A system and method for notifying client devices in a subscriber account that the account is undersubscribed and no further client devices can stream media content until other client devices are no longer actively streaming media content is disclosed herein. The method comprises receiving a request to receive and play the media content from a requesting client device, the requesting client device being one of a plurality of client devices enabled to receive media content according to a subscriber account and determining if the subscriber account is undersubscribed; if the subscriber account is not undersubscribed. If the subscriber account is not undersubscribed, initiating transmission of the media content, and if the subscriber account is undersubscribed, information is transmitted to the requesting client device, the information including data indicating the subscriber account is undersubscribed without initiating the transmission of the media content.

Disclosed is a method including (i) detecting that query fingerprint data representing frames of video content being rendered by a media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data representing frames of multiple channels of video content, including detecting that the query fingerprint data matches multiple instances of reference fingerprint data each representing frames of a different respective channel in the multiple channels of video content, and (ii) responsive to at least the detecting that the query fingerprint data representing the frames of the video content being rendered by the device matches the reference fingerprint data representing the frames of the multiple channels of video content, configuring the device with channel-icon fingerprint data representing channel icons of the multiple channels of video content, to enable the device to perform channel-icon fingerprint matching to determine which channel of the multiple channels is being rendered by the device.

Disclosed is a method including (i) detecting that query fingerprint data representing frames of video content being rendered by a media presentation device matches reference fingerprint data representing frames of multiple channels of video content, including detecting that the query fingerprint data matches multiple instances of reference fingerprint data each representing frames of a different respective channel in the multiple channels of video content, and (ii) responsive to at least the detecting that the query fingerprint data representing the frames of the video content being rendered by the device matches the reference fingerprint data representing the frames of the multiple channels of video content, configuring the device with channel-icon fingerprint data representing channel icons of the multiple channels of video content, to enable the device to perform channel-icon fingerprint matching to determine which channel of the multiple channels is being rendered by the device.

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for synchronizing playback of an audio and/or video content. An embodiment operates by collectively selecting, by a first device in concert with a second device of a plurality of devices in a computer network session, and in accordance with a predetermined synchronization list comprising a first and second synchronization mechanism, the first synchronization mechanism over the second synchronization mechanism such that the first synchronization mechanism is more precise than the second synchronization mechanism. The first and second synchronization mechanisms are configured to provide a synchronized playback of the at least one of the audio content and the video content.

A technique is directed to methods and systems for detecting interruptions while streaming media content. An interruption detection system can monitor streaming media content to detect when an interruption (e.g., commercial break, advertisement, etc.) will occur in the streaming content. The interruption detection system can query the content delivery platform to determine whether the same content is available on another channel. When the same video content is available on another channel, the interruption detection system can switch to the second channel when the interruption begins and continue to stream the media content for the user. The interruption detection system can detect when the interruption is ending on the first channel and notify the user of the amount of time until the interruption is complete. When the commercial is complete, the interruption detection system can switch back to the original channel.

A technique is directed to methods and systems for detecting interruptions while streaming media content. An interruption detection system can monitor streaming media content to detect when an interruption (e.g., commercial break, advertisement, etc.) will occur in the streaming content. The interruption detection system can query the content delivery platform to determine whether the same content is available on another channel. When the same video content is available on another channel, the interruption detection system can switch to the second channel when the interruption begins and continue to stream the media content for the user. The interruption detection system can detect when the interruption is ending on the first channel and notify the user of the amount of time until the interruption is complete. When the commercial is complete, the interruption detection system can switch back to the original channel.

An example embodiment relates to a method comprising: receiving (700), by a client device, information about a scene associated with a 3D presentation for initiating viewport rendering by an application, wherein said scene is hosted by a server as one or more encoded 2D patches, said 2D patches being projections of the 3D representation of the scene; providing (702) the server with information for selecting 2D patches required to reconstruct at least one segment of the 3D scene as visible in a given viewport; obtaining (704), from the server, one or more video bitstreams generated based on the selected 2D patches and related metadata for extracting said 2D patches from said one or more video bitstreams; and rendering (706), by the client device, the given viewport as a sub-segment of the 3D representation of the scene based on said one or more 2D patches and the related metadata.

An example embodiment relates to a method comprising: receiving (700), by a client device, information about a scene associated with a 3D presentation for initiating viewport rendering by an application, wherein said scene is hosted by a server as one or more encoded 2D patches, said 2D patches being projections of the 3D representation of the scene; providing (702) the server with information for selecting 2D patches required to reconstruct at least one segment of the 3D scene as visible in a given viewport; obtaining (704), from the server, one or more video bitstreams generated based on the selected 2D patches and related metadata for extracting said 2D patches from said one or more video bitstreams; and rendering (706), by the client device, the given viewport as a sub-segment of the 3D representation of the scene based on said one or more 2D patches and the related metadata.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for broadcasting information to one or more client devices from a broadcaster that is not a client device, which one or more client devices utilize presentation rates to present audio in broadcast information at various presentation rates using time-scale modification, and which method includes: (a) the broadcaster broadcasting non-time-scale modified information; and (b) the broadcaster broadcasting guidance information used to determine presentation rates for use by the one or more client devices in presentation of audio in the broadcast information using time-scale modification; wherein the guidance information is broadcast prior to or after a time of broadcast of the broadcast information.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for broadcasting information to one or more client devices from a broadcaster that is not a client device, which one or more client devices utilize presentation rates to present audio in broadcast information at various presentation rates using time-scale modification, and which method includes: (a) the broadcaster broadcasting non-time-scale modified information; and (b) the broadcaster broadcasting guidance information used to determine presentation rates for use by the one or more client devices in presentation of audio in the broadcast information using time-scale modification; wherein the guidance information is broadcast prior to or after a time of broadcast of the broadcast information.