Disclosed is a signal conductor formed as a metal oxide varistor (MOV), the MOV having a first MOV and a second MOV separated by an insulator. In some embodiments, the disclosed signal conductor may be used in a system communicably coupled to a power transmission distribution network, the system capable of launching transverse electromagnetic waves onto a transmission line, where the electromagnetic waves propagating a data signal conveyed to the system by the MOV.

RF signal amplifiers are provided that include an RF input port and a power divider network having a plurality of active output ports. An active communications path connects the RF input port to the power divider network. The active communications path includes at least one power amplifier. The RF signal amplifier also includes a passive output port and a passive communications path connecting the RF input port to the passive output port. An electrical connection with at least one circuit unit connects the active communications path and the passive communications path so that MoCA signals may flow between the active communications path and the passive communications path, but the at least one circuit unit preventing upstream and downstream frequency bands of a service provider from passing along the electrical connection. In various embodiments, the at least one circuit unit may be selected from one or more diplexers and one or more filters.

A system and method for transmission of a video stream are provided. The system may include: an encoder adapted to generate a video stream comprising a plurality of encoded frames, encoded according to at least one encoding parameter; a comparator in communication with the encoder, the comparator adapted to compare encoded frames of the plurality of encoded frames with input frames to determine a fitness metric reflective of visual quality of the encoded frames; and a controller in communication with the comparator, the controller adapted to adjust the at least one encoding parameter based on the fitness metric.

Systems and methods for retrieving regional content via remote access point servers are disclosed. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a network system for content retrieval from remote network regions. The network system may comprise a first device. The first device may be configured to receive a request for content. The content may be on one or more content servers located in a remote network region. The first device may be further configured to at least one of forwarding the request, via tunneling, to a destination access point server located in proximity to the one or more content servers and receiving the content from the destination access point server, obtaining the content from a cache of the first device.

A system for intelligent multi-device content distribution based on associated internet protocol (IP) addressing, including: identifying, by a computer processor, first advertising content served to a first client device; identifying a first client device IP address associated with the first client device, where the first client device is linked to a household profile; submitting, to a content exchange service, a request for content placement opportunities; receiving content placement opportunities from the content exchange service, where one or more content placement opportunities identify at least a portion of a second client device IP address of a second client device; linking the second client device to the household profile; selecting second advertising content based on the first advertising content; and providing the second advertising content for the content placement opportunity to be displayed on the second client device.

A system is provided for streaming broadcast media content between peer devices in a media distribution network. The system includes a virtual router panel that includes a notification service controller that receives a data communication request from two or more peer devices and a data communication handshaking controller selects a delivery protocol between the two devices based on exchanging communication candidates that identify peer addresses. A media streaming tunnel generator establishes a streaming tunnel between the first device and the second device based on the respective delivery protocol selected by the data communication handshaking controller; and an encoder packetizes video, audio and ancillary grains directly as packets of the broadcast media content to be streamed directly from the first device to the second device via the established streaming tunnel without multiplexing.

A media packaging and distribution system that allocates each of a plurality of first instructions from an instruction queue to a corresponding first worker based on an instruction type and a priority level. Each of the plurality of first workers reads a first manifest data, which is non-ingested metadata, of at least one of a plurality of live input streams or a second manifest data of a plurality of pre-encoded media assets from locations of corresponding input manifests. Further, a second instruction from a plurality of second instructions is allocated to a second worker. The second worker inserts a next manifest segment to a disparate live output stream manifest upon reading a manifest metadata ingested into a manifest metadata storage system. Accordingly, the plurality of disparate live media output stream manifests is generated for a plurality of channels based on the disparate live output stream manifest.

Methods, systems, and media for providing personalized notifications to video viewers are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: receiving, using a hardware processor, one or more prompts to be presented in association with a video from a user account associated with the video; receiving, from the user account associated with the video, one or more notifications, wherein each of the one or more prompts is associated with one of the one or more notifications; causing the one or more prompts to be presented in association with presentation of the video to a user; receiving an indication that a first prompt of the one or more of the prompts was selected by the user; causing a notification associated with the first prompt to be presented to the user in response to receiving the indication.

A media appliance comprising: video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen; a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity; a network interface for accessing a packet-based network; a memory storing a communication client application; and processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, network interface and video apparatus, and arranged to execute the communication client application; wherein the client application is configured so as when executed to allow the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, and output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network; and wherein the client application is further configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determine a delineation in the viewing activity, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

Embodiments described herein provide for extending media playback. In an example implementation, during playback of one or more first media items populated in a queue, a control system extends playback time of the queue. Extending playback time of the queue may involve determining when the one or more first media items will be finished playing; and before the first media items are finished playing, determining one or more second media items that correspond in substantial likeness to the one or more first media items and sending an instruction that causes the first playback device to insert the determined one or more second media items into the queue such that play time of the queue is extended.