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 is to determine a first count of a number of devices in a first household that reported RPD for a first day, and 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. In some examples, the media monitor is also to exclude the RPD from the first household for the first day when the first count does not satisfy the current window-metric, and 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 includes, at a first time: receiving a request for video content from a first user; generating a fingerprint for the first user; associating the first user with a first user population—assigned to a first CDN and receiving the video content from the first CDN during the first time period—based on the fingerprint; and accessing a first metric for distribution of video content from the first CDN to users of the first user population. The method also includes, at a second time: selecting a second user within the first user population; identifying a second CDN distinct from the first CDN; reassigning the second user to the second CDN; and accessing a second metric for distribution of the video content from the second CDN to the second user; and, in response to the second metric exceeding the first metric, reassigning the first user to the second CDN.

A server for streaming a video to a client involves making the video available from the server to the client upon request in at least a temporal independent version and a temporal dependent version. The server is configured for: i) receiving a request from the client to receive a stream of the video from an arbitrary starting point in time; and ii) retrieving at least the first frame from the temporal independent version; and iii) retrieving frames subsequent to the at least first frame from the temporal dependent version; and iv) sending the at least first frame to the client and send the frames subsequent to the at least first frame to the client.

Methods and systems of providing video content are disclosed. A request to view video content is received from a viewer. In response to the request, it is determined whether the viewer has advert-free rights to watch the video content. In response to determining that the viewer does not have the advert-free rights to watch the video content, an alternative advert (AA) query is prepared based on query rules, and the AA query is presented to the viewer. An AA query response to the AA query is received from the viewer. In response to determining that the AA query response is a first response, one or more AA offers are determined and the AA offers are sent to the viewer. The requested video content is streamed to a viewer device of the viewer without adverts.

A method and an apparatus for data interaction in a live room are provided, which relate to the field of livestream technology. According to the method, a first interaction control is displayed on a first live streaming interface of the live room in response to trigger information sent by a server being obtained, the trigger information indicating that amount of interaction data in the live room exceeds a preset threshold; and a first interaction panel is displayed on the first live streaming interface in response to a trigger operation on the first interaction control being received. An audience and an anchor in the live room interact with each other through the first interaction panel.

A viewing abandonment factor estimation device includes a memory; and a processor configured to include an estimation model for estimating a factor, the estimation model including a plurality of feature quantities measurable for viewing of a video relevant to an adaptive bit rate video distribution as inputs and the factor of the viewing abandonment in the viewing as an output.

Provided is an image processing device including at least one processor, in which the processor acquires a first performance evaluation value related to performance of a first imaging apparatus of a first user who is one of a plurality of users, acquires a second performance evaluation value related to performance of a second imaging apparatus of a second user different from the first user among the plurality of users, specifies an image of the second user corresponding to the second imaging apparatus having the second performance evaluation value, which is equal to or larger than the first performance evaluation value, from shared images which are limitedly shared by the plurality of users, and sets a presentation priority of a specific image, which is the specified image, to the first user to be higher than presentation priorities of other shared images.

Implementations disclose methods and systems for providing a media item at an adjusted playback. A method includes receiving, from a first user device, a playback request from a first user for a first media item including one or more portions of media content; determining an adjusted playback for at least one portion of the first media item that is different than a default playback for the at least one portion of the first media item. The determining is based on previous playback behavior of one or more users in relation to one or more media items that each included one or more portions of media content corresponding to the one or more portions media content of the first media item; and causing the at least one portion of the first media item to be rendered on the first user device at the adjusted playback.

A computer-implemented method for preserving video stream quality may include (i) identifying a plurality of video streams being transmitted via a shared connection with limited bandwidth, (ii) determining that viewership of a video stream within the plurality of video streams falls below a popularity threshold, (iii) increasing bandwidth availability for a remainder of the plurality of video streams by ceasing transmission of the video stream with the viewership that falls below the popularity threshold, and (iv) continuing to transmit the remainder of the plurality of video streams via the shared connection with the limited bandwidth. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Example embodiments provide systems and methods for crowdsourced skipping of media content portions. In an example method, a plurality of content tags are received from a plurality of media content devices over a communication network. Each of the plurality of content tags may designate a location within a media content item. The content tags are processed to generate aggregated content tags for the media content item. The aggregated content tags may designate one or more portions of the media content item for modified playback. The aggregated content tags for the media content item are transmitted over the communication network to a first media content device separate from the plurality of media content devices.