Abstract: A method for communication includes providing an item of media content for streaming in a plurality of versions having different, respective bit rates. The media content is streamed from a server to a client by transmitting a first version of the item over a network at a first bit rate from the server to the client via a server buffer associated with the server and monitoring a fill level of the server buffer while streaming the media content. The server switches to transmitting a second version of the item at a second bit rate, different from the first bit rate, to the client in response to a change in the fill level of the server buffer.

Abstract: A method for communication includes providing an item of media content for streaming in a plurality of versions having different, respective bit rates. The media content is streamed from a server to a client by transmitting a first version of the item over a network at a first bit rate from the server to the client via a server buffer associated with the server and monitoring a fill level of the server buffer while streaming the media content. The server switches to transmitting a second version of the item at a second bit rate, different from the first bit rate, to the client in response to a change in the fill level of the server buffer.

Abstract: A method for communication includes providing an item of media content for streaming in a plurality of versions having different, respective bit rates. The media content is streamed from a server to a client by transmitting a first version of the item over a network at a first bit rate from the server to the client via a server buffer associated with the server and monitoring a fill level of the server buffer while streaming the media content. The server switches to transmitting a second version of the item at a second bit rate, different from the first bit rate, to the client in response to a change in the fill level of the server buffer.

Abstract: A method for data communications includes conveying from a server to a client a virtual index file, which identifies multiple sequences of media files available for download to the client, including a plurality of the sequences that contain a given item of streaming content for download to the client at a different, respective data rate for each sequence. A selection is received from the client of a sequence among the plurality of the sequences of the media files. Responsively to the selection, the media files in the sequence are created at the respective data rate and are downloaded to the client.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for enabling presentation of supplemented video signal in place of externally provided video signal at a subscriber's device. By an embodiment of this invention, based on certain attributes received from the TV programmer, certain parts of certain video signals are replaced by the subscriber's device with different content that has been pre-stored at that subscriber's device. In addition, such replacements may be reported to the TV programmer.