In one aspect, a method includes an input buffer receiving content; accessing the content from the input buffer and extracting from the accessed content, in-band message data that indicates a start time associated with a content-modification opportunity for a content-presentation device; the input buffer transmitting the content to a delay buffer; the delay buffer receiving the content from the input buffer and, after a delay time-period, transmitting the content to an output buffer; the output buffer receiving the content from the delay buffer and outputting for presentation a portion of the content; and after outputting for presentation the portion of the content and proximate a time-point associated with the indicated start-time, starting to perform a content-modification operation in connection with the content-modification opportunity.

Methods and apparatus for identification and characterization of latency in a content delivery network. In one embodiment, interaction of users with content is recorded via collection of tuning records; the latency is then utilized to adjust the timing on the tuning records to account for lapses in time for sending these between entities of the network and the user devices, and for processing occurring at the devices. The latency is determined by taking into account a device specific latency component, and a network latency component. The network latency component is determined in one variant by sending a message to the device from the network requesting a response. Once the timing of the tuning records is adjusted, these tuning records may be relied upon as being accurate on a second-by-second basis. Accordingly, tuning records may be obtained and analyzed for content which lasts for a very short period of time.

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.

A computer-implemented method includes receiving from content presentation devices a request for supplemental content. Each content presentation device is configured to present program content received from a content distribution system. The program content is associated with a program schedule that specifies an advertisement start time. The computing system determines a supplemental content processing time that corresponds to an amount of time required by a particular content presentation device to receive the supplemental content to facilitate presentation of the supplemental content. The computing system schedules the content presentation devices to receive requested supplemental content according to corresponding supplemental content processing times and advertisement start times. Content presentation devices having higher supplemental content processing times and earlier advertisement start times are scheduled to begin receiving requested supplemental content before content presentation devices associated with lower supplemental content processing times and later advertisements start times.

Media is selected for video playback through a first device and audio playback through one or more separate devices connected through a wireless network. Different techniques for synchronizing the audio and video can be selected based on one or more factors to improve media playback.

A stream management platform may receive a request to provide, via a network, a content stream to an area, wherein the request indicates a requested latency associated with providing the content stream to the area. The stream management platform may determine an entry node of the network that is to receive the content stream from a content source. The stream management platform may identify a plurality of transmission nodes associated with the area. The stream management platform may determine respective latencies associated with multicasting the content stream from the entry node to the plurality of transmission nodes. The stream management platform may determine whether the respective latencies satisfy the requested latency. The stream management platform may perform, based on whether the respective latencies satisfy the requested latency, an action associated with the content stream according to the respective latencies.

The present disclosure provides event capture systems having one or more processors coupled to memory. The event capture system can identify a wager corresponding to a live event associated with a client device. The event capture system can identify a broadcast receiver device corresponding to the client device. The event capture system can generate recording instructions for the broadcast receiver device that cause the broadcast receiver device to initiate a recording of a broadcast of the live event. The event capture system can transmit the recording instructions to the broadcast receiver device to cause the broadcast receiver device to schedule a recording for the broadcast of the live event.

A data stream, such as a video stream, may comprise one or more event trigger messages indicating an upcoming event in the stream. The time (e.g., pre-roll time) between the event trigger message and its corresponding event may be modified, based on rules, to provide a network operator, service provider or downstream recipient more (or less) time to prepare for the event. This may be accomplished by moving the event trigger to an earlier (or later) location in the stream, and/or editing the event trigger to indicate the different pre-roll time.

Provided are systems, methods, and computer-program products for identifying a media content stream when the media content stream is playing an unscheduled media segment. A computing device may receive a plurality of media content streams, where at least two of the plurality of media content streams concurrently includes a same unscheduled media segment. The computing device may determine that the media display device is playing the unscheduled media segment by examining the media content available at the current time in each of the plurality of media content streams. The computing device may determine identification information from the media content included in the media content stream. The computing device may determine contextually-related content, which may be disabled while the unscheduled media segment is being played by the media display device. The computing device may display the media content stream and the contextually-related content after the unscheduled media segment has been played.

A data stream, such as a video stream, may comprise one or more event trigger messages indicating an upcoming event in the stream. The time (e.g., pre-roll time) between the event trigger message and its corresponding event may be modified, based on rules, to provide a network operator, service provider or downstream recipient more (or less) time to prepare for the event. This may be accomplished by moving the event trigger to an earlier (or later) location in the stream, and/or editing the event trigger to indicate the different pre-roll time.