For example, an apparatus may include a video encoder configured to encode video data into a parallel plurality of encoded video streams, the parallel plurality of encoded video streams including the video data encoded according to a respective plurality of different video bitrates; a selector configured to select, based on one or more parameters corresponding to a condition of a wireless communication link, a selected encoded video stream from the parallel plurality of encoded video streams; and a radio to transmit the selected encoded video stream over the wireless communication link.

A system and method for providing non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video network using multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming. In one implementation, upon receiving a request for a non-guaranteed channel is received from a subscriber station (e.g., a set-top box or STB), a bandwidth pipe modeling process is operative to model a bandwidth pipe corresponding to each edge QAM device configured to support non-guaranteed channels for selecting a particular edge QAM device that can best accommodate the requested non-guaranteed channel. Bitrates of MABR streams of existing channels of the selected edge QAM device may be adjusted in order to accommodate a particular MABR stream at chosen bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel. IGMP Join operations may be effectuated, as needed, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP group(s). A channel change response message including one or more channel frequencies, if the change request is accommodated, may be transmitted to the requesting subscriber station.

A method and system for facilitating managing digital content is provided. Further, the method comprises receiving digital content, a supplemental content identifier, and a plurality of target identifiers corresponding to a plurality of target consumer devices from the one source user device, identifying a plurality of destination servers associated with the plurality of target identifiers, identifying a supplemental content based on the supplemental content identifier, processing the digital content based on a plurality of platform characteristics corresponding to the plurality of destination servers embedding the supplemental content in the digital content, generating the supplemental content in the digital content, generating a plurality of digital content based on the processing, transmitting, the plurality of digital content to the plurality of destination servers, and authenticating a consumer with the of destination servers based on a credentials.

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.

Recommending and activating scenes in a multimedia system are provided. The techniques of the present disclosure can allow the states of the components in the multimedia system to be captured in a scene. Once the scene has been saved, the scene can be activated at a later time. A controller device for recommending scenes by comparing the current state with states of components in saved scenes is also provided. The controller device can also determine if media is playing in a current scene, and activate a selected scene without playing the media content. Once the selected scene is activated, the media playing in the current scene can be switched, and the media playing in the selected scene can be played.

Techniques are provided for dynamically creating index files for streaming media based on a determined chunking strategy. The chunking strategy can be determined using historical data of any of a variety of factors, such as Quality of Service (QoS) information. By using historical data in this manner, index files can be generated using chunking strategies that can improve these factors over time.

A method for distributing video content from a server to a plurality of media devices is provided allowing adaptive bit rate encoding to better utilize bandwidth. The method includes: determining, by the server, the bandwidth to allocate to each of the plurality of media devices using a hypertext transfer protocol-based live streaming client model or a need parameter vector, refining this determination by utilizing client feedback regarding client buffer level and playback state, client hardware capabilities, and client internally measured download rate, and providing the allocated bandwidth to each of the plurality of media devices; wherein the video content is transmitted in a plurality of segments from the server, and wherein each segment is transmitted at a bitrate that may vary from segment to segment.

Systems and methods are described for displaying media content. Media content is displayed on user equipment. A scheduled break in the display of the media content is determined using control circuitry. One or more first parameters of the media content are determined for a predetermined period preceding the scheduled break using control circuitry. Additional media content having one or more second parameters corresponding to the one or more first parameters of the media content is selected from memory. The additional media content is displayed on the user equipment during the scheduled break in the display of the media content.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to monitor for and alert the occurrence of pre-failure indicators at a set-top box (STB) disk. Results of self-monitoring tests, short tests, and maximum/minimum performance tests may be used to identify the potential for a STB disk failure. Moreover, critical error events at the STB may be logged, and the health of the STB disk may be determined based on the logged critical error events. Test results and critical error event logs may be used to predict an impending failure of a STB disk, and a notification may be output to a user or technician indicating the potential need to replace the STB or STB disk.

Systems and methods for automatically recording content based on user web activity data are provided. One such method includes receiving, by a receiving device, user web activity information associated with a user of the receiving device. The receiving device further receives content information associated with program content that will be available for viewing via the receiving device at a future time. The received user web activity information and the content information are compared to determine program content relevant to the user. A timer is automatically set, in advance of a time when the relevant program content will be available for viewing, to record the program content relevant to the user when the program content becomes available for viewing.