Abstract: Systems and methods that provide picture-in-picture timebase management are provided. In one example, a method may include the steps of sending a first video signal and a second video signal to a video decoder; sending a first audio signal to the audio decoder, the first audio signal being associated with the first video signal; locking a single timing mechanism to program clock references (PCRs) of the first audio signal; and decoding the first audio signal and the first video signal according to a timebase of the single timing mechanism.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide picture-in-picture timebase management are provided. In one example, a method may include the steps of sending a first video signal and a second video signal to a video decoder; sending a first audio signal to the audio decoder, the first audio signal being associated with the first video signal; locking a single timing mechanism to program clock references (PCRs) of the first audio signal; and decoding the first audio signal and the first video signal according to a timebase of the single timing mechanism.

Abstract: Schemes for rewinding a HITS stream in video recorder and playback systems are presented herein. Reference pictures are stored for a group of pictures, allowing subsequent pictures to be decoded from the reference pictures. The foregoing significantly reduces the number of picture decodes required to display a HITS stream in reverse order.

Abstract: Systems and methods that reformat media are described. In one embodiment, a system may include, for example, a server, a first communications device and a second communications device. The server, the first communications device and the second communications device may be operatively coupled to a network. The second communications device may receive, from the first communications device, a device profile relating to the first communications device and may send the device profile and media content to the server.

Abstract: Systems and methods of supporting multiple users from a single location sharing a media processing system via a personal media guide are provided. In one embodiment, a system may comprise, for example, a communication device, media content, and a software platform. The communication device may be coupled to a communication network. The media content may be disposed in the communication network or the communication device, and the media content may comprise broadcast media and personal media. The software platform may reside on the communication device, and the software platform may further receive authentication information and facilitate a display of a user-defined selection from the media content by the communication device in a user-defined layout.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating efficient operation of trick modes in a personal video recording (PVR) system. Stream-navigation data from a data stream is captured and pre-processed to generate a frame-correlated NAV table comprising one entry for each frame within the data stream, during recording of the data stream. The stream-navigation data comprises start code data, content rating data, and conditional access data that is embedded in the data stream. During playback of the data stream in a user-selected trick mode, the frame-correlated NAV table is used to generate command packets that are sent to a data decoder along with selected frames of the data stream. The selected frames are decoded based on information in the command packets and certain selected frames may be displayed as part of the trick mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide picture-in-picture timebase management are provided. In one example, a method may include the steps of sending a first video signal and a second video signal to a video decoder; sending a first audio signal to the audio decoder, the first audio signal being associated with the first video signal; locking a single timing mechanism to program clock references (PCRs) of the first audio signal; and decoding the first audio signal and the first video signal according to a timebase of the single timing mechanism.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for improving performance of video decoders during rewind and fast forward operation. Video decoder performance is improved by avoiding repetitive decoding of prediction pictures. When a decoded prediction picture is stored in a frame buffer, techniques are presented for decoding multiple pictures in the rewind order which are dependent thereon, displaying the picture directly from the frame buffer, and setting one type of prediction picture as another type of prediction picture.

Abstract: A transcoder (10) and a decoder (80) reconstruct an image from still image compressed data, such as EXIF data. The transcoder transcodes the still image compressed data into a bit stream of moving picture compressed data, such as an MPEG-2 4:2:2P bit stream with only intra pictures. The decoder (80) decodes the bit stream of moving picture compressed data into a still picture image that can be stored in a digital memory (100).

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide time-based management for MPEG decoding are provided. In one example, a method for live decoding in a personal video recorder system includes the steps of receiving at least one data packet; determining at least one program clock reference (PCR) using the at least one data packet; and locking a timing mechanism to the at least one determined PCR.

Abstract: Systems and methods that manipulate a system time clock in an audio decoding system and/or a video decoding system are disclosed. In one example, the method may include the steps of selecting a trick mode rate and adjusting system time clock update rate as a function of the selected trick mode rate.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide personal video recording trick modes are provided. In one example, a method that provides a trick mode in a personal video recording system may include the steps of receiving a transport stream; storing data from the transport stream in a data storage; generating index table using the data from the transport stream; receiving a trick mode command; and accessing, based on the trick mode command, particular data in the data storage using the index table.

Abstract: Error concealment for motion picture expert group (MPEG) decoding with personal video recording functionality. The present invention is operable to perform error concealment of MPEG data within various components within playback, recording, reading and writing data systems. The present invention is operable within existing systems whose components may not be capable of accommodating errors within MPEG data. Whereas prior art systems typically cannot deal with any corruption without either losing the data or suffering some operational failure, the present invention is able to conceal these errors and to continue decoding and presentation of the MPEG data. In certain embodiments, this involves maximizing the available data that contain no errors to conceal those portions of the data that do include errors. The present invention is operable to accommodate various layers while performing error concealment, including the MPEG transport stream layer, the video layer, and the audio layer.

Abstract: A caching system and method supporting improved trick mode performance in video decoding systems are presented herein. During a rewind operation, various pictures of an EP-EP segment that are decoded to display the last picture in the EP-EP segment are cached. The pictures are cached to avoid repetitive decoding.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for reducing the video decoder processing requirements for rewinding a HITS stream are presented herein. During rewind of a HITS stream, the video decoder builds a clean reference picture. The clean reference picture is built by decoding each of the P-pictures in the EP-EP segment. However, because the P-pictures are not displayed, the decoder does not decode the portion of the P-picture below the last intracoded slice. The decoder can build the clean reference picture without decoding the portions of the P-pictures below the last intracoded slice because the subsequent pictures do not use the said portions for prediction.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for reducing the video decoder processing requirements are presented herein. During a rewind operation, a reference picture for a group of pictures is decoded and stored into a reference frame buffer. By storing a reference picture for the group, the reference picture need not be decoded to display each picture in the group during the rewind operation.

Abstract: Command packets for personal video recorder. The invention provides for transport stream (TS) that contains data and also includes a transport packet (TP)/TS formatted command packets. The TP/TS formatted command packet may be communicated between any number of devices, including multiple chips, multiple boards, and multiple processors. A decoder is able to decode the TP/TS formatted command packet and to perform the appropriate operation on data portions of the TS. When a TS is provided to a device not having the capability to perform the proper decoding of the TP/TS formatted command packet, that particular packet may be deemed as being unidentified (or unknown) adaptation field data. Alternatively, the packet may be identified as being corrupted data and/or irrelevant data. The invention is operable to encode command packets into the transport stream in such a way that it is backward compatible with previous systems.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for switching between a live video decoding and a recorded playback in a digital video and recording system. A received video data stream is transmitted to a first-in first-out video decoder buffer without first looping the video data stream through a playback buffer. The video data stream is transmitted from the video decoder buffer to a video decoder. If a “pause” command is received, the video data stream is transmitted to a first-in first-out playback buffer, while continuing to transmit the video data stream to the video decoder buffer. Transmission of the video data stream to the video decoder buffer is halted when the video decoder buffer fills up. The last byte of the video data stream that was transmitted to the video decoder buffer is marked. If a “play” command is received, the video data stored in the video decoder buffer is transmitted to the video decoder.