Server-side trick mode restrictions in a stream may be provided. The stream may comprise, for example, a Video on Demand (VOD) Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) stream. First, a playlist request corresponding to a stream may be received from a user device. Next, a current stream position in the stream may be determined. In response to receiving the playlist request and when the current stream position corresponds to a non-skip segment, a playlist may be created having a last chunk comprising a next chunk of the stream from the current stream position. The playlist may then be provided to the user device.

A system for analyzing a video file in a shortened time frame, said system comprising: a receiver (VFR) to receive a video file (VF) as an input; a Time Splitter (TR) to split the received video file according to set intervals of time depending on how fast said video is to be analyzed; a Frame splitter (FP) to split a Video Viewing Program (R) into a plurality of frames (F1, F2, . . . Fn); a Key Frame Identification mechanism (KFI) to identify key frames; and linking mechanism (LM) to cause a link to be formed with pre-populated databases and in-house libraries of images (D), of frames, which frames comprising associated tags, thereby determining a score of similar tags per video file in order to determine said genre, thereby determining multiplicity of instances for said time splitter.

A recognition data creation device includes an image acquirer and a data creator. The image acquirer acquires a plurality of image frames included in a frame sequence that composes video content. Based on an inter-frame change in an image in the plurality of image frames acquired by the image acquirer, the data creator creates recognition data representing the video content, the recognition data to be used as a fingerprint in recognition of the video content.

Methods and systems that provide an interactive media guidance application having a locked mode for viewing media assets. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may provide media assets suited to a certain audience. The interactive media guidance application may determine suitable media assets for the locked mode based on media assets viewed by other users having characteristics similar to the user of the interactive media guidance application. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may allow access to only certain media assets and/or limit the time period for which the media assets are presented.

In one embodiment there is disclosed a content delivery system comprising: a communications network; a media component connected to the communications network, the media component configured to deliver media content for playout at a user device; an auxiliary content component connected to the communications network for providing auxiliary content for playout at a user device; an engagement monitoring component configured to monitor user engagement with auxiliary content played out at the user device; a storage component which holds engagement monitoring data in association with user identifiers; a content control module configured to receive, from a user device, a request for auxiliary content to be inserted in a playout session for playout at the user device, and selectively control delivery of the auxiliary content based on the engagement monitoring data associated with a user identifier for the user device.

A content delivery system comprising: a communications network; a media component connected to the communications network, the media component configured to deliver content for consumption at user devices connected to the communications network; an engagement monitoring component configured to monitor user engagement with auxiliary content played out at the user devices; a storage component which holds engagement monitoring data in association with user identifiers of users of the content delivery system; a content control module configured to receive from a user device a request for content data, the content control module being operable to selectively deliver enhanced content data based on the engagement monitoring data held in association with a user identifier associated with a user of the user device.

Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message, confirm the activation message is intended for the television receiver, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

Systems and methods for verifying an advertisement impression in a digital environment are provided. In some aspects, methods of the subject technology include operations for defining a portion of the digital environment as an impression area, wherein the impression area is associated with a tagged advertisement area, providing a stream of an advertisement to the tagged advertisement area, and updating advertising impression information stored in memory regarding the advertisement, wherein an advertising impression is based on the identification of the character within the impression area and the availability of an unobstructed line-of-sight between the character and the tagged advertisement area. In some aspects, computer readable media are also provided.

Systems and methods are provided for generating for display, with a media asset, one or more preview images. If a preview image corresponding to an advanced play position, relative to a current play position, provides a spoiler, an alternative preview image is generated for display. The alternative image may be a modified version of the original image in which at least a portion is removed or masked, or a replacement image, e.g., an image from another play position, a promotional image, or an indication that the preview image is not displayed. A different alternative image or modification may be used when a subsequent play position has been reached if the unmodified preview image contains a different spoiler, and/or a previous modification is no longer required, e.g., if, at the subsequent play position, the original image is no longer a spoiler, the original image may be used as a preview image.

Systems and methods for stitching advertisements in streaming content are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method comprises receiving one or more advertisements. An unmarked content item may be received, the unmarked content item comprising a stream-enabled video including a set of sequential black frames. An insertion point may be identified based on a location of at least one black frame of the set of sequential black frames without requiring user input, the insertion point identified during streaming of the unmarked content item to a consumer system, the insertion point being ahead of a current playback point of the unmarked content item streaming to the consumer system. The one or more advertisements may be stitched in the unmarked content item at the insertion point. The unmarked content item may be streamed to a consumer system until the insertion point is reached, and the one or more advertisements may be streamed to the consumer system when the insertion point is reached.