Apparatus and methods for managing provision of digital content within a content distribution network. In one embodiment, a content application manager (CAM) process is used to provide one or more centralized redirection functions for network client processes such as just-in-time (JIT) packagers and cloud digital video recorders (cDVRs). A local database accessible to the CAM is updated with “live” or other content storage locations within the network, and accordingly each of the client processes can be made simpler and not require any intrinsic knowledge of content asset storage locations. This simplifies the client process configuration, enhances performance in terms of reduced end-user request servicing latency, and allows for single-point automated database updates versus having to provide updates to each client process as under the prior art.

Apparatus and methods for managing provision of digital content within a content distribution network. In one embodiment, a content application manager (CAM) process is used to provide one or more centralized redirection functions for network client processes such as just-in-time (JIT) packagers and cloud digital video recorders (cDVRs). A local database accessible to the CAM is updated with “live” or other content storage locations within the network, and accordingly each of the client processes can be made simpler and not require any intrinsic knowledge of content asset storage locations. This simplifies the client process configuration, enhances performance in terms of reduced end-user request servicing latency, and allows for single-point automated database updates versus having to provide updates to each client process as under the prior art.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to improve watermark detection in acoustic environments are disclosed. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute and/or instantiate the instructions to encode a first symbol in a media file at a first symbol position on a first encoding layer of a multilayered watermark, and encode a second symbol in the media file at a second symbol position on a second encoding layer of the multilayered watermark, the first encoding layer and the second encoding layer including a plurality of symbol positions, one or more of the plurality of the symbol positions on at least one of the first encoding layer or the second encoding layer to be empty.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to improve watermark detection in acoustic environments are disclosed. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute and/or instantiate the instructions to encode a first symbol in a media file at a first symbol position on a first encoding layer of a multilayered watermark, and encode a second symbol in the media file at a second symbol position on a second encoding layer of the multilayered watermark, the first encoding layer and the second encoding layer including a plurality of symbol positions, one or more of the plurality of the symbol positions on at least one of the first encoding layer or the second encoding layer to be empty.

Techniques are disclosed for organizing and distributing artifacts generated by processing pipelines for the training or application of machine learning models. An application may subscribe to a playlist of a stream of events and locally store a copy of the playlist. The subscriber may merge locally stored and/or selected events to generate a merged stream of events. The subscriber may then execute the merged event stream including the newly added instance of the event.

Devices, systems, and methods are provided for on-target rate optimization for video. A method may include receiving streaming video advertisement impression data; receiving user activity data indicative of day-parts when viewers watch content; generating, based on the streaming video advertisement impression data and the survey data, using a machine learning model, a demographic probability vector, wherein each entry of the demographic probability vector is indicative of a probability that a viewer is in a respective age range of the non-overlapping demographic groups; generating, using the machine learning model, an audience recognition model with the demographic probability vector; generating a synthetic audience model predicting future advertisement viewing behavior; generating an assignment of an advertisement bid to a respective demographic group of the non-overlapping demographic groups; and generating, based on the assignment, a list of target demographic groups of the non-overlapping demographic groups for a bid request associated with the advertisement bid.

The present application provides a method of processing a video stream. The method includes: acquiring a plurality of video streams for a live-streaming event; determining respective feature information of the plurality of video streams; determining a feature information of a client in response to a video request message from the client; matching the respective feature information of the plurality of video streams with the feature information of the client respectively, so as to obtain respective matching degrees of the plurality of video streams with respect to the client; and selecting one video stream from the plurality of video streams to obtain a selected video stream according to the respective matching degrees of the plurality of video streams with respect to the client, and pushing the selected video stream to the client. The present application further provides a computer device, and a medium.

A cloud-based computing system is configured to (i) maintain a scheduled playlist of media items, a current playback position within the scheduled playlist, and a priority media item for playback, (ii) receive, from a first playback device associated with a user account, a first request to play back the scheduled playlist, (iii) transmit the priority media item to the first playback device for playback before any media item from the scheduled playlist, (iv) receive, from a second playback device associated with the user account, a second request to play back the scheduled playlist, (v) determine that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device, and (vi) after determining that the priority media item should not be transmitted to the second playback device, transmit one or more media items from the scheduled playlist to the second playback device based on the current playback position within the scheduled playlist.

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.

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.