Embodiments are related to faster provisioning of targeted advertisements at a set-top box (STB) via an Internet Protocol (IP) connection between the STB and a remote server. The disclosed IP-based advertisement distribution system enables targeted advertisements to be pulled from the remote server efficiently, causing the advertisements to be made available within a short time frame (e.g., less than one day from the time when the advertisements are available). The disclosed methods enables a STB to determine whether to retain existing targeted advertisements, discard them, or provision newly-available advertisements. The targeted advertisements can depend on various factors such as demographic information of an owner of the STB, lifestyle information of the owner of the STB, etc.

Methods and apparatus are described for making broadcast content available as an on-demand asset soon after all of the video fragments of the broadcast content have been made available. As the video fragments of the broadcast content are made available, they are requested and archived. When all of the fragments for the duration of the broadcast content are available (e.g., a live event ends), a VOD-style manifest is generated and the archived fragments are made available for downloading or streaming using the VOD-style manifest.

In some implementations, a device may provide content received via a quadrature amplitude modulation channel. The device may receive supplemental content information regarding supplemental content to be provided during a period of time associated with providing the content, wherein the supplemental content information includes a uniform resource locator (URL) identifying a location of the supplemental content and start time information identifying a time when the supplemental content is to be provided. The device may obtain the supplemental content using the URL. The device may transition, from providing the content, to providing the supplemental content based on the start time information. The device may transition, from providing the supplemental content, to providing the content after providing the supplemental content.

A method and apparatus for performing an integrated search is provided. An interface is provided that allows users to search and select any data related to a searchable term. Searchable terms may comprise titles of content, actors, and tags. Upon receiving results from the initial search, the user progresses through the initial search by selecting a result from the initial search and conducting a further search of that selection. The search may progress through many layers of searching in order to find information useful to the user and the user may perform actions based upon results of the search. The search implements a display with two columns, the first column displaying selectable data, and the second column displaying results to the selected data. The search is further customizable based upon a privacy level selected by the user.

Techniques to customize a media processing system are described. A media processing system is described capable of integrating a large set of heterogeneous electronic devices into a single integrated system with enhanced navigation capabilities and automated configuration services. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.

Apparatus and methods for the storage and delivery of content over a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a managed content distribution network, and the apparatus comprises a “cloud” digital video recorder (cDVR) server which stores, processes and assembles content prior to its delivery in a way that obviates superfluous storage, and gains significant network efficiencies. This approach also facilitates various pre-streaming processing in the video recording (e.g., cDVR) system. One or more content libraries adapted to facilitate cDVR content assembly and access are also disclosed. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively inserted into cDVR content. Various access, business or operational rules and methods implementing the foregoing are also described.

Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in the conventional network storage systems via novel techniques to store offsets of a recorded program in a network digital video recorder (DVR). Storing offsets of a recorded program may be beneficial to users that would like to record media content that is broadcast either prior to a start time of a program, or media content that is broadcast after an end time of a program. This feature may be useful when start times and end times of a program are variable (e.g., in the case of sporting events, or other real-time events). This feature may also be useful for recording content of interest that is scheduled for broadcast prior to a start time of or after an end time of the program.

Methods, systems, and media for streaming video content using adaptive buffers are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: transmitting, from a user device to a server, a request to stream a video content item; receiving, at the user device from the server, a predicted abandonment distribution that indicates a plurality of likelihoods of a user of the user device stopping presentation of the video content item at a corresponding plurality of presentation time points of the video content item; receiving, at the user device from the server, a first portion of the video content item; storing the first portion of the video content item in a buffer of the user device having a first size; causing the video content item to be presented by the user device; determining a second size of the buffer based on the predicted abandonment distribution; modifying a size of the buffer to the second size; requesting a second portion of the video content item from the server based on the second size of the buffer; receiving the second portion of the video content item from the server; and storing the second portion of the video content item in the buffer of the second size while continuing presentation of the video content item.

An example system includes an in-vehicle content-delivery system (CDS) on a vehicle storing a library of content, and a content server including a content portal. The content portal may receive a request for a customized content manifest from the CDS, identify the vehicle, identify a customized content manifest, and provide the customized content manifest to the CDS. The customized content manifest may include a list of content customized for an itinerary and/or the vehicle, and wherein the customized content manifest differs from another content manifest customized for a different itinerary and/or a different vehicle. The CDS may remove first content from the library of content when the first content is not included in the list of content, and load second content to the library of content when the second content is included in the list of content and not already present in the library of content.