A distributed video management system for distributed processing and storage of captured video data. The distributed video management system includes a plurality of video cameras that each communicate video data to a respective one of a plurality of camera nodes. Each camera node includes a camera manager for processing video data received at the camera node. The camera nodes are in operative communication with storage resources for storage of the video data in a logical storage volume for the system according to a storage policy. The storage policy may include multiple phases with data pruning for controlled reduction of the size of video data stored on disk. The distributed system may also generate and maintain a ledger or database regarding the captured and stored video data to correlate the video data with system metadata and/or analytical metadata regarding the video data.

A distributed video management system for distributed processing and storage of captured video data. The distributed video management system includes a plurality of video cameras that each communicate video data to a respective one of a plurality of camera nodes. Each camera node includes a camera manager for processing video data received at the camera node. The camera nodes are in operative communication with storage resources for storage of the video data in a logical storage volume for the system according to a storage policy. The storage policy may include multiple phases with data pruning for controlled reduction of the size of video data stored on disk. The distributed system may also generate and maintain a ledger or database regarding the captured and stored video data to correlate the video data with system metadata and/or analytical metadata regarding the video data.

A display device for controlling a home appliance by using voice recognition according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the home appliance; and a control unit configured to receive a voice command, to obtain intention of the received voice command, to determine whether the obtained intention is a custom operation request for controlling a function specialized for the home appliance, to convert the voice command into a custom operation command for performing the specialized function when the intention is the custom operation request, and to transmit the converted custom operation command to the home appliance through the wireless communication unit.

A system, method and computer program product for real-time post-processing system that transforms MPEG-DASH on-demand media streams, including a DASH media player device; an intercepting media server device; a MPEG-DASH content origin server device; and a proxy media client device coupled to the DASH media player device and the intercepting media server device and configured to intercept MPEG-DASH HTTP requests from the DASH media player device and forward the intercepted requests to the intercepting media server device instead of the MPEG-DASH content origin server device. The intercepting media server device is configured to act as an HTTP proxy device, and forward the intercepted requests to the MPEG-DASH content origin server, and with each corresponding MPEG-DASH media subsegment acquired perform analysis of the video media content within the subsegment and apply selective transcoding.

A system, method and computer program product for real-time post-processing system that transforms MPEG-DASH on-demand media streams, including a DASH media player device; an intercepting media server device; a MPEG-DASH content origin server device; and a proxy media client device coupled to the DASH media player device and the intercepting media server device and configured to intercept MPEG-DASH HTTP requests from the DASH media player device and forward the intercepted requests to the intercepting media server device instead of the MPEG-DASH content origin server device. The intercepting media server device is configured to act as an HTTP proxy device, and forward the intercepted requests to the MPEG-DASH content origin server, and with each corresponding MPEG-DASH media subsegment acquired perform analysis of the video media content within the subsegment and apply selective transcoding.

Methods and apparatus for selectively enforcing required insertion or viewing of secondary content, such as advertisements or promotions, in a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the network is a managed network (e.g., cable television, satellite, or the like), and the method includes identifying secondary content with a particular attribute or property (e.g., an advertisement that a user has watched before), and selectively enabling one or more “trick mode” functions relating to that secondary content. In one implementation, audio codes or watermarks are inserted into the secondary content and detected when the content is accessed or rendered; if the detected content matches a database or listing of previously played content for that user or premises, the trick mode functionality (e.g., FF or “skip”) is enabled, thereby allowing the user to bypass the content.

Methods and apparatus for selectively enforcing required insertion or viewing of secondary content, such as advertisements or promotions, in a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the network is a managed network (e.g., cable television, satellite, or the like), and the method includes identifying secondary content with a particular attribute or property (e.g., an advertisement that a user has watched before), and selectively enabling one or more “trick mode” functions relating to that secondary content. In one implementation, audio codes or watermarks are inserted into the secondary content and detected when the content is accessed or rendered; if the detected content matches a database or listing of previously played content for that user or premises, the trick mode functionality (e.g., FF or “skip”) is enabled, thereby allowing the user to bypass the content.

In some embodiments, a method receives a first set of video files at a node that delivers video files to client devices and receives a second set of video files. The second set of video files are predicted to be delivered by the node to a client device during a time period. The node receives a request for a video file from a client device and determines whether the video file is stored in the first set of video files and the second set of video files. When the video file is stored at the node, the node sends the video file from the first set of video files and the second set of video files. When the video file is not stored in the first set of video files and the second set of video files, the node sends a request for the video file to another node.

In some embodiments, a method receives a first set of video files at a node that delivers video files to client devices and receives a second set of video files. The second set of video files are predicted to be delivered by the node to a client device during a time period. The node receives a request for a video file from a client device and determines whether the video file is stored in the first set of video files and the second set of video files. When the video file is stored at the node, the node sends the video file from the first set of video files and the second set of video files. When the video file is not stored in the first set of video files and the second set of video files, the node sends a request for the video file to another node.

A method for automatic selection of video sequences to fill a break in a broadcasted program, including determining an estimated duration of the break (b.sub.i) and selecting from a collection of videos, such as advertisements, a sequence of videos to be played out. The sequence has a second duration which is shorter than the estimated duration and the selection depends on broadcast priority criteria associated with at least some of said videos. The method also includes broadcasting the sequence of videos and broadcasting a fill-in video signal until the end of the break.