Intelligently downloading content to user devices is described herein. According to an embodiment, a user request for content is received. In response to the request, a low quality version of the content is downloaded and played to the user. Then, a higher quality version of the content is downloaded (this may occur during or after the download or playback of the low quality version of the content). Playback of the low quality version is discontinued. Then, playback of the higher quality version begins at the point where playback of the low quality version was discontinued. In some embodiments, the low quality version and the higher quality version of the requested content (among all the versions of the requested content) are identified via crowdsourcing.

Systems and methods, to efficiently prepare for live and stored file content, implement one or more warm inputs, which actively ingest and demux content, but do not actively decode the content until an input switch is commanded. Each warm input can cache a most recent instantaneous decoder refresh and subsequent reference frames (I-frames and P-frames). Upon an input switch being commanded, the subject input commences decoding of such preserved frames. The formerly-warm input then acts as a hot input (decoding every frame) until the input switch completes. The use of warm inputs, which avoid the decoding stage, reduces computational resource use, allows preparation of all inputs by default, and permits metrics, status reports, and thumbnails to be generated regarding non-active inputs.

Real-time latency of audio/video streams is identified. Signatures of a reference audio/video stream and signatures of a test audio/video stream are buffered. A needle is constructed as a vector including a set of signatures of the reference audio/video stream. Correlations of the needle to successive vectors of sets of signatures of the test audio/video stream are computed using a correlation function that calculates relatedness of the needle vector to each of the successive vectors of the test audio/video stream. A synchronization offset is identified between the test stream and the reference stream according to a maximum correlation point of the correlations of the needle to the successive sets of signatures of the test audio/video stream. The reference audio/video stream and the test audio/video stream are aligned according to the synchronization offset.

An image display apparatus including the same are disclosed. A signal processing device of the present disclosure includes a decoder to decode data encoded based on at least two different coder-decoders, a buffer memory, and a controller to control the decoder and the buffer memory, wherein the controller controls the decoder to divide the buffer memory into a first storage space and a second storage space based on a codec change signal being received, and manages input or output of data of the first and the second storage space in parallel or simultaneously. Accordingly, it is possible to change codecs in real time without delay when codec change is required and to provide content without interruption of a screen to a user.

Enhanced trick-play modes for video content that is being streamed to a client from a server are described. In an embodiment, the enhanced trick-play modes are provided with relatively low latency and high quality using trick-play optimization techniques for a streaming environment, avoiding the need to stream the entire contents of the portions through which the viewer is fast forwarding. By employing sophisticated selection criteria of which parts of the content to download at what time, the quality of the playback experience is improved versus that which would conventionally be possible when using a simple sequential frame data download. The streaming client maintains a cache of nearby significant frames, such as nearby key frames, in forward and/or reverse directions of the current playback position, without having to download the entire portions of the video stream in which the significant frames reside. The trick-play modes utilize these frames.

Examples of the systems and methods described herein relate to reducing latency issues associated with playing online digital video on client devices. An example method includes: determining that a client device of a user is displaying a web page; determining a likelihood that the user will select content on the web page, the content being associated with a digital video; determining that the likelihood exceeds a threshold and, based thereon: identifying the digital video associated with the content; obtaining a copy of a video file including the digital video and an initial portion that precedes the digital video; initiating a video player for displaying the digital video; determining a start location in the video file where the initial portion ends and the digital video begins; and configuring the video player to begin playing the video file from the start location when the user selects the content.

A method for creating a low latency DASH (LL-DASH) video stream from a Low latency HLS video stream (LL-HLS) is provided. The LL-HLS video stream corresponding to a live event is retrieved. The LL-HLS video stream is converted to a LL-DASH video stream. This conversion of the LL-DASH stream from the LL-HLS stream provides reformatting without encoding of the LL-DASH stream.

The invention relates to a method for operating a media player (100) when receiving a live stream which comprising a sequence of media segments, each media segment comprising a plurality of media fragments. The method comprises —determining a tune-in segment and a tune-in fragment of the live stream, at which the media player intends to start consuming the live stream, —transmitting a media request towards a media providing entity, the media request comprising an indication indicating that the tune-in segment should start with the tune-in fragment as first media fragment, —receiving a media response originating from the media providing entity, the media response comprising the tune-in segment which starts with the tune-in fragment as first media fragment.

The exemplary embodiments relate to devices, systems and methods for a streaming service to provide fast video stream startup at a user device. The streaming service may determine that a video stream for on-demand content is to be provided to the user device and is to include multiple subclips corresponding to the on-demand content and a dynamic content insertion opportunity (DCIO). A first set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that corresponds to a first subclip of the on-demand content. When a predetermined condition corresponding to the DCIO is satisfied, a second set of multimedia data is transmitted to the user device that includes multimedia data corresponding to at least the multiple subclips.

Systems and methods for changing broadcast channels using channel change requests to, and channel change responses from, an SDV server. In some embodiments, the channel change request is made after determining that broadcast tuning parameters are otherwise not available from memory and/or a broadcast system.