Abstract: A method for providing on demand streaming media to a user device, the method includes: receiving, at a streaming device, a request to stream a certain media stream to a user device; wherein the streaming device is coupled to multiple user devices over a network and is adapted to concurrently transmit multiple media streams to the multiple user devices; obtaining media stream fragments that belong to the certain media stream by the streaming device and from multiple distribution devices; wherein the streaming device and the multiple distribution devices form a high bandwidth media distribution peer to peer network; wherein the streaming device is prevented from uploading media stream fragments to any distribution device; and streaming to the user device the certain media stream.

Abstract: A method for multimedia content generation includes presenting to a user text that will serve as audio narration in a video clip, and a collection of media items to be selectively included in the video clip. Instructions, which associate one or more selected media items with corresponding elements of the text, are received from the user. The video clip is generated automatically, such that the selected media items appear in the video clip in synchronization with the corresponding elements of the text in accordance with the instructions.

Abstract: A system and method for triggering media stream modifications and for modifying media streams accordingly. The method includes a first step of determining, by an apparatus, an opportunity to modify a compressed media stream, by a media stream modifier, to provide a modified media stream that includes additional video content; and a second step of generating modification information representative of said determination, to be further transmitted to the media stream modifier.

Abstract: A system that includes a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is arranged to receive, content item information indicative of content items to be filled in multiple locations of a document, to receive content provider information about at least one content provider that is expected to provide the content items and to send, using the content provider information, to a system of each one of the least one content provider, a request to provide at least one content item associated with the content provider; and wherein the processor is arranged to verify a completion of a provision of all the content items.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems and methods for transmitting content to users. In some implementations, a system can include a session manager operable to initiate a unicast session with an end user device over a dedicated channel and to transmit a unicast multimedia stream associated with the unicast session. The unicast multimedia stream can include service identifier that is recognizable to the end user. The system can also include an interface operable to receive a transmission command that includes the end-user recognizable service identifier, and to transmit the content associated with the multimedia stream to the end user device in response to the content transmission command.

Abstract: A method for matching between interests of different users, the method may include obtaining, by a computerized service and from a group of users, users metadata that comprises users interest information and users contact information; wherein the obtaining of the users metadata involves an interaction between each user of the group of users and the computerized service; finding, in response to the users metadata, a sub-group of users that have a matching interest and are contacted to an intermediate person; wherein the finding of the sub-group of users is executed without receiving an input from the intermediate person; and responding to the finding of the sub-groups of users.

Abstract: Methods and systems for defining a compression and reconstruction scheme of a media stream, for generating and transmitting a base media layer and enhancement data layers and for reconstructing compressed representations of the media stream from the base media layer and the enhancement data layers.

Abstract: A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.

Abstract: A system, method and a non-transitory compute readable medium for controlled distribution of a content of a visual asset that comprises an image of a participant, the method may include receiving a request to enable a certain viewer to receive the visual asset; selecting by a processor, in response to a characteristic of the certain viewer and in response to participant image access authorization metadata, a selected version of the visual asset to be provided to the certain viewer, out of a first version of the visual asset and a second version of the visual asset; wherein the first version of the visual asset comprises an identifiable image of the participant; wherein the second version of the visual asset comprises a non-identifiable image of the participant; wherein participant image access authorization metadata that allows access to the identifiable image of the participant requires an approval of the participant; and providing a response to the request that comprises the selected version of the visual a

Abstract: A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.

Abstract: Method and system for providing data, video and voice to a group of end user devices includes receiving end user device group quality of service rules and access network node bandwidth constraints; assigning multicast addresses and unicast addresses to end user devices of the group in response to the access node bandwidth constraints; and providing, in response to the end user device group quality of service rules and requests to receive services from the residential gateways, data, video and voice utilizing the assigned multicast addresses and unicast addresses. Further methods include receiving location information representative of distances between multiple end user devices and access nodes; defining end user bandwidth constraints in response to the location information and in response to access node bandwidth constraints; and providing, in response to the end user bandwidth constraints and to requests to receive services from the end user devices, data, compressed video and voice.

