In synchronizing a playback of recorded media with a live media stream, a server streams live media to each of a plurality of participant devices at a normal rate. The live media stream is recorded and stored as the recorded media stream. When the server receives, from a given participant device of the plurality of participant devices, a request for playback after a pause at or a rewind to a specified location in the live media stream, the server calculates a playback rate to play the recorded media stream starting at the specified location. The playback rate is calculated such that a playback of the recorded media stream synchronizes with the live media stream at a target location or at a target time. The recorded media stream is then caused to play at the given participant device at the playback rate starting at the specified location.

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.

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.

In a video network context, video sessions can be aggregated and delivered to users, and smart replay can be provided responsive to user commands. Various and different commands are received from users at different times. Video sessions (e.g., program streams) are identified and/or created based on the commands. Video sessions are multicasted to the users. Joining multiple users to a video session reduces a need to create multiple identical or similar individual sessions, thereby increasing session capacity. Delivering a video session to users likely to be seeking a particular moment of interest in a video, based on an increased tolerance of received user commands, increases the user experience by delivering the moment of interest directly, without requiring multiple commands from users attempting to navigate towards the moment of interest.

A coax server acts as a proxy between a coax transmission infrastructure and an Internet Protocol (IP) transmission infrastructure. An incoming request is received from a particular one of a plurality of coax client devices on the coax infrastructure. A request for specific media content is transmitted to a media-on-demand server in response to receiving the incoming request. A media stream is received over the IP infrastructure from the media-on-demand server, the media stream corresponding to the specific media content, and the coax server allocates a coax channel of sufficient bandwidth on the coax infrastructure and transmits the media stream on the coax channel utilizing the RF modulation scheme. A pointer indicating the coax channel on which the media stream is being transmitted is sent to the particular coax client device. The coax channel is unknown to other of the coax client devices besides the particular coax client device.

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.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method comprising encoding, by a server comprising a processor, media content to generate a plurality of media content files each having a filename and a uniform resource locator. The method also comprises receiving a channel request from a client media processor and generating a playlist. The playlist is mapped to the requested channel, and includes a filename and uniform resource locator for a personalized content file that is not included in the media content files. The method further comprises receiving a file request from the client media processor in accordance with the playlist, multicasting the plurality of media content files so that the client media processor receives the plurality of media content files, and delivering the personalized content file to the client media processor to enable presentation of personalized content in accordance with the playlist. Other embodiments are disclosed.

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.

A system for resource provisioning for content delivery of multiple services is disclosed. The system may be configured to offer multiple services, wherein at least one first offered service is delivery of prerecorded content and at least one second offered service is content delivered according to a deadline. In at least one embodiment, the first offered service may be video content, and the second offered service may be broadcast television content. The system may also be configured to deliver at least a portion of the first offered service in advance of use of that portion of the first offered service such that resource demand in connection with delivery of service content of the second offered service at peak delivery may be reduced. As such, fewer resources are needed to provide uninterrupted service of the first and second offered services.

A wireless network system for providing reliable transmission over a wireless network includes a multicast stream source including a modifier and a plurality of multicast stream recipients in communication with the multicast stream source with each of the plurality of multicast stream recipients including an outgoing library.