting a user navigation event within the channel guide displayed in the graphical user interface, and replacing, in response to the user navigation event, the graphical representation of the advertisement with a graphical representation of content specific to a media content channel within the plurality of media content channels. Corresponding user interfaces, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a video messaging service for transmitting video messages between network terminals over a network. After a caller's video-messaging terminal receives a notification that a receiver failed to respond to a communication request, the caller's video-messaging terminal may enable the caller to record a video message and store it for viewing on-demand by a receiver's video-messaging terminal. After recording, the caller's video-messaging terminal transmits a stored message notification terminal to a network server which, in turn, transmits a stored message notification, including an identifier of the caller's video-messaging terminal, to the receiver. Based on the identifier, the receiver's video-messaging terminal may request access to the video message from the caller's video-messaging terminal. In response to the request, the caller's video-messaging terminal retrieves the video message from storage and provides it to the receiver's video-messaging terminal over the network.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes presenting, by a media content delivery system, an advertisement for a media content instance that is accessible only at or after a scheduled release time, receiving, by the media content delivery system, a request input by a user to purchase access to the media content instance, and providing, by the media content delivery system in response to the received request, enhanced content associated with the media content instance for experiencing by the user before the scheduled release time. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention discloses systems and methods for transmitting video messages between network terminals over a network. When transmitting video data, a first network determines at least one video parameter based on, at least, the performance of the first network terminal, the performance of the network performance and user-preference data. Transmitted video data is encoded based on the video parameter.

Abstract: A method is performed by one or more devices within a closed distribution network to provide transactional advertisements. The method includes sending, over the closed distribution network, an advertisement for presentation by a video client, where the advertisement includes a transactional link; and receiving, over the closed distribution network, a notification from the video client that a user has selected the transactional link. The method also includes automatically establishing, based on the notification, a communication session between the video client and a server associated with the advertisement, where the communication session enables a transactional exchange between the user of the video client and the server associated with the advertisement.

Abstract: A system collects a user's television (TV) program viewing activity and uses the collected TV program viewing activity to make video on demand (VOD) recommendations to other users via a VOD recommendation service. The system receives an indication that the user wishes to turn on a VOD recommendation service and deletes previously collected TV program viewing activity for the user based on the received indication. The system collects the user's recent TV program viewing activity, which occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the previously collected TV program viewing activity, and uses the user's collected recent TV program activity to make other VOD program recommendations to the user via the VOD recommendation service.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes receiving end-user-provided media content with a first media content distribution platform subsystem, distributing the end-user-provided media content with the first media content distribution platform subsystem, receiving end-user-provided ratings of the distributed end-user-provided media content with the first media content distribution platform subsystem, selecting, by a platform linking subsystem, at least a subset of the end-user-provided media content based at least in part on the end-user-provided ratings, and distributing the selected at least a subset of the end-user-provided media content with a second media content distribution platform subsystem. In certain embodiments, the second media content distribution platform subsystem may comprise a subscriber television content distribution platform subsystem. In certain embodiments, the first media content distribution platform subsystem may comprise a World Wide Web media content distribution platform subsystem.

Abstract: A computing device receives from a user, a request to simultaneously record two or more programs from a content server onto the computing device and initiates a streaming video session between the computing device and a video client. The computing device provides, to the video client, recording parameters for one of the programs and then receives, via the streaming video session, a video stream from the video client. The video stream includes the one of the programs from the content server based on the recording parameters that is then recorded by the computing device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving data from a service provider, where the data includes an interactive element. The method may also include outputting the data to an output device and receiving a voice command from a user, where the voice command is associated with the interactive element. The method may further include transmitting, via a wireless protocol, an instruction to a user device associated with the user, where the instruction indicates that a telephone call is to be placed from the user device or a text message is to be transmitted from the user device.