A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

A system includes a set-top box and a remote device. The remote device receives data representing an event from the set-top box. The remote device determines whether the event has occurred based on the data representing the event and generates a transition command to transition the set-top box from a first operating mode to a second operating mode. Further, the remote device transmits the transition command to the set-top box if the event has occurred.

The present invention includes a light communication method and system wherein messages are transmitted via color code flashes. The light communication includes mechanisms for oversampling the color code flashes to enhance the accuracy of the method and system.

In response to a request initiated by a user at a user terminal, selected entertainment programming content, when broadcast, is recorded at a location remote from the user terminal. The request is communicated through a communications network, e.g., cable TV network, which is also used for transmission of entertainment programming content to user terminals. The recorded programming content is stored in a storage space at the remote location, which is allocated to the user terminal. In response to a review request from the user terminal, the recorded programming content is retrieved from the storage space allocated thereto, and transmitted to the user terminal through the communications network. The presentation of the recorded programming content may be manipulated by the user to perform rewinding, pausing and fast-forwarding thereon.

Various embodiments are directed to one or more transcoder devices in communication with an input device such as a remote control device and multiple destination devices in which the transcoder device(s) facilitate communication between the remote control and the various destination devices in the vicinity. The transcoder device(s) can also provide the user with an environmental awareness of conditions and events surrounding the user. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a window-metric rule for return path data (RPD). In some examples, a media monitor includes a count calculator to determine a first count of a number of devices in a first household that reported RPD for a first day. The example media monitor also includes an RPD selector to compare the first count to a current window-metric, the current window-metric associated with a window of time for the first household, the window of time associated with a content provider and having N number of days. The example RPD selector the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count does not satisfy the current window-metric. The example media monitor also includes a report generator to generate a media exposure report using the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count satisfies the current window-metric, independent of if the first household has heartbeat data available.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

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 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.

A quality information collecting system acquiring video data distributed in response to a viewing request and collecting quality-related information regarding video viewing from a viewing client playing back a video includes a quality information control functional unit configured to determine whether or not to request the viewing client having made a viewing request to report quality-related information, based on a network communication situation in which the video data is distributed, and a quality information collecting and analysis functional unit configured to receive, in accordance with a determination of the quality information control functional unit, the quality-related information transmitted from the viewing client.

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.