A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example to access a broadcast of media content in response to a request to record the media content from a mobile communication device, and adjust a format of the media content based at least in part on a user profile associated with the mobile communication device where the user profile comprises device format preferences. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A video playback device includes a processor that executes a procedure. The procedure includes, for plural respective videos, receiving designations of widths in a vertical direction or in a horizontal direction within display regions of the videos, and adjusting the relative display sizes between the plural videos such that the display sizes of the widths designated for the plural respective videos are equivalent.

A stream playout and distribution system is provided for disparate live media output stream playout and broadcast distribution. The system generates a new version of a disparate live media output stream manifest based on insertion of a plurality of segments of at least one of a pre-encoded media asset or a live input stream into the disparate live media output stream manifest. Each segment of the plurality of segments corresponds to a different quality level and a different content encryption mode. The plurality of segments corresponds to broadcast content segments encoded in a first encoding format of the new version of the disparate live media output stream manifest. The system converts the broadcast content segments encoded in the first encoding format to a second encoding format in accordance with a broadcasting protocol.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example to access a broadcast of media content in response to a request to record the media content from a mobile communication device, and adjust a format of the media content based at least in part on a user profile associated with the mobile communication device where the user profile comprises device format preferences. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A player receives encoded content of a first resolution level from a content retransmitter and monitors bandwidth of the communication connection utilized to receive the content. When the bandwidth changes with respect to various threshold values corresponding to various resolution levels, the player signals the content retransmitter to increase or decrease the encoding resolution for future portions. The player also locates related substitute content. When the player signals the content retransmitter to decrease the resolution below a minimum, the player plays the substitute content instead of the received content. Subsequently when the bandwidth is again such that player signals the content retransmitter to increase the resolution to the minimum or above, the player plays the received content instead of the substitute content. In various implementations, the player may obtain substitute content prior to or at the time the player determines to play substitute content.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example to access a broadcast of media content in response to a request to record the media content from a mobile communication device, and adjust a format of the media content based at least in part on a user profile associated with the mobile communication device where the user profile comprises device format preferences. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The present invention enables a receiving side to easily recognize a high-quality format corresponding to encoded image data included in an extended video stream. Two video streams including a basic video stream including encoded image data of basic format image data, and an extended video stream including encoded image data of high-quality format image data of one type selected from a plurality of types are generated. A container of a predetermined format including the basic video stream and the extended video stream is transmitted. Information indicating a high-quality format corresponding to the encoded image data included in the extended video stream is inserted into the extended video stream and/or the container.

To allow subtitle bitmap data to be favorably superimposed onto video data on the reception side.

A video stream having progressive video data is generated. A subtitle stream having progressive subtitle bitmap data is generated. A container including the video stream and the subtitle stream, in a predetermined format is transmitted. For example, the progressive subtitle bitmap data divided into top-field subtitle bitmap data and bottom-field subtitle bitmap data or not divided is present in the subtitle stream.

A circuit applied to a playback device includes an image format determining circuit, a control circuit, an image processing module and a blending circuit. The image format determining circuit receives an image signal and determines whether the format of the image signal is a standard dynamic range (SDR) or a high dynamic range (HDR) to generate a determination result. The control circuit generates a control signal according to the determination result. The image processing module selects an image processing setting corresponding to one of the SDR format and the HDR format, and processes the image signal according to the image processing setting to generate a processed image signal. The blending circuit superimposes an interface image onto the processed image signal to generate an output image signal to a display.

A circuit applied to a playback device includes an image format determining circuit, a control circuit, an image processing module and a blending circuit. The image format determining circuit receives an image signal and determines whether the format of the image signal is a standard dynamic range (SDR) or a high dynamic range (HDR) to generate a determination result. The control circuit generates a control signal according to the determination result. The image processing module selects an image processing setting corresponding to one of the SDR format and the HDR format, and processes the image signal according to the image processing setting to generate a processed image signal. The blending circuit superimposes an interface image onto the processed image signal to generate an output image signal to a display.