Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a controller to cause a people meter to emit a prompt for input of audience identification information at a first time and determine a first audience count based on the input, an audio detector to determine a second audience count based on signatures generated from audio data captured in the media environment, and a comparator to cause the people meter to not emit the prompt for at least a first time period after the first time when the first audience count is equal to the second audience count.

In a video distribution system comprising a relay server that relays and distributes video to be viewed distributed from a predetermined distribution source to a user terminal device used by each of a plurality of users, a distribution base is set in the relay server as a unit for relaying and distributing video to the user terminal device after obtaining permission from the distribution source, and the video from the distribution source is relayed and distributed to the user terminal device of a user via the distribution base used by the user.

A method of acquiring access rights to conditional access content. The method comprises receiving an access right on a first terminal through a first communication channel; storing said access right in said first terminal; sending a request for said conditional access content to a content provider, said request containing at least an identifier of an account to which said first terminal is associated, an identifier of the requested content and a piece of information concerning said access right; verifying, by said content provider, the authenticity of said access right using said piece of information concerning the access right; and when there has been a successful verification, marking said access right as used, and sending said conditional access content to at least one terminal linked to said account. The first terminal using near field communication technology (NFC) during at least one transfer of said access rights.

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method, and/or computer program product embodiments for processing of messages at a media device for analysis purposes. An embodiment operates by transmitting a message request from a media device to a messaging server. In response, the media device receives a message response containing a message and messenger identifier. The media device generates a hash value of an identifier associated with the media device and the messenger identifier. The media device then determines whether the hash value maps into a control group. Finally, the media device processes the message based on whether the hash value maps into the control group.

Example techniques relate to playback queue subscriptions. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving, from a first computing device associated with a first user account, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with a first media playback system. In response to the instruction, the computing system enables second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue. The second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second household. The computing system receives, from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and in response, sends one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication and (ii) sends one or more messages that populate a second playback queue of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.

Systems and methods for verifying the rendering of video content on information resources are provided herein. A server can transmit a video content element having a first bit stream corresponding to a predesignated frame to a client device. The client device can identify the first bit stream as corresponding to the predesignated frame. The client device can decode the first bit stream corresponding to the predesignated frame of the video content element to generate a second bit stream. The client device can transmit, to the server, a tracking message including the second bit stream. The server can compare the second bit stream included in the tracking message from the client device with a third bit stream maintained at a database. The server can determine that the video content element is rendered at the client device responsive to the second bit stream matching the third bit stream.

Apparatus and methods for provisioning of customer premise equipment (CPE) equipped with a secure microprocessor to receive e.g., digital video content by entering unique identification of the CPE at one or more servers located at the headend or other location of a content-based network. In one embodiment, the CPE comprises a download-enabled (e.g., DCAS) host with embedded cable modem and embedded set-top box functionality, and the provisioning includes enabling DOCSIS functionality of the CPE, assigning an IP address to the CPE and providing the CPE with a client image for the conditional access system chosen by the network operator. In one variant, the network operator can deactivate a provisioned device while connected to the network, as well when disconnected from the network. The network operator can also add, delete or replace conditional access client image in a provisioned device.

A method includes receiving, by a content distribution network server, a first request for content, the first request for content comprising an identifier of a location of the content. Playback of the requested content is caused to begin at a client device. A content-based authentication token generated by the client device is received, wherein the content-based authentication token is associated with a second request for content that is initiated by the client device, and the content-based authentication token is sent for verification by a content sharing platform. Responsive to receiving an indication that the content-based authentication token is valid, playback of the requested content is caused to continue at the client device.

Items of video content offered for viewing on a video-on-demand (VOD) platform of a digital TV service provider are each assigned a respective title and hierarchical address corresponding to hierarchically-arranged categories and subcategories within which the title for the video content is to be categorized. The title is listed in a location of an electronic program guide (EPG) using the same categories and subcategories as its hierarchical address. Any TV subscriber can access the EPG and navigate through its categories and subcategories to find a title for viewing on the TV. The EPG dynamically adjust its display listings of each level of categories, subcategories, and titles in order to minimize the number of remote control keypresses needed for a viewer to navigate to a title of interest. In one basic form, the EPG display is reordered by listing more frequently visited categories or subcategories first, and other less frequently visited categories or subcategories lower on the listing or out-of-sight on another page of the display.

Methods and systems of providing alternative advert (AA) query items for an AA system are disclosed. A request is received to generate an AA query. In response to the request, it is determined whether a percentage of scoreable AA query items for which a viewer has a known or derived preference exceeds a threshold value. Each scoreable AA query item has an assigned equity score and an assigned viewer-item affinity score. In response to determining that the percentage of scoreable AA query items exceeds the threshold value, one or more first AA query types are determined to create for the viewer. The requested AA query is sent. A response to the sent AA query is received. Equity scores and viewer-item affinity scores of total scoreable AA query items are updated based on the response.