Abstract: Subtitling aims at the presentation of text information and graphical data, encoded as pixel bitmaps. The size of subtitle bitmaps may exceed video frame dimensions, so that only portions are displayed at a time. The bitmaps are a separate layer lying above the video, e.g. for synchronized video subtitles, animations and navigation menus, and therefore contain many transparent pixels. An advanced adaptation for bitmap encoding for HDTV, e.g. 1920×1280 pixels per frame as defined for the Blu-ray Disc Prerecorded format, providing optimized compression results for such subtitling bitmaps, is achieved by a four-stage run length encoding. Shorter or longer sequences of pixels of a preferred color, e.g. transparent, are encoded using the second or third shortest code words, while single pixels of different color are encoded using the shortest code words, and sequences of pixels of equal color use the third or fourth shortest code words.

Abstract: Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the representation of a menu button may vary, depending on its state. An image or an image sequence, e.g. cartoon, may be associated to a buttons state, providing user animation. Further, a sound or sound sequence, e.g. melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. A data structure is disclosed which allows storage of such menu data e.g. on a Blu-ray disc.

Abstract: Optical discs may support “Out Of Multiplex” formats, meaning that different presentation components, like video, audio and subtitles, are stored on different files on the disc, e.g. Blu-ray discs. The different data streams are read by a single pick-up, requiring frequent pick-up jumps and extensive data buffering. The method for operating a scheduler for an optical pick-up reduces the number of pick-up jumps while optimizing the required buffer space. The scheduler is based on a static schema, meaning that the buffer for the data stream with the highest data rate is of minimal size, and therefore refilled in short periods, while the buffers for the lower rated streams are dimensioned such that they can be refilled in multiples of the short period. Deviations from the static schema may be allowed, e.g. due to multi-angle video technique. Afterwards the scheduler returns to the original schedule.

Abstract: A method for modifying data read from read-only media during playback time comprises logically merging the on-disc directory tree and an associated off-disc directory tree. A logical directory tree is constructed from the data retrieved from the read-only medium, wherein the structure of the logical directory tree is identical with the structure of the directory tree of the medium. The method allows replacing content on the disc through downloaded content, e.g. replacing an out-dated trailer stored on the disc through a downloaded trailer for a new movie. The method further allows complementing or upgrading content on the disc, e.g. by downloading a new subtitle track from the internet.

Abstract: DVD Rewritable/Re-recordable discs will be used for recording and playing back digital bitstreams, for example MPEG data packets. To enable proper real-time playback of stored MPEG transport packets, a time information is to be added to every data packet to be recorded. A DVD streamer is connected to the application device via an interface, e.g. IEEE 1394. The interface internally uses timestamps having a special format. According to the invention, such interface-generated timestamps are also used for the DVD stream recording, instead of additionally generated independent streamer-specific timestamps. However, a timestamp format conversion is to be carried out because the DVD Streamer timestamp format is different from the IEEE 1394 timestamp format. For such timestamp format conversion differences between consecutive IEEE 1394 timestamps are determined and are used for calculating the DVD stream recording timestamps.

Abstract: Compression parameter sets are stored in files separate from the main AV or transmitted separately and prior to any subsequent transmission of AV data. The scope of parameter set identifiers is limited to not more than a Program Chain. Either existing files are extended by including the compression parameter sets directly, or separate files containing the compression parameter sets are created. In order to support easy authoring of compound content, it is proposed to amend each compression parameter set or groups of such parameter sets with scope period information, which can be based on time stamps, on file names, or on sector numbers on the disc. It is additionally proposed to employ an indirect referencing mechanism, where parameter set identifiers are referring to secondary tables, and where the entries of secondary tables are defined to be themselves identifiers referring in turn to entries of a common parameter set table provided once.

Abstract: A method and device for dynamically overlaying two or more video streams uses specialized metadata that are attached to at least one of the video streams.

Abstract: Movies are produced in 24 Hz frame frequency and progressive scanning format (denoted 24p) for projection in film theatres, adhering to a worldwide standard for 35 mm film. However, the major TV systems in the world use interlaced scanning and either 50 Hz field frequency (denoted 50i) or 60 Hz field frequency (denoted 60i). Content providers would prefer providing single-picture-frequency single-audio-speed AV discs that can be replayed in most parts of the world. A 24p audio/video data stream is supplemented with additional 50i format data items thereby allowing 24p and 50i format replay of that data stream.

Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatus for synchronized stream packing of packets that differ contextually between A/V streams in a parallel presentation. A method includes the step of identifying sub-picture/subtitle packets and/or audio packets having arrival timestamps and/or presentation timestamps that match an arrival timestamp and/or a presentation timestamp, respectively, of video packets. The method also includes the step of packing a Video Object Unit (VOBU) and/or a Transport Stream (TS) with the identified sub-picture/subtitle and audio packets and the video packets having the matching timestamps.

Abstract: Multimedia content of exchangeable storage media, such as optical discs, may be extended by bonus content that is downloaded via Internet connection and stored on a local storage device. An improved method for integration of different menu items relating to on-disc content and downloaded content provides flexibility and a simple, low cost solution. The method for integration of downloaded bonus content into a menu comprises defining one or more placeholders within a menu, determining a storage location or naming convention for bonus content, declaring for each placeholder an attribute providing a unique association to a specific type of bonus content, providing a button image, detecting presence of bonus content data, replacing the associated placeholder by the associated button image and enabling an associated action to be taken when said button is selected.

