A system and method for selectively utilizing an over-the-air broadcast source to provide low-latency content as an alternative to conventional over-the-top sourced content. The disclosed technology can provide automatic switching to an available low-latency content source, or switch to a low-latency source only after a user affirmatively elects such. The system and method are implemented utilizing standard premises equipment, and enable the insertion of regional commercial messages into the low-latency content stream prior to viewing.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for porting locally processed media data with low latency to a remote client device via various wireless links are provided. In one example embodiment, a transceiver module may include a local network interface and a controller that may receive a client control signal from a client device over a wireless local area network via the local network interface, transmit a media control signal based on the client control signal to a media device, receive media data based on the media control signal from the media device, and transmit to the client device over the wireless local area network via the local network interface client data based on the media data and a low-latency compression technique. The receipt of the media data and transmission of the client data may be accomplished with substantially no detectable latency. Additional embodiments are also provided.

The present document describes a method (500) for providing combined audio and video content from a source device (210) to an audio sink device (230) and to a video sink device (220). The method (500) comprises determining (501) latency information regarding the video latency for processing the video content and the audio latency for processing the audio content of the combined audio and video content along the device chain (100) between the source device (210) and the audio and video sink devices (220, 230). Furthermore, the method (5009 comprises delaying (502) the audio content or the video content in dependence of the latency information, and providing (503) the combined audio and video content with the delayed audio content or the delayed video content.

In various embodiments, a subsequence-based encoding application generates subsequences based on a source sequence associated with a media title. The subsequence-based encoding application then encodes both a first subsequence and a second subsequence across each of multiple configured encoders and at least one rate control value to generate, respectively, a first set of encoded subsequences and a second set of encoded subsequences. Notably, each configured encoder is associated with a combination of an encoder and a configuration, and at least two configured encoders are different from one another. Subsequently, the subsequence-based encoding application generates encoded media sequences based on the first set of encoded subsequences and the second set of encoded subsequences. Finally, the application selects a first encoded media sequence from the encoded media sequences based on a first target value for a media metric to subsequently stream to a first endpoint device during playback of the media title.

This disclosure describes techniques for servicing on-demand requests by a consumer for a hyper-specific media content in a network environment. The hyper-specific media content may include specified audio, video, other media, or multi-media combination content that relates to hyper-specific criteria. The hyper-specific criteria cover a specifically requested subject and/or object at a specific location, for a specific time, and for a specific future context or event sufficient for a third-party to author media content to capture that context or event. In an example embodiment, the hyper-specific criteria may be used as an authoring qualification to identify specific content creator devices that may capture the particular or future events.

Systems, devices, methods, and computer readable media are provided for distributing data with multi-tiered encoding. For example, a system for communication of data streams to endpoints is provided that includes: encoders, each encoder configured to encode a data stream according to at least one encoding parameter; transmitting devices organized into groups based on at least one communication characteristic; each group of transmitting devices configured to receive encoded data from an associated one of the encoders; each transmitting device of the plurality of transmitting devices configured to transmit the encoded data to an associated one of the plurality of endpoints; and at least one controller configured to monitor communication characteristics of the plurality of transmitting devices and to adjust membership of the transmitting devices in the plurality of groups based on the monitored communication characteristics. The system may be further configured for synchronization, uni/bi-directional communication, etc.

A method of determining the bandwidth of a link carrying a plurality of data streams between a plurality of sources and a plurality of destinations in a network, the method including sending data packets from a first data stream over the link from one source to one destination at a first transmission rate, and measuring an associated first packet loss rate; sending further data packets from the first data stream over the link from the one source to the one destination at a second transmission rate, and measuring an associated second packet loss rate; and determining the bandwidth of the link in dependence on the first and second packet loss rates and the first and second transmission rates.

A method for supporting video coding includes obtaining an image frame including a plurality of coding block groups each including one or more coding blocks, using a first coding control model associated with a first coding block group in the image frame to estimate one or more first coding parameters, using a second coding control model associated with a second coding block group in the image frame to estimate one or more second coding parameters, determining one or more effective coding parameters based on an evaluation of the one or more first coding parameters and the one or more second coding parameters, and using the one or more effective coding parameters to encode the plurality of coding block groups in the image frame.

In various embodiments, a subsequence-based encoding application generates subsequences based on a source sequence associated with a media title. The subsequence-based encoding application then encodes both a first subsequence and a second subsequence across each of multiple configured encoders and at least one rate control value to generate, respectively, a first set of encoded subsequences and a second set of encoded subsequences. Notably, each configured encoder is associated with a combination of an encoder and a configuration, and at least two configured encoders are different from one another. Subsequently, the subsequence-based encoding application generates encoded media sequences based on the first set of encoded subsequences and the second set of encoded subsequences. Finally, the application selects a first encoded media sequence from the encoded media sequences based on a first target value for a media metric to subsequently stream to a first endpoint device during playback of the media title.

A method may include transmitting a video stream of a live scene over a network at a real-time transmission speed and detecting an event associated with the video stream being transmitted. The method may include transmitting the video stream over the network at a speed lower than the real-time transmission speed during the event. Transmitting the video stream at the speed lower than the real-time transmission speed may introduce a time stretch for the video stream to be played in slow motion. The method may include reducing a bitrate of the video stream after the event and transmitting the video stream with the reduced bitrate over the network after the event to compensate for the time stretch.