Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device including a processing system including a processor and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, including monitoring network traffic to determine a transmission control protocol traffic pattern, determining a target video rate from the transmission control protocol traffic pattern, and modifying an over-the-top video delivery service network according to the target video rate. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Techniques for buffering data over high bandwidth networks are provided. A first portion of data is downloaded, by a device, into a buffer at a first download speed via a first network connection. Upon determining that the device is downloading data via a second network connection, at a second download speed greater than the first download speed, a second portion of data is downloaded, via the second network connection, into a cache.

Disclosed herein are computing devices, including playback devices, that are configured to operate in several media distribution modes and play back audio data in several playback modes based at least in part on the source of audio/video data for playback.

Embodiments described herein relate to real-time streaming of large quantities of time critical data over multiple distinct networks from a communications device. More specifically, embodiments described herein may address challenges and problems of maintaining consistent data reception quality when faced with the anomalies of a moving sender that is sending data using a relatively unstable method. This may be achieved by converting single source data into multiple data streams, placing them in transport buffers and storing them for forwarding.

Video playback quality detection methods, systems, and apparatuses are described. The method can include obtaining a first video data packet of a target video from a bearer network and obtaining a data byte quantity of first video data included in the first video data packet. The method may also include determining a buffer byte quantity stored in a video quality detection buffer. Furthermore, the method can include obtaining video frame data rate information corresponding to the target video and reducing the buffer byte quantity stored in the video quality detection buffer based on a video frame rate of the target video and the video frame data rate information of the target video. The method may further include determining a playback status of playing the target video on a video player, and determining video playback quality of the target video based on the playback status. According to the embodiments of the present invention, user experience and accuracy of the video playback quality detection method can be improved.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for encoding media content based on an ending delay of first media content and a startup delay of second media content. Second media content may be configured for transmission after first media content in a media content stream. The first media content may be associated with an ending delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the first media content. The second media content may be associated with a starting delay corresponding to transmission and/or decoding of frames of the second media content. The first media content and the second media content may be encoded using different encoding formats. Based on comparing the ending delay and starting delay to a threshold, encoding parameters may be selected, one or more frames may be removed from the first media content and/or the second media content, and/or buffers of one or more devices may be adjusted.

A receiver driven approach for playback of remote content is described. One embodiment includes obtaining information concerning the content of the media file from the remote server, identifying a starting location within the media sequence, identifying byte ranges of the media file corresponding to media required to play the media sequence from the starting location, requesting the byte ranges required to play the media sequence from the starting location, buffering received bytes of information pending commencement of playback, playing back the buffered bytes of information, receiving a user instruction, identifying byte ranges of the media file corresponding to media required to play the media sequence in accordance with the user instruction, flushing previous byte range requests, and requesting the byte ranges required to play the media in accordance with the user instruction.

Aspects of present disclosure include devices within a transmission path of streamed content forwarding received data packets of the stream to the next device or “hop” in the path prior to buffering the data packet at the device. In this method, typical buffering of the data stream may therefore occur at the destination device for presentation at a consuming device, while the devices along the transmission path may transmit a received packet before buffering. Further, devices along the path may also buffer the content stream after forwarding to fill subsequent requests for dropped data packets of the content stream. Also, in response to receiving the request for the content stream, a device may first transmit a portion of the contents of the gateway buffer to the requesting device to fill a respective buffer at the receiving device.

Systems and methods are described herein for a media guidance application to determine that a user has switched away from a source transmitting a media asset with which the user was engaged and detect, while the user is switched away from the source, that secondary content transmitted by the source during a break of playback of the media asset relates to the media asset. In response to detecting that the secondary content relates to the media asset, the media guidance application may access a database to determine whether the secondary content specifically corresponds to the media asset, and, in response to determining that the secondary content specifically corresponds to the media asset, the media guidance application may generate for display the secondary content to the user.

A method is disclosed including setting, at a server, a server VSYNC signal to a server VSYNC frequency defining a plurality of frame periods. The server VSYNC signal corresponding to generation of a plurality of video frames at the server during the plurality of frame periods. The method including setting, at a client, a client VSYNC signal to a client VSYNC frequency. The method including sending a plurality of compressed video frames based on the plurality of video frames from the server to the client over a network using the server VSYNC signal. The method including decoding and displaying, at the client, the plurality of compressed video frames. The method including analyzing the timing of one or more client operations to set the amount of frame buffering used by the client, as the client receives the plurality of compressed video frames.