In a method and system for creating an extensible media player, a multimedia player application is instantiated on a client system. A presentation data file is transmitted to the client system from a server. The presentation data file includes a playlist of timelines, with at least one multimedia file being played or at least one application being executed for each timeline. The presentation data file is parsed to activate an advertising manager module. The activated advertising manager module instantiates an advertising plug-in. The advertising plug-in connects to an advertising network and downloads select advertising policies and dynamically schedules advertisements for the timelines. Upon the occurrence of an event generated by a timeline, the advertising manager module inserts a blocking module to block execution of the timeline. An advertisement is dynamically retrieved and rendered in an advertising display overlaying a multimedia player application display. When the advertisement has concluded, execution of the timeline is resumed.

The described technology is directed towards user interface technology that guides users in making content (e.g., video selection) and also navigating within selected content. A selection menu view uses style changes to indicate focus changes, e.g., including animating opacity values to indicate a focused item view versus those items not in focus. In another view, a subset of filmstrip views are displayed, each representing a chapter location in a video, along with a flipbook view that represents a selected scene within a selected chapter. Interaction with the filmstrip views changes the visible subset. Interaction with the flipbook view changes the selected scene; a play command plays the video based upon the selected scene.

A method for generating a first video stream representative of a mosaic of videos, referred to as a video mosaic, from a set of at least two second video streams each consisting of a video associated with header data and encoded video data representative of images. During the course of the method: the encoded video data of the second video streams are stored during the generation of the first video stream, a header associated with said video mosaic is generated, said header being representative of an assembly of the encoded video data from the second video streams, and comprising: first header data which are legacy header data from each of the videos of the set of second video streams, second header data which are generated separately from the header data of the second video streams. Associated computer program, storage media and terminal.

A method for programming an electronic program guide (EPG) grid guide is disclosed herein. The method includes determining EPG metadata from a database, sorting metadata based on a time and a metadata field, determining the metadata field to be displayed, and rendering the EPG grid guide based on the time and the metadata field. A method for programming a set top box (STB) is also disclosed herein. The method includes providing a time of day, receiving a user's viewing preferences, adjusting information based on the user's viewing preferences in at least one application, wherein the user's viewing preferences are a function of the time of day, and transmitting the adjusted information to a display device.

A method for processing a plurality of video content items for a graphical user interface to render at least two content items among the plurality, the video content items of the plurality being successively rendered. The method includes: rendering a first content item among the plurality, on a full screen; at a first predetermined period of time before the end of rendering the first video content item, displaying a progress bar having a plurality of images, each image respectively corresponding to a video content item among the plurality of video content items; rendering a second video content item; applying a graphic effect to an image of the bar corresponding to the second content item; eliminating the display of the progress bar after a second predetermined period of time after the rendering of the second content item begins, such that the second content item is rendered on the full screen.

A method causes a display device to display a video depicting an item in a scene and a tag in a first position on a first frame of the video. The tag is associated with the item depicted in the video, and the tag includes text information associated with the item depicted in the video. The method causes the video display to display the tag in a second position on a second frame of the video and causes the video display to display the tag in intermediate positions between the first and second positions during frames between the first and second frames of the video.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device, including a controller to: transmit a client program having a graphical user interface to a media device operating in an interactive television network, wherein the client program presents a symbolic overlay that superimposes onto media content received by the media device and enables the media device to associate commentary with the media content received at the media device; and present the commentary by symbolic representations in a carrousel format within a window of the presentation of the symbolic overlay and in a vicinity of the media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method and device for displaying reference content, and a storage medium thereof are provided. In some embodiments, the method includes displaying a first interface in response to an operation of enabling the first interface; displaying multiple second interfaces on the first interface in a form of floating window in response to an operation of enabling reference content, the multiple second interfaces including different reference content respectively; and displaying, in response to an operation of selecting a second interface from the multiple second interfaces, the selected second interface on the first interface in an overlaying manner. The formation arranging efficiency and communication efficiency between game players and the reference content can be improved by the above technical solution.

A multimedia streaming service presentation method based on Hypertext Transport Protocol streaming, a related apparatus, and a related system are provided. The multimedia streaming service presentation method based on HTTP streaming includes: obtaining a media presentation description file of a multi-stream multimedia streaming service i; obtaining n1 multimedia streams of N multimedia streams from a content server; presenting X presentation objects formed by the n1 multimedia streams; when a presentation object a of the X presentation objects is selected, obtaining a media presentation description file of a multimedia streaming service j that has an association relationship with the presentation object a; and obtaining m1 multimedia streams of M multimedia streams according to the media presentation description file of the multimedia streaming service j. The technical solutions provided in embodiments of the present application help better implement flexible switching between a multi-stream multimedia streaming service and another multimedia streaming service.

A system and method for presenting video asset information to a viewer to assist the view in selecting a video asset for viewing is described. The video assets can be available from a plurality of different video asset sources, such as VOD (video on demand), PVR (personal video recorders) and broadcast (including over the air, cable, and satellite). Images from the video assets are displayed in a uniform manner, along with information about the video assets. The information includes data in a metadata category. The view can select one of the video assets for viewing, but also can navigate using metadata categories such as genre, actors, director etc. Moreover, the system and method includes an on-screen remote control that can be utilized in conjunction with a physical input device for navigation and viewing one or more video assets. This allows a much easier and natural navigating and selection process for viewers.