Abstract: A method is provided for tagging a quality metric in adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming, which allows a client to intelligently select a variant bitrate stream using the tagged quality metric. The method includes encoding multiple streams of video data at variant bitrates, each bitrate stream having a plurality of chunks, computing a quality metric for each chunk of each stream, and tagging the quality metric with each chunk of each stream.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for encoding video data according to target decoding device complexity. One embodiment is evidenced by a method of encoding video data for decoding on a target decoding device having parallel processing, comprising: receiving uncoded video data, computing a relationship between each of a plurality of encoding parameters and target decoding device decoding costs, selecting encoding parameters to minimize encoding costs, wherein the encoding costs include the target decoding device decoding costs, and encoding the uncoded video data according to the selected encoding parameters.

Abstract: A method of handling advertisements in an adaptive bitrate stream is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving an adaptive bitrate stream playlist listing chunk identifiers pointing to a plurality of media chunks, analyzing the playlist to find one or more advertising chunks, modifying the adaptive bitrate stream playlist with a client device when the client device has been set to skip advertisements by deleting chunk identifiers associated with advertising chunks from the playlist, retrieving and playing back media chunks according to the playlist, and setting a no-trick-play flag at the client device during playback of the one or more advertising chunks when the client device has not been set to skip advertisements, such that trick-plays through and over media chunks are allowed when the no-trick-play flag is not set and are not allowed when the no-trick-play flag is set.

Abstract: A multimedia content stream that includes a series of segments may be received where each segment corresponds to a respective predicted seek position of a plurality of predicted seek positions in the multimedia content stream. A likelihood of receiving a seek request from a user to move from a current playout position in the multimedia content stream to one of the predicted seek positions in the multimedia content stream may be determined. A size of a buffer for each segment in the multimedia content stream may be determined based on the likelihood of receiving the seek request.

Abstract: A method and computing device for intelligently pre-buffering at access points in an adaptive or scalable stream to optimize trick-play support. The method receives a multimedia content stream from a multimedia content server as a series of segments, each segment including a key frame and corresponding to a predicted seek position in the multimedia content stream, where the multimedia content server delivers at least two versions of each segment, each version reconstructed from at least one encoded component of the multimedia content stream, the versions varying a characteristic of the multimedia content stream. The method determines a likelihood of receiving a seek request from a user to move from a current playout position to one of the predicted seek positions, and determines a size of a buffer for each version of each segment in the multimedia content stream based on the likelihood of receiving the seek request.

Abstract: A method of handling advertisements in an adaptive bitrate stream is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving an adaptive bitrate stream playlist listing chunk identifiers pointing to a plurality of media chunks, analyzing the playlist to find one or more advertising chunks, modifying the adaptive bitrate stream playlist with a client device when the client device has been set to skip advertisements by deleting chunk identifiers associated with advertising chunks from the playlist, retrieving and playing back media chunks according to the playlist, and setting a no-trick-play flag at the client device during playback of the one or more advertising chunks when the client device has not been set to skip advertisements, such that trick-plays through and over media chunks are allowed when the no-trick-play flag is not set and are not allowed when the no-trick-play flag is set.

Abstract: A method is provided for encoding a digital video with a video encoder that allows intra prediction of mode selection. The method includes dividing pixels from each intra prediction block into four groups based on phases of the pixels, progressively narrowing down a list of intra prediction modes over a series of stages based on a comparison of a cost value for each intra prediction mode at that stage against a threshold value, tentatively assigning the remaining intra prediction with the lowest cost value after the final stage to the block, calculating a heterogeneity index for each group of contiguous intra prediction blocks based on the tentative intra prediction mode selected for each block after the final stage, and finalizing the tentative intra prediction mode for each block if the group has a heterogeneity index above a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A method is provided to presenting contextual information during adaptive bitrate streaming to allow play of an audio-only variant. The method includes receiving an audio-only variant of a video stream, calculating bandwidth headroom, receiving contextual information that provides descriptive information about visual components of the video stream that has a bitrate less than the bandwidth headroom, and presenting the contextual information to users while playing the audio-only variant.

Abstract: A method of generating a trick-play stream is provided that includes providing a master trick-play stream having a plurality of groups of pictures, wherein each group of pictures comprises a leading intra-coded frame and a plurality of inter-coded frames, and frames within of each group of pictures encoded with a temporally scalable hierarchical encoding relationship, deriving a trick-play stream from the master trick-play stream for a particular temporal resolution by skipping a consistent pattern of frames from each group of pictures that are not needed to decode other frames at the particular temporal resolution according to the temporally scalable hierarchical encoding relationship, and providing the trick-play stream to a client device, wherein the trick-play stream is packaged to appear to the client device as a standards-compliant adaptive bitrate stream.

Abstract: To create information in media content a standardized segment tag associated with macro segments is created To extract segments from media content, macro segments of the contiguous stream are identified based on the presence of a standardized segment tag associated with each identified segment and data is extracted from each identified segment based on the associated tag. In a device for creating information in media content, a processor identifies macro segments of the contiguous stream and creates a standardized segment tag associated with each segment. A memory stores the macro segments and the standardized tag associated with each segment. A device for extracting segments includes a processor configured to identify macro segments of the contiguous stream based on the presence of a standardized segment tag associated with each segment. The processor extracts data from each identified macro segment based on the associated standardized tag. A memory stores the extracted data.

