Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for providing a nonlinear, dynamic, and prioritized content caching scheme for segmented content during playback. Certain embodiments provide new techniques for optimally determining preferred content, prioritizing the preferred content for download and consumption, and, in systems where storage and memory systems are constrained, utilizing the same prioritization system for optimized garbage collection. Example methods may include determining a current playhead position associated with a video playback. Certain methods include determining a cache priorities for fragments based on the current playhead position and the positions of the fragments in the video playback. A first fragment may be the next fragment with respect to the linear playback, and a second fragment may follow the first fragment.

Abstract: Techniques for adaptive backfilling of media fragments are described. As one example, a computer-implemented method includes sending, by a media player, a request for a plurality of media fragments from a content data store, receiving the plurality of media fragments from the content data store with at least one media fragment at a first quality level into a front buffer of the media player via a network, starting playback of the plurality of media fragments from the front buffer after a startup threshold number of media fragments are received in the front buffer, detecting when a backfill threshold of the media player is exceeded by a backfill indicator, and replacing at least one of the plurality of media fragments at the first quality level in the front buffer of the media player with a second, higher quality level variant via the network when the backfill threshold is exceeded.