Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding media content. In the field of video compression, temporal compression generates I-frames and dependent P-frames and B-frames. The placement of I-frames is determined by the presence of scene switches in the video. In order to improve the ability of a user to seek to interesting parts of the video, a video encoder considers semantic data identifying narrative points of interest within the video. The encoding process generates encoded video data having I-frames present at scene transitions and also at narratively interesting parts of the video.

Abstract: Metadata is associated with media elements in a content store during automatic composition of media articles. The metadata includes relationship data indicating how what is portrayed by that media element relates to what is portrayed by one or more other media elements. Because relationship metadata is included media articles can be generated automatically with the need for the production of a detailed framework describing that media article.

Abstract: A method of processing a non-linear narrative article to improve a user's interactive experience is described. A user watching the narrative article can select options during presentation which influence subsequently viewed media clips associated with the selected options. The user navigates a single downstream path through the many possible paths in the narrative. In addition to downstream non-linear navigation, at each navigational decision point, upstream parts of the non-linear narrative are identified and the user is presented with upstream navigation options to enable non-linear upstream navigation through the narrative.

Abstract: A computer apparatus which uses a database (22) to offer persistent storage of metadata (36) describing the content of media files (32). Metadata is used to create a personalized media article (48) from those media files. That metadata also indicates relationships between those media files. In order to accelerate the creation of the personalized media article (48), media element metadata items are stored in a cache. The usefulness of this cache is improved further by reading related media elements data from retrieved metadata items (36), and then pre-fetching those items and placing them in the cache. Because the relatedness of the data items means that the related data item is more likely to be required in the near future, the caching method is more useful than known caching methods. Furthermore, the improved usefulness of the cache is achieved without placing constraints on where the data items are placed in the persistent storage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding media content. In the field of video compression, temporal compression generates I-frames and dependent P-frames and B-frames. The placement of I-frames is determined by the presence of scene switches in the video. In order to improve the ability of a user to seek to interesting parts of the video, a video encoder considers semantic data identifying narrative points of interest within the video. The encoding process generates encoded video data having I-frames present at scene transitions and also at narratively interesting parts of the video.

Abstract: Pages of a web site can be selectively altered or added by remote users, by e-mailing updates to a computer configuration that supports the site. The web site comprises hypermedia produced from data organised in a hierarchical file structure with hyperlinks corresponding to the hierarchy of the file structure. An electronic mail message is constructed, addressed to a computer configuration, by clicking on a hyperlink in the web site. The e-mail automatically is provided with the address of the computer configuration together with file location data for placing the web page data into a predetermined position in the hierarchical file structure. The user places web page data corresponding to an update to be included in the web site, into the e-mail. The e-mail is then mailed to the computer configuration where the web page data is included in said hierarchical file structure according to the file location data.