Abstract: There are disclosed distributed playback, DP, techniques. For examples a DP master device, may: establish a local connection with a plurality of DP client devices and for establishing a remote connection with a remote content provider, so as to receive a first encrypted media stream from the remote content provider; decrypt the first encrypted media stream to obtain a decrypted media stream; adding DP information, DPI, to the decrypted media stream; encrypting the decrypted media stream according to a second encryption standard to obtain a second encrypted stream; additionally encrypting the DPI in the second encrypted media stream or adding the DPI to the encrypted media stream in plaintext, transmitting an output media stream, which is the second encrypted media stream, to the plurality of DP client devices.

Abstract: There is disclosed a streaming technique in which a distributed playback, DP, master device receives a media stream from a content provider and transmits the media stream to a plurality of DP client devices. The DP master device may follow different policies. In case one DP client device has not a level of security sufficient for a particular quality, one policy provides that the stream is degraded, while another policy provides that the stream is to be transmitted by a content provider at a reduced quality.

Abstract: There is disclosed a streaming technique in which a distributed playback, DP, master device receives a media stream from a content provider and transmits the media stream to a plurality of DP client devices. The DP master device may follow different policies. In case one DP client device has not a level of security sufficient for a particular quality, one policy provides that the stream is degraded, while another policy provides that the stream is to be transmitted by a content provider at a reduced quality.

Abstract: There are disclosed distributed playback, DP, techniques. For examples a DP master device, may: establish a local connection with a plurality of DP client devices and for establishing a remote connection with a remote content provider, so as to receive a first encrypted media stream from the remote content provider; decrypt the first encrypted media stream to obtain a decrypted media stream; adding DP information, DPI, to the decrypted media stream; encrypting the decrypted media stream according to a second encryption standard to obtain a second encrypted stream; additionally encrypting the DPI in the second encrypted media stream or adding the DPI to the encrypted media stream in plaintext, transmitting an output media stream, which is the second encrypted media stream, to the plurality of DP client devices.

Abstract: A database manager comprises: a detector detecting a connection of an external database which comprises media files, a database file system comprising a media identifier comprising a file or directory path name and an identification on the location of the media file on the external database, and metadata for each of the media files; a database synchronizer reading and storing, as a first step, part of the database file system and, as a second step, part of the metadata when the at least a portion of the database file system is read; and a search request processor processing a search request for a media file in parallel with the second step, wherein the search request processor provides a search result based on the media identifier from the database file system, even when the metadata for the media file is not yet read and stored in the second step.

Abstract: A database manager comprises: a detector detecting a connection of an external database which comprises media files, a database file system comprising a media identifier comprising a file or directory path name and an identification on the location of the media file on the external database, and metadata for each of the media files; a database synchronizer reading and storing, as a first step, part of the database file system and, as a second step, part of the metadata when the at least a portion of the database file system is read; and a search request processor processing a search request for a media file in parallel with the second step, wherein the search request processor provides a search result based on the media identifier from the database file system, even when the metadata for the media file is not yet read and stored in the second step.

Abstract: A database manager comprises: a detector detecting a connection of an external database which comprises media files, a database file system comprising a media identifier comprising a file or directory path name and an identification on the location of the media file on the external database, and metadata for each of the media files; a database synchronizer reading and storing, as a first step, part of the database file system and, as a second step, part of the metadata when the at least a portion of the database file system is read; and a search request processor processing a search request for a media file in parallel with the second step, wherein the search request processor provides a search result based on the media identifier from the database file system, even when the metadata for the media file is not yet read and stored in the second step.

Abstract: A database manager comprises: a detector detecting a connection of an external database which comprises media files, a database file system comprising a media identifier comprising a file or directory path name and an identification on the location of the media file on the external database, and metadata for each of the media files; a database synchronizer reading and storing, as a first step, part of the database file system and, as a second step, part of the metadata when the at least a portion of the database file system is read; and a search request processor processing a search request for a media file in parallel with the second step, wherein the search request processor provides a search result based on the media identifier from the database file system, even when the metadata for the media file is not yet read and stored in the second step.

