Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for establishing a synchronized interactive multimedia communication among a plurality of users. The method includes generating, at a first device, first information associated with a multimedia content selected by a first user. The first information is generated based on parameters. The method includes transmitting the first information to a second user. The first and second user is associated with a social computer network. Further, the method includes, at second devices, receiving the first information from the social network. The method includes processing the first information to establish a synchronized multimedia interactive communication between the second and the first user. The presentation of the multimedia content in the synchronized interactive multimedia communication is synchronized among the first device and the second device(s). The synchronized interactive multimedia communication is performed along with the presentation of the multimedia content.

Systems and methods are operable to retrieve a previously broadcast initial portion of a media content event. An exemplary embodiment stores a media content event at a first media device as the media content event is communicated over a broadcast system; receives a request at the first media device from a second media device, wherein the request identifies an initial portion of a media content event that has previously been communicated over a broadcast system; identifies the initial portion of the media content event from the stored media content event; retrieves the identified initial portion of the media content event; and communicates the initial portion of the media content event from the first media device to the second media device.

Technology for a multimedia telephony services over internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystems (IMS) (MTSI) receiver operable to support region of interest (ROI) signaling with a MTSI sender is disclosed. The MTSI receiver can receive a requested region of interest (ROI). The MTSI receiver can signal the requested ROI for transmission to the MTSI sender via a real-time transport control protocol (RTCP) feedback message. The MTSI receiver can decode encoded video received from the MTSI sender. The encoded video can correspond to the requested ROI.

The disclosure is related to adaptive transcoding of video streams from a camera. A camera system includes a camera and a base station connected to each other in a first communication network, which can be a wireless network. When a user requests to view a video from the camera, the base station obtains a video stream from the camera, transcodes the video stream, based on one or more input parameters, to generate a transcoded video stream, and transmits the transcoded video stream to a user device. The base station can transcode the video stream locally, e.g., within the base station, or in a cloud network based on transcoding location factors. Further, the camera system can also determine whether to stream the video to the user directly from the base station or from the cloud network based on streaming location factors.

A method for performing video analytics includes receiving at a source end video data including first video data relating to an event of interest. Using video analytics, other than a data compression process, pre-processing of the video data is performed at the source end to reduce the bandwidth requirement for transmitting the video data to below a bandwidth limit of a Wide Area Network (WAN) over which the video data is to be transmitted. The pre-processed video data is transmitted to a central server via the WAN, where other video analytics processing of the pre-processed video data is performed. Based on a result of the other video analytics processing, a signal is generated for performing a predetermined action, in response to an occurrence of the event of interest at the source end.

Disclosure is directed to managing more than one placeshifting transmission at a target device. The target device may be configured to receive a first video from a first placeshifting source and a second video from a second placeshifting source. The target device may additionally be configured to simultaneously output the first and second video on an output device, using various display screen configurations such as picture-in-picture, split screen, windows, and so. The first and second placeshifting sources may be content receivers having integrated placeshifting functions or may be content receivers provided in association with stand-alone placeshifting devices. A dual-tuner content receiver may also provide both the first and second placeshifting sources to the target device.

Methods and radio communication network systems enable switching between P2P-based streaming and MBMS-based streaming depending on a number of peers in the same area, streaming the same content and having an MBMS-based streaming capability.

A method for conducting a media consumption study, includes at a processor of a position marker placed in a study site in a vicinity of a fixed media device; receiving a signal broadcast from a personal measurement device; determining signal information of the received broadcast signal, the signal information including identification information of the personal measurement device, and one or more signal characteristics; comparing the one or more signal characteristics to threshold values; and based on the comparison, determining the personal measurement device is in proximity to the fixed media device.

Disclosed is an improved approach for implementing a distributed media system, where ad hoc network connections may be created and optimized on a localized level. This efficiently allows for capture and distribution of media data, as well as the optimized allocation of bandwidth on the network in a distributed manner.

The present invention proposes a method of providing a broadcasting service. The method of providing the broadcasting service through a broadcasting receiver according to the present invention includes: a step of pairing a network interface unit and a companion device; and a step of receiving an electronic service guide (ESG) through a reception unit, wherein the method of providing the broadcasting service may include ESG data related to at least one broadcasting service.