Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the efficient common storage of partially encrypted content. According to various embodiments, a client device to transmit a designated representation of a media content item via a communications interface may be received. The media content item may be associated with a plurality of representations including the designated representation. The media content item may be associated with first media content data and second media content data. The first media content data may be shared among the plurality of representations. The second media content data may be specific to the designated representation. The first media content data may be combined with the second media content data to create a designated partially encrypted media content portion associated with the designated representation via a processor. The designated partially encrypted media content portion may be transmitted to the client device via the communications interface.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the storage of digital media recordings. According to various embodiments, a system may include a plurality of shards. Each shard may include a storage system operable to store a plurality of digital media recordings. Each shard may also include one or more recording writers. Each recording server may be operable to store digital media recordings stored in the storage system. According to various embodiments, the system may also include a recording manager. The recording manager may be operable to select one of the plurality of shards for storing a designated digital media recording. The recording manager may also be operable to transmit an instruction to the selected shard to store the designated digital media recording.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the management of digital rights for media content item presentation. According to various embodiments, a request for a content decryption key may be received at a media application implemented at a computing device. The request may be transmitted by a media content player implemented at the computing device. The request may be transmitted in accordance with a designated key exchange protocol. A license for an encrypted media content item corresponding with the requested content decryption key may be identified at the media application. Based on information included in the license, encrypted key material may be decrypted to create the requested content decryption key via a processor at the computing device. The requested content decryption key may be provided to the media content player.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for facilitating combined broadcast and unicast delivery of content According to various embodiments, a media stream from a content provider may be received at a unicast server and at a broadcast server. The media stream may comprise a plurality of media stream fragments. A relative delay may be introduced into the media stream at the broadcast server such that media stream fragments transmitted from the broadcast server are delayed relative to media stream fragments transmitted from the unicast server. The media stream fragments may be transmitted to a user device. The user device may be operable to switch between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.

Abstract: A media stream delivery system encodes and fragments media streams into numerous media stream fragments maintained on fragment servers. Playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaption data is provided as box information with media stream fragments to reduce the number of client requests required to begin playback or perform a channel change. A client no longer needs to make separate requests for bandwidth adaptation data, media data, or playlist information. Playback can begin as soon as sufficient media stream fragments are received.

Abstract: A media stream is delineated into multiple fragments. Different watermark variants of individual fragments are generated. Particular sequences of watermark variants are selected for particular clients and maintained in a user access database. Analyzing media streams allows determination of the sequences of watermark variants and identification of particular clients intended to receive the media streams. Fragments can continue to be cached efficiently and unique watermarks need not be generated for each individual client.

Abstract: Live media streams variants are encoded in real-time in a dynamically scalable distributed resource system. In some examples, each live MPEG-2 media stream is encoded into numerous variants to allow for playback on a variety of devices, networks, and players supporting different resolutions, audio bit rates, quality levels, and even codecs, etc. Live stream variant consumption is monitored and analyzed to dynamically allocate and deallocate resources to processing particular variants based on demand at particular times. Live stream variant consumption can also be predicted to preemptively allocate and deallocate resources.

Abstract: Live media streams are encoded and fragmented to generate encoded fragments appropriate for different devices and networks. Different encoded fragments may correspond to different resolutions, audio bit rates, quality levels, and even codecs, etc. Devices request encoded fragments as needed to reconstitute a live media stream for playback. In many instances, encoding and fragmentation jobs are provided to numerous distributed and scalable encoder and fragmenter systems. Encoding and fragmentation jobs are intelligently weighted and scheduled to prevent any disruption or delay in playback of any particular live stream.

Abstract: A live media stream encoding system encodes live media streams into numerous variants of the live media streams each including multiple fragments. Live media streams are delineated, dispatched as jobs, and converted using distributed and dynamically scalable encoder and fragmenter resources without using any centralized encoding management system. Encoded fragments are maintained in shared storage and accessed as needed by devices during playback. Localized redundancy and/or geographic redundancy is provided throughout the system to prevent disruption upon failure of a particular node.

Abstract: Live media streams are delineated for distributed encoding and fragmentation in a dynamically scalable distributed resource system. In some examples, live MPEG-2 media streams are separated into groups of pictures (GOPs) and converted into jobs for encoding and fragmentation systems. Multiple jobs may be created for the same live media stream to provide for different quality levels for each fragment of each channel. Shared resources such as a pool of dynamically scalable virtual machines can be used to process the individual jobs. Encoded fragments may be H.264 fragments maintained on shared storage. A particular live stream corresponding to a particular quality level can be reconstructed using the encoded fragments.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for performing real-time synchronization of key frames across multiple streams. A streaming server samples frames from variant media streams corresponding to different quality levels of encoding for a piece of media content. The streaming server identifiers key frames in the media streams and points in time to sample for key frames that increase the chances of detecting key frames from the same group of pictures (GOPs). In some examples, the sampling point is substantially in the middle between two GOPs. When a connection request is received from a client device for an alternative stream, a measured delay is used to calculate an improved start time.

Abstract: A media convergence platform allows time-shifting and place-shifting of live, video on demand, and recorded content across multiple devices, displays, etc. Users are able to pause content on one device and resume where they left off on another device. The media convergence platform allows users to record, select, consume, add, delete, manage, and manipulate media content including live programming across user authorized devices such as set top boxes, computer systems, mobile devices, etc.