A computing device that includes an interface, a memory, and a processing module receives a data access request from a requesting computing device and processes them to produce a set of distributed storage (DS) access requests. The computing device then transmits the set of DS access requests to a set of storage units (SUs) via a DSN connection that is between the computing device and the set of SUs and monitors the DSN connection to generate utilization information. The computing device then receives a set of DS access responses from the set of SUs via the DSN connection and monitors the DSN connection to generate updated utilization information. The computing device then transmits a data access response to the requesting computing device and generates billing information based on at least one of the updated utilization information associated with the DSN connection, a level of billing, and a billing rate.

Effective advertisements are provided to users of a network. On a terminal of a user B, user names of users whom the user B registered in advance as friends are displayed. On the terminal, information indicating whether respective friend users are online or offline, is also displayed. Icons representing video games, etc., played by the friend users are also displayed on the terminal. When the user B clicks the icon of the Game C associated with the user A, the terminal executes advertisement information display processing. By this processing, an advertisement information screen is displayed on the terminal. On the advertisement information screen, an advertisement relating to the status of the user A registered as the friend is displayed.

A video-on-demand server includes interface modules each providing a communication interface between the video-on-demand server and a switching network; an interface to a management module to monitor and provide to the video-on-demand server information on video-on-demand bandwidth utilization of network resources allocated to particular service groups, each service group including video-on-demand customers sharing a same fixed network bandwidth allocation; each interface module communicatively coupled to service groups simultaneously via service gateways; a total bandwidth of the server is an aggregate bandwidth of all the interface modules, and is less than an aggregate bandwidth of all service groups assigned to be serviced by the server, the switching network configured to make the server available for receiving video on demand service requests from all of the service group customers simultaneously; the server adapted to dynamically assign bandwidth of the server to service groups, by adapting the switching network to dynamically change communication connections between interface modules and service groups, the adaptations to the switching network based upon information about the bandwidth utilization of network resources received from the management module.

Method and apparatus for generation of interactive programming. An interactive programming server embeds interactive components into a video signal. The interactive programming server receives content from a content source and interactive components from an interactive component source and uses the content and interactive components to generate an interactive Video On Demand (iVOD) interactive program. The iVOD interactive program is transmitted to a participant who views the content and interacts with the interactive components of the iVOD interactive program. The participant's responses to the content is transmitted back to the interactive programming server where the participant responses are incorporated into new content which is used to generate new iVOD interactive programming.

A search-enabled remote control device to facilitate viewers' ability to search through programming and/or content options and view results. In one embodiment, a viewer is able to use a traditional remote control interface to navigate through menus or selections and to display search results on screen. In another embodiment, a viewer's watching behavior and/or searching habits are tracked by the search-enabled remote control and used to develop a viewer profile, which may in turn be used to target advertisements, information and/or future programming options.

A method includes receiving, at a user device from a media server, a media stream that includes a group of segments of media content associated with a user-selected category. The group of segments includes a first segment corresponding to a portion of a first program and a second segment corresponding to a portion of a second program. The method also includes receiving, at the user device, user input during playback of the media stream, the user input indicating the first segment. The method also includes sending data based on the user input to the media server. The method further includes receiving, at the user device from the media server, a modified stream based on the user input. The first segment is replaced by an entirety of the first program in the modified stream.

Some embodiments provide a media-editing application. The application receives a selection of several media clips for creating a multi-camera media clip. Based on metadata stored with the media clips that identifies sources of the media clips, the application automatically assigns the clips to at least two different groups in the multi-camera media clip. For each group of the multi-camera media clip, the application automatically orders the assigned clips along a timeline using timing data. The application uses the timing data to automatically initially synchronize the different groups of the multi-camera media clip. The application automatically adjusts the initial synchronization of the groups by comparing audio data of media clips assigned to different groups.

Methods of operating a communications system comprise, in one example, inserting advertising in a program stream by a receiving device based, at least in part, on an encrypted segmentation message embedded in the program steam. The at least one segmentation message defines an expanse of the program stream to receive the advertising. At least one embedded decoy message is included in the program stream, as well. In one example the receiving device, which may be a set-top terminal, for example, is coupled to a display device, such as a television, at a user location. A method of operating a receiving device coupled to a display device at a user location is also disclosed, comprising programming the receiving device to record a program and recording the program based, at least in part, on at least one segmentation message in a program stream. Systems are disclosed, as well.

A set top box includes an interface to a video system configured to deliver data to an individual subscriber or subset of subscribers that are part of a larger group of subscribers, wherein the data is not delivered to the other subscribers of the larger group, the interface adapted to receive communications from one or more modulators of a modulator group of the video system. The set top further includes a decoder configured to extract a modulator group identifier periodically inserted into communications directed to the set top box from the one or more modulators, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend of the video system to the one or more modulators. The set top includes a video request interface to the video system, the video request interface configured to output a request for video data including the modulator group identifier.

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.