This patent disclosure provides various embodiments of an online video playback system and technique. In one aspect, a process for playing an internet/online video on a user device is disclosed. This process can begin by executing a user application including a video link to an online video, such as an online video Ad. The process then executes the video link to cause a new browser window to be opened within the user application and further cause a video playback request for the online video to be sent to a server. The process next receives a set of video playback addresses from the server specifying a set of storage locations of a set of transcoded versions of the online video. The process subsequently selects a video playback address from the set of video playback addresses corresponding to a transcoded version of the online video that matches a device version and a browser version of the user device. Next, the client process obtains the transcoded version of the online video from the selected video playback address. Finally, the process causes the obtained online video to play within the new browser window on the user device.

Provided are a method and an apparatus for playing an online television program. The method includes: a television obtaining a link address of a multimedia resource and determining whether having an online player capable of playing the multimedia resource; the television establishing a connection with a server based on a determination that the television does not have the online player capable of playing the multimedia resource; and the television sending the link of the multimedia resource to the server, such that the server transcodes the multimedia resource according to the link of the multimedia resource.

This patent disclosure provides various embodiments of a client-server based digital video playback system and technique. In one aspect, a process for playing internet/online videos on a user device is disclosed. This process can begin by sending a video playback request for playing an online video to the server, wherein the video playback request includes a device type and a browser type of the user device. Next, the process receives a set of video playback addresses and a set of video playback configuration files from the server, wherein the set of video playback addresses and the set of video playback configuration files are generated based on the device type and the browser type. The process subsequently selects a video playback address from the set of video playback addresses corresponding to a transcoded version of the online video that matches a device version and a browser version of the user device. The process next obtains the transcoded version of the online video from the selected video playback address, and plays the obtained video on the user device.

According to one implementation, a cloud-based system for performing cloud-based image rendering for video stream enrichment includes a video forwarding unit and a video enrichment unit. The video forwarding unit is configured to detect one or more non-interactive video player(s) linked to the video forwarding unit over a communication network, forward a video stream to the non-interactive video player(s), and forward the video stream to the video enrichment unit. The video enrichment unit is configured to receive the video stream, detect one or more interactive video player(s) linked to the video enrichment unit over the communication network, identify a video enhancement corresponding to one or more customizable video segment(s) in the video stream, insert a rendered video enhancement into the one or more customizable video segment(s) to produce an enriched video stream, and distribute the enriched video stream to one or more of the interactive video player(s).

Embodiments provide for methods, computer program products, and systems to improve media playback comprising receiving a variant stream, identifying respective maximum segment durations for a plurality of different types of client devices that will play media content contained in the variant stream, generating, using the variant stream, a respective playlist for each of the plurality of different types of client devices, wherein the respective playlists each contain different maximum segment durations, and delivering the respective playlists to at least one of the plurality of different types of client devices via a distribution network.

According to one implementation, a cloud-based system for performing cloud-based image rendering for video stream enrichment includes a video forwarding unit and a video enrichment unit. The video forwarding unit is configured to detect one or more non-interactive video player(s) linked to the video forwarding unit over a communication network, forward a video stream to the non-interactive video player(s), and forward the video stream to the video enrichment unit. The video enrichment unit is configured to receive the video stream, detect one or more interactive video player(s) linked to the video enrichment unit over the communication network, identify a video enhancement corresponding to one or more customizable video segment(s) in the video stream, insert a rendered video enhancement into the one or more customizable video segment(s) to produce an enriched video stream, and distribute the enriched video stream to one or more of the interactive video player(s).

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for storing configuration data as a set of master data and override data where one set of configuration data is defined as the master and every other set of configuration data is defined as override configuration data. A media guidance application may generate master configuration data including the most common configuration data used in the geographical region served by the media guidance application, and number of override configurations which contain only those data which differ from the master configuration data for a number of sub-regions of the geographical region. This reduces duplicative configuration data, and the media guidance application need only store one full set of configuration data, namely the master configuration data, and a number of smaller override configurations.

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. A web-based Content Management System receives content uploaded online in file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area specified by the uploaded metadata.

Techniques are described to provide content access. In an implementation, a determination is made at a client that a high-definition channel has content that matches content provided by a standard-definition channel. Access is provided to the content via the high-definition channel and access is restricted to the content via the standard-definition channel up the client is capable of outputting the content and high definition.

A streaming policy management system and method wherein bandwidth may be allocated based on external device information received from a streaming client device connected to one or more external audio/video (A/V) devices. When a streaming network back office receives a request from the streaming client device for delivery of a particular content, wherein the request includes external device information of one or more external A/V devices connected to the streaming client device, a bandwidth is determined for streaming the particular content to the streaming client device and a request may be made to a content delivery network to create a distribution pipe having the bandwidth to accommodate the delivery of the particular content. A manifest file is provided to the streaming client device that includes one or more pointers that point to content segments of the particular content.