Abstract: A device may receive an update playlist file that lists segments of a content stream in an order that the segments are to be recombined by a client device; update a live playlist file based on the update playlist file; update a time playlist file by appending segment identifiers, which are included in the update playlist file and not included in the time playlist file, to the time playlist file; create a new playlist file that includes the segment identifiers and that does not include other segment identifiers; and send one of the live playlist file, time playlist file, or the new playlist file to a client device.

Abstract: A device includes a communication interface and one or more processors. The communication interface may receive media guide data, from a media guide server via a network, including information relating to a number of available media items and playlist information relating to at least one available playlist file associated with a particular media item. The one or more processors may receive a user selection of the particular media item and may request the playlist file from a playlist server via the network based on the playlist information via the interface. The interface may receive the playlist file from the playlist server, the playlist file including locations of stream segments corresponding to the selected playlist. The one or more processors may request the stream segments from a content server via the network based on the received playlist file.

Abstract: A client receives a playlist file associated with streams of media, and reads the playlist file to retrieve coordinates of multiple cells or to retrieve multiple vantage points, where each of the multiple cells or vantage points comprises a different media stream. The client determines an available bandwidth for receiving media streams, and receives selection of one or more of the multiple cells or one or more of the multiple vantage points. The client requests, based on the selection and the determined available bandwidth, one or more media streams corresponding to the selected one or more cells or vantage points. The client plays back the one or more streams corresponding to the selected one or more cells or vantage points. The client may include a laptop, palmtop or tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a set top box (STB), or a television (TV).

Abstract: A method may include receiving a request from a user to play or record a program, wherein the program is associated with dialog text and determining a user profile associated with the user. The method may include associating, in response to receiving the request, the dialog text of the requested program with the user profile. The method may include receiving a search query from the user associated with the user profile and searching the dialog text associated with the user for dialog text that matches the search query. The method may include transmitting, for display, an identification of the program associated with the matching dialog text.

Abstract: A method may include receiving identification information associated with each of one or more users. Interactions may be received from the one or more users relating to content displayed on a television device. Interaction information associated with the interactions may be captured, wherein the interaction information includes at least interaction type information, interaction status information, interaction origin information, and user identification information. The captured interaction information may be stored. A request to display at least some of the captured interaction information may be received. At least some of the captured information may be retrieved and displayed responsive to the request.

Abstract: A device may include a network interface for communicating with another device over a network, a storage unit to store content, and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive a request from a user to change usable storage space on the storage unit, send a message that describes the request to a service provider, receive a reply allowing the user to change the usable storage space from the service provider, provide at least one option to the user in response to the reply, receive information from the user selecting a first one of the at least one option, and set a size of the usable storage space to a value corresponding to the first option.

Abstract: A method for providing notifications relating to a digital video recorder (DVR), may include identifying an issue or conflict associated with the DVR. It may be determined whether to generate a notification message relating to the identified issue or conflict. The notification message may be generated when it is determined to generate a notification message relating to the identified issue/conflict. The notification message may be transmitted to a user device separate from the DVR.

Abstract: A method comprising displaying the list of content on a display and receiving a selection for a first content including a first video content and a first audio content. The method may include displaying a menu of a plurality of additional audio content on the display, wherein displaying the menu of the plurality of additional audio content includes displaying a rating of each of the plurality of additional audio content based on ratings provided by users of each of the plurality of additional audio content. The method may also include receiving a selection of one of the plurality of additional audio content and playing the first content while simultaneously playing the selected one of the plurality of additional audio content.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a video stream, wherein the video stream is divided into video segments, and wherein the video stream is being sent to a customer device and receiving a request to insert a message into the video stream. The method may further include determining a particular video segment after which to insert the message into the video stream; inserting the message into video stream after the particular video segment; and sending the video stream to the customer device, wherein the video stream includes the inserted message.

Abstract: A method may include downloading a first segment of a video in a first bit-rate quality at the first bit rate and storing the downloaded first segment of the video in the first bit-rate quality. The method may further include downloading a second segment of the video in a second bit-rate quality at the second bit rate, wherein the second bit rate is greater than the first bit rate and storing the downloaded second segment of the video in the second bit-rate quality. The method may also include downloading the first segment of the video at the second bit-rate quality using excess bandwidth while downloading the second segment of the video in the second bit-rate quality at the second bit rate and storing the downloaded first segment of the video in the second bit rate-rate quality.

