A computer-implemented system and method for streaming video from a server to a client are described. For example, a method according to one embodiment comprises: receiving at the server a request for video content from the client; in response to the request, determining the hardware/software configuration of the client; generating and/or selecting a temporary decoder based on the hardware/software configuration of the client; transmitting the temporary decoder to the client, the client installing the temporary decoder; encoding and streaming the requested video content from the server to the client, the video content being encoded based on the capabilities of the temporary decoder, the video content being decoded by the temporary decoder and rendered on the client; detecting that the client has ended the session with the server; and in response to detecting that the client has ended the session, temporarily disabling and/or removing the temporary decoder from the client.

An exemplary network-edge-deployed transcoding system (transcoding system) establishes a communication connection with a media player device that is distinct from the transcoding system. The transcoding system accesses media data representative of media content that is to be rendered by the media player device and is encoded in the media data using a first data format. As the media player device renders the media content, the transcoding system transcodes the media data in a just-in-time transcoding manner from representing the media content in the first data format to representing the media content in a second data format. As the transcoding of the media data is performed, the transcoding system provides the transcoded media data representing the media content in the second data format to the media player device by way of the communication connection. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

A method and a system for selective-content processing of panoramic multimedia signals are disclosed. Features of panoramic cameras and low-latency virtual-reality headsets are exploited to create an advanced efficient system for covering events of diverse and fast-motion actions for the purpose of both broadcasting and data streaming. The disclosed system employs a virtual-reality headset to produce a display of a multimedia signal and generate geometric data defining a view region of the display. A content-filtered signal is extracted from the multimedia signal, according to the geometric data, for broadcasting and dissemination to client devices of a universal streaming server.

A video content replay apparatus comprises a first video content player operable to playback video content comprising a plurality of images to be displayed at respective display times; load a second video content player in response to the initiation of the playback of the video content by the first video content player; and transfer control of the playback of the video content from the first video content player to a second video content player such that the plurality of images displayed by the second video content player are each displayed at their respective display times as if they had been displayed by the first video content player and the first image of the plurality of images displayed by the second video content player and the last image of the plurality of images displayed by the first video content player are sequential images in the video content.

Systems and methods are described for modeling the consistency of audiences viewing groups of media assets. For example, a media guidance application (e.g., executed on a server) may identify a first subset of user equipment that generated for display a first media asset (e.g., an episode of a series). The media guidance application may then identify a second subset of the first subset where the user equipment generated for display another media asset that is part of a group of media assets (e.g., another episode of the same series). Based on the number of user equipment in the second subset, the media guidance application may calculate a score for audience consistency for the group of media assets (e.g., the series) which can be used to rank the group of media assets among other groups of media assets.

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for live streaming. The method includes: collecting, by a first terminal, live streaming audio data and first live streaming image data in a live streaming process; sending, by the first terminal, the live streaming audio data and the first live streaming image data to a server, and sending, by the first terminal, a first device identifier of the first terminal to the server; sending, by the first terminal, the live streaming audio data to a second terminal; collecting, by the second terminal, second live streaming image data; and sending, by the second terminal, the second live streaming image data and the live streaming audio data to the server, and sending, by the second terminal, a second device identifier of the second terminal to the server.

In an automatic, computer-implemented method, a selected television advertisement is presented automatically in association with a television program or channel, which in turn is selected based at least in part on information from an online user profile that contains information indicating a user's preference for that television program or channel. The television advertisement is selected based at least in part on additional information from the online user profile that is unrelated to the selected television program or channel. The selected television advertisement is presented on or during the selected television program or channel via a set-top box, which has a set-top box identifier associated with the online user profile.

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.

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.

The disclosed technology relates to adaptively encoding a video stream based on viewer engagement, content schedule and/or content characteristics. A system routes a video stream from a signal extractor to a first virtual encoder. The first virtual encoder is instantiated on a cloud platform and provides a first video output at a first bitrate. A second virtual encoder is instantiated on the cloud platform in response to a change in viewer count. The system routes the video stream from the signal extractor to the second virtual encoder. The second virtual encoder provides a second video output at a second bitrate. The second bitrate is different from the first bitrate.