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.

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.

A server offloads one or more tasks to a first media gateway. The server receives, from the first media gateway that is receiving a video stream of a television channel, a first message that indicates that the first media gateway is eligible to process a request for media content of the television channel that otherwise would be processed by the server. The server receives, from a second media gateway, a request for media content of the television channel. The server transmits, to the second media gateway, a redirection response that instructs the second media gateway to request the media content from the first media gateway.

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.

The present invention relates to a client terminal and an operation method of a client terminal, a transmission server and an operation method of a transmission server, and a program, whereby manufacturing costs, developing costs, and maintenance costs can be reduced for a television receiver which is a client terminal, regarding a configuration for distribution of contents from multiple service providers. An application (program) 111 capable of operating on a browser 91 presents VoD contents which it can select itself, based on control information, and requests a VoD server 72 for distribution of VoD contents selected out of the presented VoD contents via a first network which is a bi-directional IP network. In response, a headend 12 which is a transmission server supplies to a client terminal 13 via a second network of which downstream transmission band has sufficient band for transmission of contents. The present technology can be applied to an IPTV distribution system.

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 and method for providing bitrate control for delivering media content to a plurality of virtual display (VD) screens presented in a virtual reality (VR) environment effectuated by a VR device of a subscriber based on detecting a movement in a point of view with respect the VD screens' placement within the VR environment, wherein each VD screen is configured to receive a media content channel. Responsive to detecting the movement, angular distance of each of the VD screens relative to a reference axis is computed. Weights to each of the media content channels may be assigned or updated based on the angular distance of the corresponding VD screens relative to the reference axis. Media content channels on the VD screens outside the subscriber's field of view may be time-shifted. Bandwidth of a managed bandwidth pipe may be (re)allocated based on the relative weights of the non-time-shifted media content channels for delivering the media content channels to the subscriber's VR environment responsive to selecting single bitrates for the media channels according to a channel bandwidth annealing mechanism.

Methods and apparatus for providing delivery of content to client devices of a network via both multicast and unicast mechanisms. In one embodiment, a system for use in a managed content delivery network is described to bridge multicast to unicast, so that the total network bandwidth consumption is significantly lower than a corresponding unicast-only delivery solution, yet which still provides improved quality of service and user viewing experience as compared to a multicast-only delivery solution. In addition, various exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are readily adapted for real-time multicast to unicast streaming of audio and data to, among other things, minimize network bandwidth usage, while maintaining the guaranteed delivery of unicast streams with little or no modification to the existing client device logic.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a fast channel change method and a fast channel change server. After receiving a fast channel change request of user equipment, the fast channel change server adjusts a time interval between a video packet and a corresponding audio packet in a channel multicast packet, and sends an adjusted channel multicast packet to the user equipment. In this way, an audio and video synchronization time after the user equipment receives a channel data packet is reduced.

Techniques for efficiently initiating multicast data communications. Upon determining to initiate multicast network communications, embodiments determine that a first multicast group of a plurality of multicast groups is currently active. An Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Join network message for a second multicast group that is currently inactive is transmitted. Upon determining that the first multicast group is currently inactive, an IGMP Join network message is transmitted for the first multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups.