Systems and methods securely provide media content from a media server to a media client via a network. The media content is segmented to create multiple media segments that are each identified in a playlist, and at least one of the media segments is encrypted using a cryptographic key. The cryptographic key is also identified in the playlist, and the playlist is provided from the media server to the media client via the network. The various media segments and cryptographic keys may then be requested from and provided by the media server using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) or similar constructs to allow the media client to receive and decrypt the various segments of the media content.

An ad is placed in a movie, by analyzing inherent characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewed characteristics of the movie, analyzing viewer characteristics of a viewer of the movie, obtaining advertiser preferences for placement of the ad in the movie, determining costs of placing the ad in the movie based on the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics and the advertiser preferences, and placing the ad in the movie in accordance with the inherent characteristics of the movie, the viewed characteristics of the movie, the viewer characteristics, the advertiser preferences and the determined costs.

Mechanisms are provided for replacing default advertisement streams in a media stream with replacement advertisement streams. User profile information is obtained for a particular user and/or device. A default advertisement stream is identified and replaced with advertisement streams selected using the user profile information. Timestamp information and sequence number information is maintained to allow uninterrupted delivery of the modified media stream while customizing media streams for particular users.

Methods, systems, and devices secure content in memory. The content includes a lock that prohibits reading the content from memory. Prior to expiration of the lock the content cannot be read from the memory. However, a preview option allows at least a portion of the content to be accessed. The preview option provides a preview of the content. At expiration, the content is readable.

Systems and methods for transmitting a high quality video image to a mobile device are provided. Some methods can include storing a plurality of images captured by a camera, compressing the plurality of images to generate a compressed video stream file, transmitting the compressed video stream file to a remote device over a network in response to receiving a play video command from the remote device over the network, and transmitting one of the plurality of images to the remote device over the network in response to receiving a pause video command from the remote device over the network.

A video on demand system in the context of the Internet, for video rentals. A user accesses an on-line store to rent a video program or movie. The rental is for a limited time (such as 30 days) and within that thirty days, the video program or movie can only be viewed for a 24 hour time window. The time limits are enforced by the on-line store which maintains a database of each rental transaction and allows supply of the needed keys for decrypting the (encrypted) video or movie only if within the time limits.

Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Methods, systems, and devices secure content in memory. The content includes a lock that prohibits reading the content from memory. Prior to expiration of the lock the content cannot be read from the memory. However, a preview option allows at least a portion of the content to be accessed. The preview option provides a preview of the content. At expiration, the content is readable.

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 and system for employing automated user input for an interactive application associated with a media program is presented. In an example embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a receiving device from a media content system via a network, a media program and an interactive application associated with the media program. Execution of the application is initiated during the receiving of the program. Based on the execution, a user interface configured to receive a user input to view added content via the application is presented. A script is executed to provide the user input to the application to provide the added content with the program. Based on the execution of the application and the user input, the added content is provided with the program. During the receiving of the program, the program and the added content are recorded for presentation to the user after the recording.