A system and method of video processing are disclosed. In a particular implementation, a device includes a processor configured to generate index data for video content. The index data includes a summary frame and metadata. The summary frame is associated with a portion of the video content and illustrates multiple representations of an object included in the portion of the video content. The metadata includes marker data that indicates a playback position of the video content. The playback position is associated with the summary frame. The device also includes a memory configured to store the index data.

Chunks (12, 14) of encoded video data of a streamed video bitstream (1) are stored and encoded video data is decoded to form decoded video data to be output for display. A selected portion (12) of the stored chunks (12, 14) or selected sub-chunks (25, 27) of the stored chunks (20, 22) for a previous, already played out part (3) of the streamed video bitstream (1) is or are discarded while keeping selected stored chunks (14) or selected sub-chunks (21, 23) stored as navigation tune-in points. The usage of selected stored chunks (14) or sub-chunks (21, 23) that are not discarded from the already played out part (3) of the streamed video bitstream (1) enables a low delay solution during video navigation when a user wants to jump to a previously played out position (5) within the streamed video bitstream (1).

A hierarchical publish/subscribe network is employed to produce and distribute special effects to users to complement displayed video information. A top level broker in the network receives a plurality of data streams corresponding to a respective plurality of primary special. A service provider makes a subscription request for one of said primary special effects and receives the corresponding selected data stream. The selected data stream is transformed into at least one further data stream, corresponding to a further special effect. The further data stream is published to a lower level broker associated with the service provider. In response to a user subscription request for the further special effect, the lower level broker publishes the further data stream to a user interface for presentation to the user in association with the displayed video information.

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.

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.

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.

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring motion or other activity and using the successful completion of a goal to enable or disable functionality or features of an electronic device or applications running on a computing system. In particular, media devices and the features within can be disabled unless access availability has been determined for completion of a physical activity goal or other challenge and provided to the media device or a server controlling features of the media device.

The present invention teaches a method and system for uniquely defining and identifying events within a streaming media program. Programs and additional content can be stored with inband data in the stored content and that inband data can be dynamically updated, to include additional information such as instance counters, when the stored content it is requested by a rendering device. The additional information is used to uniquely identify the rendering of the program or additional content to allow a rendering device to perform actions based upon those unique identifiers.

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.