Abstract: To create information in media content a standardized segment tag associated with macro segments is created. To extract segments from media content, macro segments of the contiguous stream are identified based on the presence of a standardized segment tag associated with each identified segment and data is extracted from each identified segment based on the associated tag. In a device for creating information in media content, a processor identifies macro segments of the contiguous stream and creates a standardized segment tag associated with each segment. A memory stores the macro segments and the standardized tag associated with each segment. A device for extracting segments includes a processor configured to identify macro segments of the contiguous stream based on the presence of a standardized segment tag associated with each segment. The processor extracts data from each identified macro segment based on the associated standardized tag. A memory stores the extracted data.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining a context-index when performing Context-based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC) for video compression or decompression includes initializing to an initialized value each of a plurality of context-indexes of chosen syntax elements associated with a given block (e.g., a macroblock). The context-index of dependent neighboring blocks of the given block is evaluated. The dependent neighboring blocks are blocks that have a context-index that depends on coding of a current bin position. The context-index of the dependent neighboring blocks is updated if and only if their context-index changes from the initialized values.

Abstract: A method of generating a trick-play stream is provided that includes providing a master trick-play stream having a plurality of groups of pictures, wherein each group of pictures comprises a leading intra-coded frame and a plurality of inter-coded frames, and frames within of each group of pictures encoded with a temporally scalable hierarchical encoding relationship, deriving a trick-play stream from the master trick-play stream for a particular temporal resolution by skipping a consistent pattern of frames from each group of pictures that are not needed to decode other frames at the particular temporal resolution according to the temporally scalable hierarchical encoding relationship, and providing the trick-play stream to a client device, wherein the trick-play stream is packaged to appear to the client device as a standards-compliant adaptive bitrate stream.

Abstract: A method is provided for decoding an encoded video stream on a processor having a plurality of processing cores includes receiving and examining a video stream to identify any macroscopic constructs present therein that support parallel processing. Decoding of the video stream is divided into a plurality of decoding functions. The plurality of decoding functions is scheduled for decoding the video stream in a dynamic manner based on availability of any macroscopic constructs that have been identified and then based on a number of bytes used to encode each block into which each picture of the video stream is partitioned. Each of the decoding functions is dispatched to the plurality of processing cores in accordance with the scheduling.

Abstract: A method of passively measuring available link bandwidth at a client device that receives media data over a network connection comprising receiving packets of a media stream at the client device, wherein one or more the of packets comprises a unique identifier indicating that one or more the packets are associated with a macro burst sorting the received packets into one or more of the macro bursts based on the unique identifiers, and determining the link bandwidth available to the client device based at least in part on the time intervals between arrival times of the packets sorted into individual macro bursts, wherein the macro bursts each comprise a plurality of packets transmitted together by a sending device to regulate the sending device's transmission rate.

Abstract: A method of passively measuring available link bandwidth at a client device that receives media data over a network connection comprising receiving packets of a media stream at the client device, wherein one or more the of packets comprises a unique identifier indicating that one or more the packets are associated with a macro burst sorting the received packets into one or more of the macro bursts based on the unique identifiers, and determining the link bandwidth available to the client device based at least in part on the time intervals between arrival times of the packets sorted into individual macro bursts, wherein the macro bursts each comprise a plurality of packets transmitted together by a sending device to regulate the sending device's transmission rate.

Abstract: A method and computing device that allows a viewer to specify a Region of Interest (ROI) in a picture-in-picture (PIP) video signal, and displays only the ROI in the PIP window. The method displays a secondary video signal for a secondary program, and receives a boundary that defines an ROI on the secondary video signal. The method extracts a portion of the secondary video signal, where the portion extracted corresponds to the ROI. The method displays a primary video signal for a primary program in a main window, and displays the extracted portion of the secondary video signal in the main window where the portion of the secondary video signal overlays the primary video signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus associates voice metadata with a content item such as a recorded program using a content guide. In one embodiment, a process presents the content guide to a viewer. The viewer makes a first request to select a content item listed in the content guide, and this first request is received by the processor. In response to the first request, the processor presents content information for the selected content item. The content information may include one or more voice metadata options for the selected content item. The method and apparatus may be implemented in a digital video recorder (DVR). A DVR content searching method is also disclosed. In one embodiment, search parameters are received at the DVR, and the DVR searches through an index of voice metadata associated with one or more content items stored at the DVR.

Abstract: A method for creating information in media content is disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more macro segments of the contiguous stream are identified. A standardized segment tag associated with the one or more macro segments is created. A method for extracting segments from media content is disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more macro segments of the contiguous stream are identified based on the presence of a standardized segment tag associated with each identified macro segment. Data is extracted from each identified macro segment based on the associated standardized segment tag. A device for creating information in media content is disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor is configured to identify one or more macro segments of the contiguous stream. The processor is configured to create a standardized segment tag associated with each of the one or more macro segments.

Abstract: A method and computing device for intelligently pre-buffering at access points in an adaptive or scalable stream to optimize trick-play support. The method receives a multimedia content stream from a multimedia content server as a series of segments, each segment including a key frame and corresponding to a predicted seek position in the multimedia content stream, where the multimedia content server delivers at least two versions of each segment, each version reconstructed from at least one encoded component of the multimedia content stream, the versions varying a characteristic of the multimedia content stream. The method determines a likelihood of receiving a seek request from a user to move from a current playout position to one of the predicted seek positions, and determines a size of a buffer for each version of each segment in the multimedia content stream based on the likelihood of receiving the seek request.