Abstract: The invention is related to a device for presenting, an image frame by help of a set of displaying commands wherein a displaying command comprises a displaying area and a displaying content. The device comprises means for adapting a first and/or a second displaying command set such that an adapted displaying command sets comprises displaying areas which do not intersect with any displaying area of the same set. Furthermore, the displaying areas of an adapted set cover a display area the image frames are displayed on. The device further determines displaying commands of the adapted second set not comprised in the adapted first set. Then, the determined displaying commands are executed. Adaptation makes comparison of displaying commands suitable for excluding areas from displaying/blitting/clearing.

Abstract: The invention addresses the objective of optimizing performance of a media data carrier interpreting device. This is achieved by a media data carrier interpreting device which comprises means for transforming a machine-interpretable instruction comprised in a media data carrier into a machine-executable code during media content presentation. Said media data carrier comprises a set of machine-interpretable instructions generated according to a method which comprises the steps of generating a first auxiliary set of instructions corresponding to a set of elements wherein the elements are conform with a template and compiling said first auxiliary instruction set. Then, said compiled first auxiliary instruction set is linked with a compiled second auxiliary instruction set corresponding to said template. This method removes the need for runtime parsing and therefore frees processing capacity for runtime transformation of the machine-interpretable instructions into machine-executable code.

Abstract: The DVD Stream Recording standard defines application packets as the logically smallest units created from the input data stream during recording. Usually the conversion from a point on the time axis to a corresponding application packet is realized by using a mapping list available in the navigation data. However, depending on the target time and a Stream Object selected, the match found can vary significantly. The invention allows editing a recorded stream of application packets with higher precision. The stream comprises at least a first application packet having a first arrival time stamp and a subsequent second application packet having a second arrival time stamp. For editing the recorded stream a discrete time is input that is a start time or an end time and has a value between the first arrival time stamp and the second arrival time stamp. The discrete time is mapped onto the first or the second arrival time stamp, and the recorded stream is edited correspondingly.

Abstract: Consumer electronic devices, such as e.g. high-definition movie players for removable storage media such as optical discs, may provide possibilities for advanced interactivity for the user, implemented as software applications. A question arising generally with such software applications is what the life cycle of such an application is, and who may control it. The invention provides a method for executing software applications within a playback device for audio-video data, wherein data from a first removable storage medium are read for a software application to be executed within said playback device, and the data comprise an indication defining a termination condition for the application. Based on said termination code and depending on how the medium holding the application is ejected, the application is terminated or may survive.

Abstract: Method for automatically selecting a software application being a program for execution on a virtual machine, including the steps of receiving an exit status value from a terminating software application; translating the exit status value to an identifier for the next software application to be executed, wherein a mapping table is used; executing on the virtual machine the next software application (J4) program that is represented by the identifier.

Abstract: Local storage on player instruments provides the ability for adding further amendments and most recent supplements to the optical disc content. A problem arising with this technically applicable possibility is the protection of copyrights bound to disc and supplement data. The present invention describes a technique to ensure a security framework that is able to handle this, by creating a virtual file system by merging optical disc data and local storage data based upon a common identifier.

Abstract: There are DVD discs that provide a recorded video sequence with different viewing angles. However, because it takes some time to start decoding of an encoded video sequence and the different angle views each relate to corresponding differently encoded video streams, such switching causes a delayed response to a user's angle change request. It is proposed to reduce the original video resolution in favour of fast response time to video angle change requests. The available pixels within a video frame are used to store two or more video signals side by side, each one representing a different viewing angle, but the full picture area video signal is anyway decoded. The selected viewing angle video signal is re-scaled to full-size presentation.

Abstract: Available storage media capacity for personal video recording increases continuously. metadata can be used to organize the recordings, search for content and access specific recordings. If metadata are embedded within the multimedia content itself, like DVB specific Service Information, which are multiplexed with the audio and video streams to form a MPEG-2 transport stream, a search based on this metadata would require an inefficient and time consuming search through all multimedia content stored. According to the invention metadata information is gathered, analyzed and processed to form metadata entities, which are amended by a reference to the content itself. A descriptor stream is formed from the resulting pairs of metadata entities and references to the content and is stored separately from the files comprising multimedia content. In this way, for data of an MPEG-2 transport stream the metadata can be accessed without a need to reparse the entire stream.

Abstract: A method for optimizing a scheduler for an optical pick-up reduces switch times required for seamless video angle switching. The pick-up reads data streams from different files on an optical storage medium, e.g. Blu-Ray disc. Seamless video angle switching requires reading and buffering a new video data stream from another file, delaying the switch to be visible. Labels that mark entry points for seamless angle switching are attached to the video stream, and are stored together with the video data in a buffer. When an angle switch is requested, and thus a switch to a new video data stream, the scheduler determines the time before data from the new data stream can be buffered, detects the next label, and stores the new data beyond the label, thus flushing non-relevant parts of the previous buffer contents.

Abstract: Normally, digital PIP video signals are directly edited into the main video signal and then encoded jointly into a single coded video stream. However, in order to give a user full control over the PIP presentation of the encoded video signals, each PIP signal requires a separate encoding, and in a receiver one video decoder is required for each video stream displayed. According to the invention, a PIP-like presentation of timeline-related auxiliary video signals is enabled, achieving this with only one coded video stream and therefore a single video decoder. When encoding, the video plane is logically split into a main video area and a side panel area that carries one or more PIP windows. After decoding, the main video area is displayed centred or stretched to the full display size. The content of the side panel is not displayed directly but, depending on side information, some portions of that side panel are overlaid on the main video window.