Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure reduce visual artifacts and provide robust video signals to end-user equipment. According to an aspect, a system includes a splice point controller that analyzes video to detect and compensate for content boundary misalignments. The splice point controller can process video streams by analyzing splice point parameters and/or dynamically updating adjustment values associated with splice points to ensure appropriate transitions from primary content to secondary or alternate content. After determining an adjustment value for a splice point, the splice point controller can provide splice point adjustment feedback to a signal processing engine and/or to a secondary content source as part of synchronizing outputs of a transcoder farm and/or the secondary content source. For example, the splice point controller can operate to align a splice point adjustment value associated with an SCTE-35 descriptor with an actual live splice point time that is included with a live broadcast.

Abstract: Techniques for user-defined quality control of resource usage are provided. In one technique, resource split data is received that indicates a split of a total resource amount that is associated with a content delivery campaign. In response, based on the split, a first resource amount and a second resource amount is determined, each a subset of the total resource amount. The first resource amount is associated with a first utilization strategy and a first mapping function and the second resource amount is associated with a second utilization strategy and a second mapping function. In response to receiving a request from a client device, an entity of the client device is determined and associated with the first mapping function. A quality score of the entity is determined and, based on the first mapping function and the quality score, an adjustment factor is determined. A content item selection event is conducted based on the adjustment factor.

Abstract: A system and method that provide reduced latency in a video signal processing system. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a current request from a user for first video information. Such a request may, for example, be received with a user interface module. A first video stream and a second video stream may be received simultaneously, where the first video stream comprises the first video information currently requested by the user, and the second video stream comprises second video information not currently requested by the user. A video receiver module may, for example, perform such receiving. The first video stream may be processed to present the first video information to the user at the current time. Further, the second video stream may be pre-processed in preparation for being presented to the user in the future. A video processing module may, for example, perform such video stream processing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a decoder, including a first input configured to receive transport blocks, a second input, a third input, a fourth input, and an output configured to provide a decoded codeword, and an offset value updater, including an input connected to the output of the decoder, a first output connected to the third input of the decoder configured to provide an updated offset value, and a second output connected to the fourth input of the decoder configured to provide an index for a next codeword to be decoded.

Abstract: A method, and an associated system, for sending to a first group of recipients only the content portions of a continuity source data-flow which takes the form of ordered, successive, alternating content and non-content segments. From a methodologic point of view, the invention involves, in a manner which utilizes content-segment material buffering, delivering fully, and in correct order, to the first recipient group the material in each content segment, via steps including (a) bridging each gap between next-adjacent content segments at least partially with transmitted injection material that differs from the non-content segment material in the gap, which injection material ends in time no sooner than the end of the gap, and (b) employing, as needed, and as a part of such full delivering of content-segment material, time-progressive, time-length-variable buffering, and subsequent, progressive buffer-delivering, of any content-segment material which overlaps in time with the transmission of injection material.

Abstract: A system and method that provide reduced latency in a video signal processing system. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a current request from a user for first video information. Such a request may, for example, be received with a user interface module. A first video stream and a second video stream may be received simultaneously, where the first video stream comprises the first video information currently requested by the user, and the second video stream comprises second video information not currently requested by the user. A video receiver module may, for example, perform such receiving. The first video stream may be processed to present the first video information to the user at the current time. Further, the second video stream may be pre-processed in preparation for being presented to the user in the future. A video processing module may, for example, perform such video stream processing.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to techniques for coding a channel switch frame used for switching between channels of digital multimedia content. In particular, an encoding device may code channel switch frame to exclude one or more blocks of pixels that may be reconstructed at a desired fidelity at a decoding device using one or more spatial error concealment algorithms. Excluding the one or more blocks of pixels of the channel switch frame that can be reconstructed at a desirable fidelity reduces the amount of bandwidth necessary to code the portion of the channel switch frame, thus allowing more efficient utilization of available bandwidth.

Abstract: Accelerated channel change (ACC) strategies are described for supplying a client module with media information by transitioning between a first delivery of media information provided by first delivery functionality and a second delivery of media information provided by second delivery functionality without exceeding prescribed data rate limitations. The first delivery functionality can represent server-based functionality for delivering a unicast stream of media information at a data rate (or maximum data rate) of some excess amount over the nominal rate of delivery, starting at a selected location within the media information. The second delivery functionality can represent any functionality for delivering the media information at the data rate (or maximum data rate) of the nominal rate of delivery. A join interval separates the first delivery at the excess rate and the second delivery at the nominal rate.