Mechanisms are provided for allowing a mobile device to dynamically obtain program guide data. A mobile device having the capability of playing media streams is configurable to dynamically request program guide structure information followed by program guide content information. In one example, the program guide structure information allows a user to begin navigating the program guide data in an active and dynamic manner. Program guide content information including data such as program titles, times, icons, and links are then downloaded and displayed as needed. Potentially limitless amounts of program guide data can be provided on a mobile device. Program guide content information can be provided in a generic manner while allowing user layout customization. Program guide information can also be preemptively provided to a mobile device based on a variety of criteria.

Method and apparatus for generation of interactive programming. An interactive programming server embeds interactive components into a video signal. The interactive programming server receives content from a content source and interactive components from an interactive component source and uses the content and interactive components to generate an interactive Video On Demand (iVOD) interactive program. The iVOD interactive program is transmitted to a participant who views the content and interacts with the interactive components of the iVOD interactive program. The participant's responses to the content is transmitted back to the interactive programming server where the participant responses are incorporated into new content which is used to generate new iVOD interactive programming.

Method and apparatus for generation of interactive programming. An interactive programming server embeds interactive components into a video signal. The interactive programming server receives content from a content source and interactive components from an interactive component source and uses the content and interactive components to generate an interactive Video On Demand (iVOD) interactive program. The iVOD interactive program is transmitted to a participant who views the content and interacts with the interactive components of the iVOD interactive program. The participant's responses to the content is transmitted back to the interactive programming server where the participant responses are incorporated into new content which is used to generate new iVOD interactive programming.

The playback of video content upon a display is enhanced through the unobtrusive presentation of extrinsic data upon the same display. A video content feature is rendered on a display. It is determined whether to present extrinsic data relevant to a current time in the video content feature based at least in part on appearance control metadata. A graphical element presenting at least a portion of the extrinsic data is rendered on the display while the video content feature is also being rendered on the display in response to determining to present the extrinsic data.

The playback of video content upon a display is enhanced through the unobtrusive presentation of extrinsic data upon the same display. A video content feature is rendered on a display. It is determined whether to present extrinsic data relevant to a current time in the video content feature based at least in part on appearance control metadata. A graphical element presenting at least a portion of the extrinsic data is rendered on the display while the video content feature is also being rendered on the display in response to determining to present the extrinsic data.

Particular embodiments generate a database table that keeps track of authorization package combinations for videos being offered by a video delivery service. The table may allow the video delivery service to keep track of how much content is available for a specific authorization package combination that a user might have access to In one embodiment, the video delivery service does not pre-generate every single possible authorization package combination on a per-show basis. Rather, only a subset of the authorization package combinations is generated for each show. Then, the video delivery service uses a query to the database table that can calculate which content a user is authorized to access from the subset of authorization package combinations that were generated.

A system and method allows users to provide portions of scripts or scripts for retrieval of information from one or more web sites of one or more businesses by demonstrating operation of the one or more web sites and identifying locations of one or more fields on each web page of the one or more web sites, and the system and method stores the scripts and uses the scripts to retrieve information from such web site or web sites for any number of users. Different portions of different scripts may be used as a single script to retrieve information from a single web site. Scripts or portions of scripts may be repaired using information from previously working scripts or portions, the web site when the script or portion worked, and the web site when the script or portion did not work.

Embodiments described herein include systems and methods for automatically creating compilation videos from an original video based on metadata associated with the original video. For example, a method for creating a compilation video may include determining a relevance score for video frames in an original video; selecting a plurality of relevant video frames from the original video based on the relevance score; selecting a plurality of video clips from the original video based on the relevance scores of the video frames; and creating a compilation video from the plurality of video clips. Each of the plurality of video clips, for example, may include at least one relevant video frame from the plurality of relevant video frames.

A method and system for providing interactive cinema, by collecting digital data from members of an audience in response to content projected in a cinema, processing the data, interfacing the data using a digital content interface with a digital content server, and providing interactive content based on the data.

Method for distributing multimedia licenses by a server to a plurality of user devices in a distribution system of a multimedia service, the access of which is protected by a first protection. This method comprising verifying that computing resources used by the server do not exceed a maximal threshold, if so, generating and then transmitting regular licenses including said first protection in response to user device requests, otherwise switching the server to a singular mode of distribution aiming to protect the access to the multimedia service using a second protection, independent of the first protection; to generate and to transmit to the devices one singular license comprising the second protection; to verify that the computing resources do not exceed the maximal threshold, if so, to switch from the singular mode to a regular mode so as to protect the access to the multimedia content using only said first protection.