Abstract: A method for multimedia content generation includes receiving a textual input, and automatically retrieving from one or more media databases a plurality of media items that are relevant to the textual input. User input, which selects one or more of the automatically-retrieved media items and correlates one or more of the selected media items in time with the textual input, is received. A video clip, which includes an audio narration of the textual input and the selected media items scheduled in accordance with the user input, is constructed automatically.

Abstract: A system arranged to generate multimedia content, constituted of: a textual input module; an audio input module arranged to receive a human generated audio of the text; a contextual analysis module in communication with the textual input module and arranged to extract metadata from the received textual input; a media asset collection module arranged to retrieve a plurality of media assets responsive to the metadata of the received textual input; an alignment module in communication with the audio input module and the textual input module, the alignment module arranged to determine time markers in the received audio input for predetermined words in the received textual input; a video creation module arranged to create a video clip responsive to the received audio input, the determined time markers and the retrieved plurality of media assets of the media asset collection module; and an output module arranged to output the created video clip.

Abstract: A system, method and a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable code embodied therein for wirelessly broadcasting advertisements to handheld television receivers, the method includes: selecting a first advertisement to broadcast to a first group of handheld television receivers within a cell that are tuned to a first program; wherein the selecting is responsive to profiles of a first group of users that use the first group of handheld television receivers; selecting a second advertisement to broadcast to a second group of handheld television receivers within the cell that are tuned to a second program; wherein the selecting is responsive to profiles of a second group of users that use the second group of handheld television receivers; and wirelessly broadcasting a multiplex that comprises the first program, the second program, the first advertisement and the second advertisement.

Abstract: A method for providing programs, the method includes: (i) providing a program multiplex to multiple users device; (ii) considering a removal of at least one program from the multiplex in response to program viewing parameters; (iii) allowing at least one user to respond to a possible removal of the program; and (iv) determining whether to remove the al least one program in response to received user removal responses. A user device that includes a transceiver unit that is connected to a controller, wherein the device is adapted to receive a program multiplex, to receive an indication that at least one program is to be removed from the multiplex, and to selectively transmit a program removal response.

Abstract: Methods and systems for defining a compression and reconstruction scheme of a media stream, for generating and transmitting a base media layer and enhancement data layers and for reconstructing compressed representations of the media stream from the base media layer and the enhancement data layers.

Abstract: A method for rate reduction of a video stream, the method includes: selecting a non-reference picture of a video stream; and replacing the non-reference picture by a duplicating picture that substantially consists of information that instruct a decoder to duplicate another picture that differs from the non-reference picture; wherein the duplicating picture is smaller than the non-reference picture.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a mosaic image stream, the method includes: retrieving, at a retrieval rate responsive to an encoding rate of a primary stream, mosaic frame information that comprises a primary frame and multiple secondary frames; generating a mosaic frame from the mosaic frame information; and repeating the retrieving and generating to provide a group of mosaic frames; wherein if a reception rate of a certain secondary stream is slower than the retrieval rate then the retrieving comprises re-fetching a secondary frame of the certain secondary stream; and wherein if a reception rate of a certain secondary stream is slower than the retrieval rate then the retrieving comprises ignoring a group of secondary frames of the certain secondary stream.

Abstract: Methods and systems for defining a compression and reconstruction scheme of a media stream, for generating and transmitting a base media layer and enhancement data layers and for reconstructing compressed representations of the media stream from the base media layer and the enhancement data layers.

Abstract: A method for providing service to an end user, the method includes: converting images to multiple end user device readable pictures; receiving a request from an end user to display at least one image, wherein the request is conveyed over a TVOD infrastructure; and providing the end user with a stream of end user device readable pictures that includes at least one end user device readable picture that corresponds to the requested image.