A method for managing access, by an access device, to multimedia content via a communication network. The access device is capable of receiving multimedia content selection commands from a command device and of transmitting a set of access requests corresponding to the content via the communication network. The method includes: detecting a phase of receiving successive selection commands by the access device and for which the interval between consecutive commands is less than a given duration; transmitting, for at least some of the transmitted access requests corresponding to selection commands received during the detected phase, an access request including data relating to the detected phase; and receiving content other than the requested content, the other content including information relating to the demanded content.

An initial bit rate determining method and apparatus an electronic device, and a storage medium are disclosed. The method of the disclosure is applied to an electronic device, and includes: in response to a video player starting playback, determining a target bit rate according to a video playback parameter, wherein the video playback parameter is used by the video player to play a video last time; and determining an initial bit rate for a video played back by the video player currently based on the target bit rate; the video playback parameter includes at least one type of parameter among a video bit rate, a video resolution, and a download bandwidth.

The present invention provides a video switching method based on multi-channel decoding and comprising: starting the intelligent device to accomplish an initialization operation of a system file; closing the display of an image layer, decoding and displaying an obtained boot video on the video layer; after a system desktop launcher is started, displaying a main interface on the image layer in a transparent form; after a system is started, the intelligent device creates and displays a display layer on the image layer, wherein a display area of the display layer is smaller than that of the image layer; and decoding and displaying remotely obtained video data on the display layer. The invention avoids the issue of waiting for the loading of the video data of the online video for playing after the boot video ends, resulting in a relatively long waiting time and lowering the user experience.

The following describes techniques to maintain continuity of a live media stream. A media stream includes a first distribution layer with a first set of key frames and a set of delta frames succeeding key frames in the first set of key frames. The media stream also includes a second distribution layer including a second set of key frames, where the second set of key frames contains fewer key frames than the first set of key frames. Using the first and second distribution layers, a client device may subscribe to the media stream with a minimized start-up time and optimized quality of experience among varying complexity of the media content and dynamic network conditions.

A technique is described for converting a variety of video streams from transmission sources into a single designated video stream on a client device. As an example, a converter device may receive video streams from multiple transmission sources and select the video stream to convert and output on a client device based on the signal quality. In some examples, the converter device may switch between transmission sources. The converter device may measure the time offset between the video streams of the transmission sources and buffer one of the video streams to align the timing of the video streams, so the user does not detect a timing delay while viewing the video content.

A content streaming system and methodology for facilitating the management of content streaming. A video packaging and origination service provides streaming content that is organized according to a set of encoded content chunks. A video playback application processes the set of encoded content chunks to dynamically form a content segment for live video streaming. The video playback application further processes the set of encoded content chunks to apply framerate heuristics associated with encoded content segments.

The invention relates to a method for operating a media player 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.

A client receives streaming data according to Moving Picture Experts Group-Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH) standard. The client includes a transmitter which transmits a Media Presentation Description (MPD) request or a segment request to a server, and a receiver which receives an MPD specified in the MPD request and a segment specified in the segment request. The MPD request contains information requesting transmission of an initialization segment by a push. The receiver receives the initialization segment transmitted by the push.

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 In 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.

A client receives streaming data according to Moving Picture Experts Group-Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH) standard. The client includes a transmitter which transmits a Media Presentation Description (MPD) request or a segment request to a server, and a receiver which receives an MPD specified in the MPD request and a segment specified in the segment request. The MPD request contains information requesting transmission of an initialization segment by a push. The receiver receives the initialization segment transmitted by the push.