An ad in a movie can be a static ad having a position in the movie that cannot be moved, or a dynamic ad having a position in the movie that can be changed. When a viewer wishes to skip a portion of the movie containing the ad, the playback system determines whether the ad is static or dynamic. If the ad is static, only the portion of the movie preceding the static ad can be skipped; the ad is unskippable. This technique is referred to as “bounceback” since the end of the skip bounces back to the start of the static ad. If the ad is dynamic, it is moved to after the end of the skip. This technique is referred to as “slip-ad” since the ad slips to later in the movie. When a movie has multiple ads, some can be static and some can be dynamic.

A method, computer system, and a computer program product for content navigation within a media player is provided. The present invention may include displaying, by a computing device, a media content and a corresponding textual content. The present invention may include receiving, from a user, input regarding the textual content. The present invention may include modifying a playback of the media content based upon the input regarding the textual content to generate a modified media content. The present invention may include playing the modified media content.

Systems and methods described in this application are directed to creating interactive stories using static 360-degree environments with dynamic sprites displayed thereon. These techniques facilitate creation of gamified storytelling and improve on prior efforts to create an immersive experience. Some embodiments described in this application are directed to creating video clips with assistance to improve continuity between clips while other embodiments are directed to transitioning between those clips in the course of presenting an interactive story to a user.

In one aspect of tape repositioning management in accordance with the present description, in response to loading a tape in a tape drive, mounting the tape linear tape file system (LTFS) is initiated including reading an index partition on the tape to extract metadata for mounting the tape LTFS, and prior to accessing a data area of the tape in response to any application access request, the tape is repositioned within a data partition to read a vHRTD (virtual High Resolution Tape Directory) recorded in an EOD (End of Data) portion such as an EOD data set, for example, of the data partition. The EOD portion is read to retrieve the vHRTD to facilitate application requested accesses to the tape. In one embodiment, repositioning and stopping the tape at the beginning of the data partition after reading the index partition containing metadata is bypassed.

In various examples, recordings of gameplay sessions are enhanced by the application of special effects to relatively high(er) and/or low(er) interest durations of the gameplay sessions. Durations of relatively high(er) or low(er) predicted interest in a gameplay session are identified, for instance, based upon level of activity engaged in by a gamer during a particular gameplay session duration. Once identified, different variations of video characteristic(s) are applied to at least a portion of the identified durations for implementation during playback. The recordings may be generated and/or played back in real-time with a live gameplay session, or after completion of the gameplay session. Further, video data of the recordings themselves may be modified to include the special effects and/or indications of the durations and/or variations may be included in metadata and used for playback.

Techniques for altering audio being output by a voice-controlled device, or another device, to enable more accurate automatic speech recognition (ASR) by the voice-controlled device. For instance, a voice-controlled device may output audio within an environment using a speaker of the device. While outputting the audio, a microphone of the device may capture sound within the environment and may generate an audio signal based on the captured sound. The device may then analyze the audio signal to identify speech of a user within the signal, with the speech indicating that the user is going to provide a subsequent command to the device. Thereafter, the device may alter the output of the audio (e.g., attenuate the audio, pause the audio, switch from stereo to mono, etc.) to facilitate speech recognition of the user's subsequent command.

Methods and devices are provided for adding lyrics to a short video. The device obtains a music material required by the short video and obtains a first playback duration of the short video. The device obtains a target music material having a playback duration matching the first playback duration. The device obtains a lyric sticker corresponding to the target music material based on the lyrics extracted from the target music material and displays a processed short video after adding with the lyric sticker.

Video information may define spherical video content having a duration. Spherical video content may define visual content viewable from a point of view as a function of progress through the spherical video content. Path information may define a path selection for the spherical video content. Path selection may include movement of a viewing window within the spherical video content. The viewing window may define extents of the visual content viewable from the point of view as the function of progress through the spherical video content. Time lapse parameter information may define at least two of a time portion of the duration, an image sampling rate, and a time lapse speed effect. A time lapse video may be generated based on the video information, the path information, and the time lapse parameter information.

Indexing of media sources available to media composition applications, such as video editing applications and digital audio workstations, is extended to sources of an arbitrary type, including non-file type sources. Examples of such sources include devices using baseband video and audio protocols, network ports and physical devices connected via USB, Thunderbolt, etc. The sources are discovered and indexed even when not previously known to the application with the result that any available bitstream becomes available to the application. Applications access the sources via feeders, which are addressable portals through which media essence is received. The indexing methods involve the instantiation of a hierarchy of plug-in software modules by a format-handling subsystem of the application or by a media indexing service servicing one or more applications.

Systems and methods are provided for advancing through video content. The systems and methods include generating playback of a video associated with subtitles comprising a sequence of subtitle segments; receiving a user request to advance playback of the video from a first video play position corresponding to a first subtitle segment of the sequence of subtitle segments; identifying a second subtitle segment of the sequence of subtitle segments that is adjacent to the first subtitle segment in the sequence of subtitle segments; and in response to receiving the user request to advance playback of the video, advancing playback of the video from the first video play position to a second video play position based on a subtitle segment play position associated with the second subtitle segment.