Described is a method of delivering content over a network using an approach referred to as “Multicast Assisted Unicast Delivery” (MAUD), as a multicast network is used to assist, rather than substituting for, an otherwise unicast path. Content is requested by client devices from a content server over unicast. The responses containing the requested content are separated into two components: a first component containing elements that are specific to individual client devices (for example session specific data), and a second component that is common to all client devices (typically this is the video content being requested). The first component can be delivered over unicast and the second component over multicast. Identifiers are introduced into each of the first and second components to aid recombination of the components to form the original responses. The separation and recombination are handled by suitably configured proxy servers.

The system and methods described aid content delivery by providing requested content using a hybrid delivery of unicast and multicast content. A content delivery system receives, from user equipment, a request for content and identifies multicast sources for the content. The content delivery system determines a recent multicast source from the multicast sources, the recent multicast source having begun more recently relative to the other sources. The content delivery system transmits, to the user equipment, an identity of the recent multicast source and provides a beginning portion of the content to the user equipment via a unicast stream.

Provided are a system and method for publishing a disparate live media output stream manifest that includes one or more media segments corresponding to key events. The system comprises one or more processors that generate a programming schedule, based on a synchronization of one or more disparate sub-systems in the system, includes one or more key events that occurred from a starting point until a current live point in a live input stream. Further, a reference clock provides a reference time to synchronize the one or more disparate sub-systems. Based on the programming schedule, one or more processors insert the current live point and one or more media segments corresponding to the one or more key events that occurred prior to the current live point included in a live input stream manifest into a disparate live media output stream manifest, which is further published based on the insertion.

Provided are a system and method for publishing a disparate live media output stream manifest that includes one or more media segments corresponding to key events. The system comprises one or more processors that generate a programming schedule, based on a synchronization of one or more disparate sub-systems in the system, includes one or more key events that occurred from a starting point until a current live point in a live input stream. Further, a reference clock provides a reference time to synchronize the one or more disparate sub-systems. Based on the programming schedule, one or more processors insert the current live point and one or more media segments corresponding to the one or more key events that occurred prior to the current live point included in a live input stream manifest into a disparate live media output stream manifest, which is further published based on the insertion.

Software defined network orchestration to manage media flows for broadcast with public cloud networks is provided by identifying a media flow at a media production facility for multicast transmission; registering the media flow to a registration database; migrating the media flow from multicast transmission to unicast transmission; transmitting the media flow to a public cloud network facility; and updating the registration database with a location of the media flow in the public cloud network facility. Once registered, a media flow management system allows any authorized device to request for a media flow; and in response locates the media flow based on a registration database indicating a location of the media flow (whether in the public cloud network facility, on a common carrier, or in a production facility); receives access to the media flow at the location; and allows the authorized device to consume the media flow.

Described is a method of managing a network for delivering content in a hybrid unicast/multicast network, where content is requested by clients over unicast, but all or some of the content is delivered in part over multicast. A client requests content (in the form of segments) and receive the responses (segments) over unicast via a first proxy. The first proxy measures the time between requests and associated requested segment sizes. These measurements are used to effectively determine a unicast request rate given by the segment size divided by the time between requests. Subsequent requested segments can then be delivered over multicast over a portion of the route to the client using a multicast rate that is set as a function of (for example, 110% of) the unicast request rate. In general, the multicast path will be from a second proxy to the first proxy.

A system is provided for publishing a disparate live media output stream manifest that includes one or more media segments corresponding to key events. A start and stop time is obtained for a pre-produced media asset from a live playout system synchronized to a reference clock. Based on a reference time of the reference clock and play events from the live playout system, a normalized event metadata is converted from a play time of pre-produced media asset metadata to the reference time. The play events exists for the pre-produced media asset as start and stop times per the pre-produced media asset support inclusion of non-programming content and restart of the pre-produced media asset during a playout. Start and end messages are transmitted for publishing the normalized event metadata each time the pre-produced media asset is started and stopped during the playout in a disparate live media output stream.

In one example, a method includes monitoring a delivery of an item of multimedia content to a first user endpoint device in a first stream of data, monitoring a delivery of the item of multimedia content to a second user endpoint device in a second stream of data, consolidating the stream of data and the second stream of data into a third stream of data, sending an first instruction to a source of the first stream of data and a source of the second stream of data to cease delivering the first stream of data and the second stream of data, and sending a second instruction to the source of the first stream of data and the source of the second stream to begin delivering the third stream of data to the first user endpoint device and the second user endpoint device.

A system is provided for publishing a disparate live media output stream manifest that includes media segments corresponding to key events. A live production and playout system of disparate sub-systems is synchronized to a reference clock. A timecode from the reference clock is used as a reference time to log content related to key events that occur within the live production and playout system. A live event logging system is synchronized to the reference clock same as the live production and playout system. Based on location of the live event logging system, a time offset is introduced to compensate for a delay. When delay is variable, the reference clock is decoded from a live input stream to associate each key event with a corresponding timecode. Based on a programming schedule comprising the key events that occurred in the live input stream, the disparate live media output stream manifest is published.

This document describes systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for determining media items to insert in a media stream. A first media client can play a primary media stream that is multicast to various media clients including the first media client and other media clients. The first media client identifies a start of a primary programming timeslot in the primary media stream, and in response, obtains and stores a secondary media item. After storing the secondary media item at the first media client, the first media client detects an insertion signal in the primary media stream that indicates a secondary programming timeslot is about to begin in the primary media stream. The first media client can then play the secondary media item in place of the primary media stream during the secondary programming timeslot.