Abstract: A virtual world generation engine and methods for generating virtual worlds from images collected from various sources, including crowdsourced images. A virtual world generation engine may obtain images (e.g., digital photographs, digital video frames, etc.) related to a particular real-world scene, combine the images using image processing techniques such as image stitching techniques to generate composite images representing a view of the scene, and generate models from the composite images. The models may be used in rendering video content representing virtual worlds generated from the collected images of real-world scenes; the video content may be streamed to client device(s). Obtaining the images, generating models, rendering video content from the models, and streaming the video content may be performed in response to user interactions with video content on the client device(s) to allow interactive exploration of the virtual worlds in real-time or near-real time.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, move through, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The RVE system may allow users to discover, select, explore, and manipulate objects within the modeled worlds used to generate video content. The RVE system may implement methods that allow users to view and explore in more detail the features, components, and/or accessories of selected objects that are being manipulated and explored. The RVE system may also implement methods that allow users to interact with interfaces of selected objects or interfaces of components of selected objects.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The system may leverage network-based computation resources to render and stream new video content from the models to clients with low latency. A user may pause a video, step into a scene, and interactively change viewing positions and angles in the model to move through or explore the scene. The user may resume playback of the recorded video when done exploring the scene. Thus, rather than just viewing a pre-rendered scene in a movie from a pre-determined perspective, a user may step into and explore the scene from different angles, and may wander around the scene at will within the scope of the model to discover parts of the scene that are not visible in the original video.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, move through, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The RVE system may allow users to select and manipulate objects within a scene, and to modify an object by adding or removing accessories from the object or otherwise customizing the object according to the user's preferences or desires. The RVE system may also provide an interface or interfaces via which the user can obtain additional information for the object, customize the object, be given a price or price(s) for the object as customized, and purchase the object as specified if desired.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause a pre-recorded video (e.g., a movie) and change viewing positions and angles of one or more scenes. The RVE system may also allow users to select, manipulate, and modify objects within one or more scenes. The RVE system may render new video of the scenes and stream the new video to the user's client device. Using the RVE system, a user may create modified versions of one or more scenes to replace original scenes in a video to thus create a modified version of the video. The RVE system may allow the user to record the modified version of the video, and may allow the user to share the modified version of the video with other viewers.

Abstract: Content, such as a video game, may be delivered by a content provider to a destination using, for example, streaming content delivery techniques. The transmission of the content may be monitored in order to determine transmission conditions such as a quality of the network connection from the content provider to the destination. The determined transmission conditions may then be used to determine adjustments to a complexity of various scenes associated with the content. For example, in some cases, when transmission conditions are unfavorable, scenes may be adjusted by reducing a complexity of the scenes.

Abstract: A virtual world generation engine and methods for generating virtual worlds from images collected from various sources, including crowdsourced images. A virtual world generation engine may obtain images (e.g., digital photographs, digital video frames, etc.) related to a particular real-world scene, combine the images using image processing techniques such as image stitching techniques to generate composite images representing a view of the scene, and generate models from the composite images. The models may be used in rendering video content representing virtual worlds generated from the collected images of real-world scenes; the video content may be streamed to client device(s). Obtaining the images, generating models, rendering video content from the models, and streaming the video content may be performed in response to user interactions with video content on the client device(s) to allow interactive exploration of the virtual worlds in real-time or near-real time.

Abstract: A media universe system may provide digital media content to clients via methods and apparatus that provide interactive and immersive viewing experiences to the clients. A repository service may store digital assets for the media universe and maintain an asset tracking database that may track how the digital assets of the media universe relate to one another over time within a world encompassed by the media universe. The repository service may also maintain mappings between the digital assets and other content of the media universe. The repository service may serve as a centralized continuity database for the world and the media universe. Providing an accessible, scalable, network-based location for the continuity database may enable developers to build interactive experiences for users to explore the world of the media universe, both spatially and temporally.

Abstract: Various techniques may be employed for assigning user inputs such as a touch on a touchscreen to various input controls such as buttons or other features provided on a touchscreen. One example input assignment technique is a nearest neighbor technique, whereby a touch may, for example, be assigned to an input control that is positioned closest to the touch location. Another example input assignment technique is an angle and distance technique, whereby a touch may, for example, be assigned to an input control based on an angle and a distance of the touch relative to a prior touch.