Abstract: A database manager comprises: a detector detecting a connection of an external database which comprises media files, a database file system comprising a media identifier comprising a file or directory path name and an identification on the location of the media file on the external database, and metadata for each of the media files; a database synchronizer reading and storing, as a first step, part of the database file system and, as a second step, part of the metadata when the at least a portion of the database file system is read; and a search request processor processing a search request for a media file in parallel with the second step, wherein the search request processor provides a search result based on the media identifier from the database file system, even when the metadata for the media file is not yet read and stored in the second step.

Abstract: A database manager comprises: a detector detecting a connection of an external database which comprises media files, a database file system comprising a media identifier comprising a file or directory path name and an identification on the location of the media file on the external database, and metadata for each of the media files; a database synchronizer reading and storing, as a first step, part of the database file system and, as a second step, part of the metadata when the at least a portion of the database file system is read; and a search request processor processing a search request for a media file in parallel with the second step, wherein the search request processor provides a search result based on the media identifier from the database file system, even when the metadata for the media file is not yet read and stored in the second step.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying an encoded data signal comprises a detector for detecting information on an internal receiver for receiving the encoded data signal, a selector for selecting a coding scheme to be used for encoding the data signal the selector being operative to access a data base having entries for different internal receivers, an entry having one or more properties of a coding scheme customized for the receiver associated with the entry and an encoder for encoding the data signal using a coding scheme having the selective property or a destination information provider for providing destination information so that the encoded data signal is stored at the right storage location in an intended receiver.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for encoding digital audio data with reduced bit rates, the apparatus having a provider of psycho-acoustically quantized digital audio data with a bit rate being higher than the reduced bit rate. The apparatus further has an identifier for identifying a frequency band according to a selection criterion, the selection criterion being such that an impact on the quality of the digital audio data when the data in the identified frequency band is replaced by generated noise is smaller than the impact on the quality of the digital audio data, which would arise when the data in a different frequency band is replaced by generated noise. The apparatus further has a replacer for replacing data in the identified frequency band of the digital audio data by a noise synthesis parameter.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying an encoded data signal comprises a detector for detecting information on an internal receiver for receiving the encoded data signal, a selector for selecting a coding scheme to be used for encoding the data signal the selector being operative to access a data base having entries for different internal receivers, an entry having one or more properties of a coding scheme customized for the receiver associated with the entry and an encoder for encoding the data signal using a coding scheme having the selective property or a destination information provider for providing destination information so that the encoded data signal is stored at the right storage location in an intended receiver.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing digital data to a data destination, the apparatus comprising a receiver for receiving digital data and a detector for detecting an interruption event or a provision event. The apparatus further comprising a buffer for buffering digital data and a controller for directing the digital data to the buffer after the interruption event was detected and in case the provision event is detected for providing the digital data from the buffer when digital data is present in the buffer or from the receiver otherwise.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for encoding digital audio data with reduced bit rates, the apparatus having a provider of psycho-acoustically quantized digital audio data with a bit rate being higher than the reduced bit rate. The apparatus further has an identifier for identifying a frequency band according to a selection criterion, the selection criterion being such that an impact on the quality of the digital audio data when the data in the identified frequency band is replaced by generated noise is smaller than the impact on the quality of the digital audio data, which would arise when the data in a different frequency band is replaced by generated noise. The apparatus further has a replacer for replacing data in the identified frequency band of the digital audio data by a noise synthesis parameter.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a plurality of digital data sets, a digital data set having a data frame structure, in which a data frame corresponds to a time period, the number of bits per time period being variable, the plurality of digital data sets being ordered in a time sequence, comprising a means for aggregating the plurality of digital data sets in a content packet and a means for aggregating sequence information on the time sequence in an additional packet, the sequence information being such that a rendering relation of two digital data sets can be derived from the sequence information.

Abstract: In an apparatus for enabling the usage of an information package in an execution unit a provider is arranged, which is configured for storing license data wherein the information package is personalized to a user by said license data assigned to the information package. Furthermore, the execution unit is located exterior to the certification apparatus for enabling wherein the certification apparatus is a portable electronic device. Additionally, the apparatus comprises a communication interface, which is configured for receiving a command and, in response to the command for transmitting the license data or an authorization signal generated on the basis of the license data to the execution unit in order to enable the usage of the information package in the execution unit.