An exemplary interactive media content provider system generates overall data representative of interactive media content. The exemplary interactive media content provider system concurrently provides the overall data to both a first media player device associated with a first user and a second media player device associated with a second user by way of a point-to-multipoint media delivery protocol. The first media player device and the second media player device may each be configured to render different portions of the overall data to respective display screens of the media player devices at a particular point in time based on different user input from the first user and the second user, respectively, as the first user and the second user independently interact with the interactive media content. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

An exemplary interactive media content provider system generates overall data representative of interactive media content. The exemplary interactive media content provider system concurrently provides the overall data to both a first media player device associated with a first user and a second media player device associated with a second user by way of a point-to-multipoint media delivery protocol. The first media player device and the second media player device may each be configured to render different portions of the overall data to respective display screens of the media player devices at a particular point in time based on different user input from the first user and the second user, respectively, as the first user and the second user independently interact with the interactive media content. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

A set top box includes an interface to a video system configured to deliver data to an individual subscriber or subset of subscribers that are part of a larger group of subscribers, wherein the data is not delivered to the other subscribers of the larger group, the interface adapted to receive communications from one or more modulators of a modulator group of the video system. The set top further includes a decoder configured to extract a modulator group identifier periodically inserted into communications directed to the set top box from the one or more modulators, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend of the video system to the one or more modulators. The set top includes a video request interface to the video system, the video request interface configured to output a request for video data including the modulator group identifier.

A set top box includes an interface to a video system configured to deliver data to an individual subscriber or subset of subscribers that are part of a larger group of subscribers, wherein the data is not delivered to the other subscribers of the larger group, the interface adapted to receive communications from one or more modulators of a modulator group of the video system. The set top further includes a decoder configured to extract a modulator group identifier periodically inserted into communications directed to the set top box from the one or more modulators, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend of the video system to the one or more modulators. The set top includes a video request interface to the video system, the video request interface configured to output a request for video data including the modulator group identifier.

A device may receive information that identifies available content associated with multicast streams available for transmission via a network. The device may determine content selected from the available content. The selected content may be associated with a multicast stream available for transmission via the network. The device may receive the multicast stream associated with the selected content via an air interface. The device may process the multicast stream into a format compatible with a connection interface. The device may output the processed multicast stream to a display device, that is different from the device, via the connection interface.

A device may receive information that identifies available content associated with multicast streams available for transmission via a network. The device may determine content selected from the available content. The selected content may be associated with a multicast stream available for transmission via the network. The device may receive the multicast stream associated with the selected content via an air interface. The device may process the multicast stream into a format compatible with a connection interface. The device may output the processed multicast stream to a display device, that is different from the device, via the connection interface.

[Object] To provide a communication control device configured to efficiently secure bands of an IP network in order to transmit data streams.

[Solution] There is provided a communication control device including: a channel information acquisition unit configured to acquire, when AV streams are transmitted from a plurality of transmission apparatuses to one or more reception apparatuses on an IP network while being switched, all channel information from the transmission apparatuses to the reception apparatuses; a traffic calculation unit configured to calculate a maximum traffic generated in switching patterns of the transmission of the AV streams from the transmission apparatuses to the reception apparatuses, on the basis of the channel information acquired by the channel information acquisition unit; and a transmission band reservation unit configured to reserve a transmission band on the IP network, on the basis of the maximum traffic calculated by the traffic calculation unit.

[Object] To provide a communication control device configured to efficiently secure bands of an IP network in order to transmit data streams.

[Solution] There is provided a communication control device including: a channel information acquisition unit configured to acquire, when AV streams are transmitted from a plurality of transmission apparatuses to one or more reception apparatuses on an IP network while being switched, all channel information from the transmission apparatuses to the reception apparatuses; a traffic calculation unit configured to calculate a maximum traffic generated in switching patterns of the transmission of the AV streams from the transmission apparatuses to the reception apparatuses, on the basis of the channel information acquired by the channel information acquisition unit; and a transmission band reservation unit configured to reserve a transmission band on the IP network, on the basis of the maximum traffic calculated by the traffic calculation unit.

A computing device may include a memory and a processor cooperating therewith to receive a plurality of data streams from at least one data source to be relayed to different destinations on demand, where each data stream has a respective content identifier associated therewith. The processor may further determine when a first one of the data streams for a first destination shares identical data with a second one of the data streams for a second destination based upon the respective content identifiers associated therewith, and suspend relaying the second data stream to the second destination, and begin relaying the first data stream to the second destination, based upon the determination that the first and second data streams share identical data based upon the respective content identifiers associated therewith.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to maintain content rights parameters associated with media content and a user where the content rights parameters include limits to distribution of the media content to a plurality of communication devices associated with the user and where a portion of the plurality of communication devices use different communication protocols from another portion of the plurality of communication devices, monitor for access to the media content by one communication device of the plurality of communication devices of the user, and obtain rights control data that is adapted to allow for presentation of the media content by the one communication device of the user where the rights control data is generated based on the content rights parameters. Other embodiments are disclosed.