Abstract: A real-time video targeting (RVT) system may leverage network-based computation resources and services, available 2D or 3D model data, and available viewer information to dynamically personalize content of, or add personalized content to, video for particular viewers or viewer groups. When playing back pre-recorded video to viewers, at least some objects or other content in at least some of the scenes of the video may be replaced with objects or content targeted at particular viewers or groups according to profiles or preferences of the viewers or groups. Since the video is being rendered and streamed to different viewers or groups in real-time by the network-based computation resources and services, any given scene of a video may be modified and viewed in many different ways by different viewers or groups based on the particular viewers' or groups' profiles.

Abstract: Graphics rendering services may be provided to a client device by a remote computing facility. One or more rendering processes may be executed on a virtual machine operating on a host computing device. Client state information may be monitored to detect periods of inactivity. A rendering process may be inactivated by suspending the virtual machine on which it executes. Upon resumption of activity, the rendering process may be reactivated by resuming execution of the virtual machine.

Abstract: A virtual world generation engine and methods for generating virtual worlds from images collected from various sources, including crowdsourced images. A virtual world generation engine may obtain images (e.g., digital photographs, digital video frames, etc.) related to a particular real-world scene, combine the images using image processing techniques such as image stitching techniques to generate composite images representing a view of the scene, and generate models from the composite images. The models may be used in rendering video content representing virtual worlds generated from the collected images of real-world scenes; the video content may be streamed to client device(s). Obtaining the images, generating models, rendering video content from the models, and streaming the video content may be performed in response to user interactions with video content on the client device(s) to allow interactive exploration of the virtual worlds in real-time or near-real time.

Abstract: When a scene is generated, a content item may identify graphics object service requests associated with the scene. Each scene may have any number of associated graphics object service requests that may be sent to any number of different graphics object services. The graphics object services may be accessible over a network such as the Internet. By requesting object data from graphics object services, a content item may, for example, reduce at least part of the computational burden on a graphics processing unit of a client device.

Abstract: A client may, for example, initiate presentation of the content item in a hybrid stream mode in which both a client stream and a content provider stream are combined to form a resulting hybrid stream for presentation. The client may then, at some point during presentation of the content item, detect that the content provider stream has become unavailable. In response to such a determination, the client may continue to present the content item in a client stream mode, in which the client stream is used for presentation of the content item without use of the content provider stream.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, move through, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The RVE system may allow users to discover, select, explore, and manipulate objects within the modeled worlds used to generate video content. The RVE system may implement methods that allow users to view and explore in more detail the features, components, and/or accessories of selected objects that are being manipulated and explored. The RVE system may also implement methods that allow users to interact with interfaces of selected objects or interfaces of components of selected objects.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The system may leverage network-based computation resources to render and stream new video content from the models to clients with low latency. A user may pause a video, step into a scene, and interactively change viewing positions and angles in the model to move through or explore the scene. The user may resume playback of the recorded video when done exploring the scene. Thus, rather than just viewing a pre-rendered scene in a movie from a pre-determined perspective, a user may step into and explore the scene from different angles, and may wander around the scene at will within the scope of the model to discover parts of the scene that are not visible in the original video.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, move through, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The RVE system may allow users to discover, select, explore, and manipulate objects within the modeled worlds used to generate video content. The RVE system may implement methods that allow users to view and explore in more detail the features, components, and/or accessories of selected objects that are being manipulated and explored. The RVE system may also implement methods that allow users to interact with interfaces of selected objects or interfaces of components of selected objects.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The system may leverage network-based computation resources to render and stream new video content from the models to clients with low latency. A user may pause a video, step into a scene, and interactively change viewing positions and angles in the model to move through or explore the scene. The user may resume playback of the recorded video when done exploring the scene. Thus, rather than just viewing a pre-rendered scene in a movie from a pre-determined perspective, a user may step into and explore the scene from different angles, and may wander around the scene at will within the scope of the model to discover parts of the scene that are not visible in the original video.

Abstract: A real-time video exploration (RVE) system that allows users to pause, step into, move through, and explore 2D or 3D modeled worlds of scenes in a video. The RVE system may allow users to select and manipulate objects within a scene, and to modify an object by adding or removing accessories from the object or otherwise customizing the object according to the user's preferences or desires. The RVE system may also provide an interface or interfaces via which the user can obtain additional information for the object, customize the object, be given a price or price(s) for the object as customized, and purchase the object as specified if desired.

Abstract: Graphics rendering services may be provided to a client device by a remote computing facility. One or more rendering processes may be executed on a virtual machine operating on a host computing device. Client state information may be monitored to detect periods of inactivity. A rendering process may be inactivated by suspending the virtual machine on which it executes. Upon resumption of activity, the rendering process may be reactivated by resuming execution of the virtual machine.