Abstract: A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium to receive a streaming program, calculate a delay time that occurs between an instant in time when a trick play input is received and an instant in time proximate to an onset of executing the trick play input, and calculate a predicted position of the streaming program based on the delay time, the type of trick play input, the speed of the trick play input, and a difference in the streaming program progress resulting from the delay to execute the trick play input.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a plurality of images of a face of a user, wherein each image of the face of the user is associated with one of a plurality of different expressions. The method may also include receiving a first video, wherein the first video comprises images of an actor including images of a face of the actor, wherein each image of the face of the actor is associated with one of the plurality of different expressions. Further, the method may include replacing the images of the face of the actor with corresponding images of the face of the user in a same expression to create a second video and transmitting the second video to the user.

Abstract: A device comprising a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-W decoder; and one or more processing systems to execute the instructions of the MPEG-W decoder, which configure the one or more processing systems to receive a request for streaming content; select an estimate of a bandwidth for a connection between a destination device and a source device; select a device type pertaining to the destination device; generate a stream request that includes an MPEG-W link, the estimate of the bandwidth, the device type, the MPEG-W link including an address pertaining to the source device, a name of the streaming content, and a file extension of an MPEG-W format; transmit the stream request to the source device; select a streaming content based on the stream request; wherein the streaming content has a resolution corresponding to the estimate of the bandwidth; and transmitting the streaming content to the destination device.

Abstract: A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium to receive a streaming program, calculate a delay time that occurs between an instant in time when a trick play input is received and an instant in time proximate to an onset of executing the trick play input, and calculate a predicted position of the streaming program based on the delay time, the type of trick play input, the speed of the trick play input, and a difference in the streaming program progress resulting from the delay to execute the trick play input.

Abstract: A method may include selecting a plurality programs to recommend to a user based on preferences of the user. The method may include displaying a program guide including a timeline, wherein the program guide indicates times that the plurality of recommended programs are scheduled to play. The program guide may also include a gap between the displayed recommended programs, the gap indicating a time during which one or more programs not selected to recommend to the user is scheduled to play. In one embodiment, the method may include displaying a video on demand (VOD) program or a personal video recorder (PVR) program in the gap between the displayed recommended programs.

Abstract: A device receives an identification of a series to schedule automatic recording of episodes that are currently airing or that will be airing in the future, receives an instruction to automatically retrieve previously aired episodes of the scheduled series based on the scheduling of the automatic recording of the episodes that are currently airing or that will be airing in the future. The device searches content, based on receipt of the instruction, to retrieve previously aired episodes of the scheduled series. The device records at least one episode of the scheduled series, and presents the recorded at least one episode of the scheduled series and the previously aired episodes of the scheduled series such that a user may select and play the at least one episode of the scheduled series or the previously aired episodes of the scheduled series.

Abstract: A device may include an interface and one or more processors. The interface may obtain, from a content source via a network, a playlist file including a plurality of content file identifiers corresponding to a plurality of content files associated with alternate encodings of a content stream. The one or more processors may determine that the alternate encodings correspond to different logical divisions of an image area associated with the content stream, forward, to a client device, the playlist file for selection of one logical division of the different logical divisions, and request, from the content source via the communication interface and responsive to the forwarding, one or more content file, of the plurality of content files, associated with a particular encoding of the alternate encodings.

Abstract: A device may receive an update playlist file that lists segments of a content stream in an order that the segments are to be recombined by a client device; update a live playlist file based on the update playlist file; update a time playlist file by appending segment identifiers, which are included in the update playlist file and not included in the time playlist file, to the time playlist file; create a new playlist file that includes the segment identifiers and that does not include other segment identifiers; and send one of the live playlist file, time playlist file, or the new playlist file to a client device.

Abstract: A device receives an identification of a series to schedule automatic recording of episodes that are currently airing or that will be airing in the future, receives an instruction to automatically retrieve previously aired episodes of the scheduled series based on the scheduling of the automatic recording of the episodes that are currently airing or that will be airing in the future. The device searches content, based on receipt of the instruction, to retrieve previously aired episodes of the scheduled series. The device records at least one episode of the scheduled series, and presents the recorded at least one episode of the scheduled series and the previously aired episodes of the scheduled series such that a user may select and play the at least one episode of the scheduled series or the previously aired episodes of the scheduled series.

Abstract: A method may include transmitting a list of programs for customization to a user device and receiving, from the user device, a selection by the user of one of the listed programs. The method may further include determining a list of clips to recommend to the user based on a user profile associated with the user and transmitting the list of clips to the user device for customizing the selected program. Further, the method may include receiving a selection of one of the clips from the user device and inserting the clip into the selected program to generate a customized program.