Abstract: This document describes tools capable of enabling a media device to assign available resources to media content prior to receiving a request to display that media content. In one embodiment, the tools determine a next media content to be requested and available resources on a media device to display that next content. The tools may assign the available resources to the next page of media content prior to receiving a request to display the next page of media content.

Abstract: A television program guide is displayed having a station identifier portion in a first location. A determination is made as to when a user navigates in the television program guide between past programs and future programs. In response to the user navigating in the television program guide between the past programs and the future programs, the station identifier portion is changed to a second location.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, a notification of an incoming phone call is received from a phone system. An indication of the incoming phone call is presented to a user, and the user can control the incoming phone call in different manners. The user can request to delay routing the incoming phone call to voicemail, to route the incoming phone call to voicemail without further delay, and to stop ringing of one or more phone handsets of the phone system. One or more of these control requests can be input by the user via a mobile phone and/or a television system.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, a trigger corresponding to media content is retrieved from a storage device. The trigger includes a time-shift parameter identifying how much playback of the media content can be time-shifted while keeping the trigger valid. A determination is made, based at least in part on a current time and the time-shift parameter, whether the trigger is valid during playback of the media content.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, a trigger including both a criteria portion and a payload portion is accessed, the criteria portion identifying one or more criteria that includes a keyword, and the payload portion identifying one or more actions for presenting advertising content. Data corresponding to media content being presented is also accessed, and a check is made as to whether the data satisfies the one or more criteria. The one or more actions are performed in response to the data satisfying the one or more criteria. The trigger associating the advertising content with the keyword can be received in exchange for compensation.

Abstract: Content management using a website is described. In an implementation, one or more computer readable media include instructions that are executable to provide an option, via a website, that is selectable by a first user though interaction with a website to specify that a second user is permitted, through interaction with the website, to cause content to be recorded locally at a client of the first user.

Abstract: Techniques to manage television content for clients are described. In an implementation, a call is formed to an application programming interface (API) to include an identifier of a client that requested television content and a network address via which the television content is accessible. Whether the television content is to be streamed to the client is managed based on an answer that is received responsive to the call; and includes a result of a determination of whether the client is permitted to consume the television content from the network address.

Abstract: A digital receiver contains a local video clock that controls the video presentation speed and a local audio clock that controls the audio presentation speed separately and independently of the video presentation speed. To control the video presentation speed, a comparator compares a program clock reference in a video packet with a local time. A video clock controller then speeds up or slows down the video clock as needed to be back on schedule. To control the audio presentation speed, a comparator compares a program clock reference in an audio packet with the local time. An audio clock controller then speeds up or slows down the audio clock as needed to be back on schedule.

Abstract: A firmware management method and system provides close control over a firmware development process via a firmware management tool and an archive. The archive can be used to store firmware files containing firmware source code in progress as well as finished source code along with its associated object code. The management tool includes an auditing function and a workflow management function so that the status of each firmware file and the work history of that file can be monitored and stored. By providing a centralized location for firmware source and object code, the tool makes it easier to track and modify firmware code at any stage as well as ensures that the code ultimately sent to a chip manufacturer is the final version of the code.

Abstract: Seamless channel changing in a digital-television-based entertainment network can be implemented, for example, by providing an intra frame to a client device upon a change to a new channel even when the broadcast video data is previously compressed. In an exemplary implementation, a method includes: receiving a stream of broadcast video data that is encoded; continuously decoding the stream of broadcast video data into successive decoded images; and transmitting, responsive to a channel change message received from a client device, an intra frame that has been encoded from a decoded image of the successive decoded images. Other exemplary implementations are described herein.

Abstract: A digital receiver contains a local video clock that controls the video presentation speed and a local audio clock that controls the audio presentation speed separately and independently of the video presentation speed. To control the video presentation speed, a comparator compares a program clock reference in a video packet with a local time. A video clock controller then speeds up or slows down the video clock as needed to be back on schedule. To control the audio presentation speed, a comparator compares a program clock reference in an audio packet with the local time. An audio clock controller then speeds up or slows down the audio clock as needed to be back on schedule.

Abstract: Seamless channel changing in a digital-television-based entertainment network can be implemented, for example, by providing an intra frame to a client device upon a change to a new channel even when the broadcast video data is previously compressed on a macroblock basis. In an exemplary implementation, a method includes: receiving a stream of broadcast video data that is encoded on a macroblock basis; continuously decoding the stream of broadcast video data into successive decoded images; and transmitting, responsive to a channel change message received from a client device, an intra frame that has been encoded from a decoded image of the successive decoded images. Other exemplary implementations are described herein.

