Technologies are generally described for dynamically distributing a processing load. In some examples, a method performed under control of a server may include receiving information regarding load distribution from an end device and dynamically distributing a processing load between the server and the end device based at least in part on the information regarding load distribution.

In one embodiment, a method for filtering streaming media content includes receiving at a filtering device one or more packets of a source data stream. The one or more packets are may be received from a content source remote from the filtering device. The source data stream may include one or more of an audio component and a video component. The method further includes determining whether to perform a filtering action on the one or more packets of the source data stream based at least in part on one or more user settings. The method further includes communicating to a media-playing device a filtered data stream generated at least in part by performing the filtering action on the one or more packets of the source data stream.

A coupling device for use in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network may be configured to detect a control message and determine from the message a period for which a cable modem downstream is to be transmitting a desired transmission, disable an upstream path through it when there is only noise incident on the upstream path, and enable the upstream path during the period when a desired transmission from a cable modem downstream of the coupling device is incident on the upstream path. The coupling device may be a trunk amplifier, a distribution amplifier, or a splitter. The coupling device may comprise a single upstream interface coupled to a plurality of downstream interfaces. The enabling and/or disabling may be in response to a signal strength indicated by the SSI being below a threshold.

The present invention provides a method, a device, and a system for delivering live content. A pre-delivery request with respect to live content is sent to a CDN cache device, and the CDN cache device caches the live content according to the pre-delivery request with respect to the live content before a user views the live content, thereby solving the problems of a long delay and poor user experience in playing live content that is not cached because a part of live content cannot be cached in the prior art, ensuring the play quality of all live content, and improving user experience.

An encoding/transmitting apparatus that is used to transmit moving-picture data from a transmitting side to a receiving side through a transmission path and to subject the moving-picture data to streaming in the receiving side has an external-output request determining unit that monitors the state of a network. If the network assumes an undesirable state, the request determining unit causes a multiplex output unit to stop multiplexing data. When the network assumes a desirable state, the multiplex unit starts multiplexing the data again. A video encoding unit and an audio encoding unit keep encoding data, whether the multiplex output unit is multiplexing data or not. When the area occupied by encoded data in an encoded-video-data storage unit and the area occupied by encoded data in an encoded-audio-data storage unit exceed a predetermined value, the encoding units stop encoding data, and wait until the area occupied by encoded data sufficiently decreases.

Systems and methods for real-time transmission of data streams are disclosed. A controller receives data representing selected stream parameters from a browser residing on a computing device. The controller transmits the received data to a video transmitting device. A transcoder receives a first data stream generated according to the selected stream parameters from the video transmitting device. The transcoder generates a second data stream from the first data stream, the second data stream formatted for browser display; and then transmits the second data stream to the browser. A user may remotely control the video transmitting device using the browser. A user may view data streams from multiple video transmitting devices using the browser.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method includes: sending, by a terminal device, video server name information in video request information to a local domain name server; receiving, by the terminal device, address information of a buffer sent by the local domain name server, and sending the video request information to the buffer according to the address information of the buffer; detecting whether a video resource corresponding to video identification information in the video request information exists in the buffer; and if the video resource corresponding to the video identification information exists in the buffer, sending, by the buffer, the video resource to the terminal device. The present invention is applicable to transmission of a network video resource.

There is disclosed a method of distributing streamed content in a network, the network having a central server and at least a first node and a second node communicatively coupled to the central server, the streamed content transcoded at the central server as a first transcoded stream and a second transcoded stream, the first transcoded stream and the second transcoded stream being different in at least a bitrate used for transcoding. The method is executable at the central server. The method comprises receiving from a client device, via the network, a request for a portion of the streamed content, the request including an indication of an operational parameter associated with the client device; determining one of the first node and the second node best suited to deliver content to the client device; based on the indication of the operational parameter, determining one of the first transcoded stream and the second transcoded stream best suited for the client device; transmitting to the client device a connection signal, the connection signal including identification of (i) the one of the first node and the second node and (ii) the indication of the one of the of the first transcoded stream and the second transcoded stream.

A coupling device for use in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network may be configured to detect a control message and determine from the message a period for which a cable modem downstream is to be transmitting a desired transmission, disable an upstream path through it when there is only noise incident on the upstream path, and enable the upstream path during the period when a desired transmission from a cable modem downstream of the coupling device is incident on the upstream path. The coupling device may be a trunk amplifier, a distribution amplifier, or a splitter. The coupling device may comprise a single upstream interface coupled to a plurality of downstream interfaces. The enabling and/or disabling may be in response to a signal strength indicated by the SSI being below a threshold.

Methods and apparatus for assigning bandwidth to a network based on two or more different service levels. In an exemplary embodiment, video on-demand (VOD) session requests within a service group of an HFC cable network are assigned bandwidth such that maximum opportunity is given to grant HD VOD request among SD VOD requests, while meeting the goal of minimizing service disruption by spreading the sessions over multiple QAM channels, and limiting the maximum number of active VOD sessions of any kind.