Techniques implementable by a computer system are provided. The techniques include receiving, by a server device, a request to stream media, the request including a media content and a streaming start point in the media content. The techniques also include determining a first time length based at least in part on time to receive permissioning. The techniques also include determining a silence point in the media content based at least in part on the streaming start point, the first time length, and identified silence points in the media content. The techniques also include determining a second time length based at least in part on the silence point and the streaming start point, the second time length defining a clear portion. The techniques also include generating a media stream comprising the clear portion and a remaining portion, the clear portion having a time length of the second time length.

A system and method for providing load balanced secure media content and data delivery in a distributed computing environment is disclosed. Media content is segmented and encrypted into a set of individual encrypted segments on a centralized control center. Each individual encrypted segment has the same fixed size. The complete set of individual encrypted segments is staged to a plurality of intermediate control nodes. Individual encrypted segments are mirrored from the staged complete set to a plurality of intermediate servers. Requests are received from clients for the media content at the centralized control center. Each individual encrypted segment in the set is received from one of an intermediate control node and an intermediate server optimally sited from the requesting client. The individual encrypted segments are reassembled into the media content for media playback.

Systems and methods for partial frame encryption in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method receives a video bitstream that includes several frames, each frame including several independently encoded compression units within the frame, encrypts a portion of each of several compression units in several frames, and generates an output bitstream that includes the several independently encoded compression units including the encrypted portions of the compression units.

A system and methods for permitting open access to data objects and for securing data within the data objects is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (1) providing a data object comprising digital data and file format information; (2) embedding independent data into a data object; and (3) scrambling the data object to degrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level. The steps of embedding and scrambling may be performed until a predetermined condition is met. The method may also include the steps of descrambling the data object to upgrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level, and decoding the embedded independent data.

The present invention concerns a method of encoding a media bitstream of a media content. The media bitstream comprises a payload portion for the media content, and an overhead portion, different from the payload portion. The method comprises the steps of: modifying a part of the payload portion of the media bitstream, the modified part representing a region of the media content; and inserting the said part, as unmodified, into the overhead portion of the modified media bitstream for later reconstruction of the unmodified payload portion, such that the modified part in the media bitstream can be decoded without decoding the part as unmodified from the overhead portion. The invention also relates to a method of decoding, to an encoder and to a decoder.

A media distribution system and method with sample variants for normalized encryption involves encrypting a main track of a media content asset using a first encryption scheme and encrypting a sample variant track of the media content asset using a second encryption scheme, and performing at least one of: storing the encrypted main track and encrypted sample variant track of the media content asset packaged in a storage format, and transmitting the encrypted main track and the encrypted sample variant track in a distribution container format to an edge media router (EMR) device configured to repackage the media content asset into a delivery container format without reencrypting the media content asset.

A system and method for facilitating content delivery with end-to-end encryption in a network architecture using a common intermediary mezzanine distribution format (CMZF). An edge media router (EMR) device is provided in one embodiment that is configured to receive a media content asset packaged in a CMZF container structure, wherein the media content asset is provided as CMZF-formatted media content in a CMZF stream scheme. The CMZF container structure, configured to facilitate carriage of ISOBMFF track and track metadata data objects as well as sample variants in PES payload in additional elementary streams, is operative to carry each bitrate representation of the media content asset encrypted in one or more encryption schemes at a headend. Upon receipt, the EMR device is configured to repackage the media content asset to generate one or more output formats without reencrypting the media content asset for storage at a storage node and/or for downstream delivery.

A system and method for distributing content in a network architecture using a common intermediary mezzanine distribution format (CMZF). A media content asset may be processed for packaging in a CMZF container structure configured to carry each bitrate representation of the media content in a valid CMZF stream scheme, the media content encrypted in one or more encryption schemes. The CMZF formatted media content may be provided to an origin server for file-based distribution over a network which is of one of the following types; unmanaged network, managed network, or a combination thereof, and/or to a streaming network node for stream-based distribution over a over a network which is of one of the following types; unmanaged network, managed network, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the CMZF container structure may be based on an MPEG-TS format extended to facilitate carriage of ISOBMFF track and track metadata data objects in PES payload in additional elementary streams. In another embodiment the CMZF container structure may be based on an MPEG-TS format to facilitate carriage of sample variants in PES payload.

A system and method for facilitating fast channel change in a streaming media network comprises receiving media content assets packaged in a common mezzanine distribution format (CMZF) container structure, wherein the media content asset is provided as CMZF-formatted media content in a CMZF stream scheme. Upon receipt, the CMZF-packaged media content assets are transformatted into corresponding CMZF segments stored in a local cache corresponding to a plurality of media channels. Responsive to a channel change request from a user equipment (UE) device, a unicast or multicast burst is sent comprising Reliable User Datagram Protocol (R-UDP) packets or Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP)-encapsulated partial or full virtual segments (R-SEG) generated from the CMZF segments corresponding to the requested channel.

A novel method and apparatus for protection of streamed media content is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes control means for governance of content streams or content objects, decryption means for decrypting content streams or content objects under control of the control means, and feedback means for tracking actual use of content streams or content objects. The control means may operate in accordance with rules received as part of the streamed content, or through a side-band channel. The rules may specify allowed uses of the content, including whether or not the content can be copied or transferred, and whether and under what circumstances received content may be checked out of one device and used in a second device. The rules may also include or specify budgets, and a requirement that audit information be collected and/or transmitted to an external server. In a different aspect, the apparatus may include a media player designed to call plugins to assist in rendering content. A trust plugin is disclosed, along with a method of using the trust plugin so that a media player designed for use with unprotected content may render protected content without the necessity of requiring any changes to the media player. In one aspect, the streamed content may be in a number of different formats, including MPEG-4, MP3, and the RMFF format.