Abstract: Accelerated channel change (ACC) strategies are described for supplying a client module with media information by transitioning between a first delivery of media information provided by first delivery functionality and a second delivery of media information provided by second delivery functionality without exceeding prescribed data rate limitations. The first delivery functionality can represent server-based functionality for delivering a unicast stream of media information at a data rate (or maximum data rate) of some excess amount over the nominal rate of delivery, starting at a selected location within the media information. The second delivery functionality can represent any functionality for delivering the media information at the data rate (or maximum data rate) of the nominal rate of delivery. A join interval separates the first delivery at the excess rate and the second delivery at the nominal rate.

Abstract: A digital receiver contains a local video clock that controls the video presentation speed and a local audio clock that controls the audio presentation speed separately and independently of the video presentation speed. To control the video presentation speed, a comparator compares a program clock reference in a video packet with a local time. A video clock controller then speeds up or slows down the video clock as needed to be back on schedule. To control the audio presentation speed, a comparator compares a program clock reference in an audio packet with the local time. An audio clock controller then speeds up or slows down the audio clock as needed to be back on schedule.

Abstract: Accelerated channel change (ACC) strategies are described for supplying a client module with media information by transitioning between a first delivery of media information provided by first delivery functionality and a second delivery of media information provided by second delivery functionality without exceeding prescribed data rate limitations. The first delivery functionality can represent server-based functionality for delivering a unicast stream of media information at a data rate (or maximum data rate) of some excess amount over the nominal rate of delivery, starting at a selected location within the media information. The second delivery functionality can represent any functionality for delivering the media information at the data rate (or maximum data rate) of the nominal rate of delivery. A join interval separates the first delivery at the excess rate and the second delivery at the nominal rate.

Abstract: Techniques to adjust clock approximations are described, which may be used to synchronize content output at a client. In an implementation, timestamps derived from a universal time source are allocated to respective program clock reference (PCR) timestamps in content received by a network operator during an interval of time to form ordered pairs of timestamps. An approximation is computed of a plurality of the ordered pairs of timestamps for the interval and the approximation is adjusted using an ordered pair of timestamps taken from a previous approximation.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking entities in a computer network. A method includes receiving node information related to a node coupled to a computer network. The method further includes determining whether an entity associated with the node has been previously identified in the computer network. If the entity has been previously identified in the computer network, the node information is linked to an entry for the entity in the database. If the entity has not been previously identified in the computer network, a new entry is created in the database, and the node information is linked to the new entry.

Abstract: A processing apparatus for processing multiple video programs from one or more transport streams. The processing apparatus has a transport processing circuit that includes multiple transport processor units. The transport processor units utilize a common transport processor memory unit having demux context entries containing processing and hardware state information for packet types. Each transport processor unit includes a transport interface for identifying data packets to be acquired from the transport stream, a demultiplexing processor for processing the acquired data packets, and a demultiplexing DMA unit for memory handling operations of the processed data packets. Index chaining allows the transport processor units to access information from the transport processor memory unit. The method uses indices to access demux context entries from the transport processor memory unit. Related DMA indices are used to access memory handling information from the transport processor memory unit.

Abstract: Predictive phonetic data search is described. In an embodiment, a search request to locate a term is received, where the term can be a word, a group of words, and/or any combination of characters and numbers. A numeric index is then searched to locate a number that matches a numerical equivalent of the term designated in the search request. The term is obtained from a term index that is mapped to the number in the numeric index that matches the numerical equivalent of the term, and the term is returned in response to the search request.

Abstract: A tunerless media presentation unit is described which dispenses with the use of traditional analog television tuners. In its place, the media presentation unit provides a pseudo-tuner which can selectively access streaming digital media information from a multicast and/or unicast network source, and/or a local source. In one implementation, the media presentation unit can simultaneously receive and process multiple streams of media information. This accommodates the use of multiple picture-in-pictures (PIPs), PIP-based channel browsing, PIP-in-guide presentations, and so forth. Various business models can be implemented which charge subscribers fees based on the number of streams they wish to simultaneously receive, and/or the total number of channels that they wish to access (not necessarily at the same time).