A picture frame and methods of setup, gifting, and/or use. Network connection allows digital frames to be set up remotely by a first user for a second user. The first user can upload photos from electronic devices or from photo collections of community members before the second user receives the frame device. The frame is thus ready for display upon powering on by the second user. An integrated camera is used to automatically determine an identity of a frame viewer and can capture gesture-based feedback. The displayed photos are automatically shown and/or changed according to the detected viewers. The photos can be filtered and cropped at the receiver side. Clustering photos by content is used to improve display and to respond to photo viewer desires.

Systems and methods for streaming and playing back video having a variety of resolutions, frame rates, and/or sample aspect ratios, where the video streams are encoded at one of a number of maximum bit rate levels, in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a processor, and storage containing data relating combinations of resolution and frame rates to maximum bitrates, where a plurality of resolution and frame rates that are related to the same maximum bitrate form a maximum bitrate level. In addition, an encoding application configures the processor to encode a video stream as a plurality of video streams having different resolutions and frame rates, where the target maximum bitrate used during the encoding is selected based upon the maximum bitrate levels of the resolution and frame rate combinations indicated within the data relating combinations of resolution and frame rates to maximum bitrates.

A system and method are disclosed for communicating video/images from a first electronic device to a second electronic device via a network. The first electronic device can include a digital video camera and the second electronic device can include a mobile electronic device, such as a smart phone. The method can include, with the first electronic device, acquiring a first image (as part of a video) having a first resolution, transmitting the first image with a second resolution to the second electronic device, receiving a cropping parameter from the second electronic device, acquiring a second image (as part of a video), cropping the second image based on the crop parameter resulting in a third image having a third resolution, and transmitting the third image with the third resolution.

Methods and devices for encoding and decoding data streams are disclosed. In some aspects, the data streams are multimedia data streams. One method disclosed includes obtaining, by a client device, a first multimedia data stream and a second multimedia data stream, the second multimedia data stream being a lower fidelity version of the first multimedia data stream, generating, by the client device, a third multimedia data stream based on differences between the first and second multimedia data streams, compressing, by the client device, the second multimedia data stream to generate a first compressed multimedia data stream, compressing, by the client device, the third multimedia data stream to generate a second compressed multimedia data stream; and transmitting, by the client device, the first and second compressed multimedia data steams to the server.

Systems for electronic media distribution includes a differential versioning server configured to receive a first media file including a first set of data with a first set of attributes and a second media file including a second set of data with a second set of attributes, generate a first differential data file as a function of differences between the first media file and the second media file, and generate a first differential metadata file including an encoding data set configured to enable a media decoder to regenerate the second media file by applying the first differential data file to the first media file. Systems for electronic media distribution may also include a receiver communicatively coupled to a differential versioning decoder configured to receive the first media file and the first differential data file and generate the second media file by applying the first differential data file to the first media file.

Techniques are disclosed for converting image frames, such as the image frames of a motion picture, from one aspect ratio to another while predicting the pan and scan framing decisions that a human operator would make. In one configuration, one or more functions for predicting pan and scan framing decisions are determined, at least in part, via machine learning using training data that includes historical pan and scan conversions. The training data may be prepared by extracting features indicating visual and/or audio elements associated with particular shots, among other things. Function(s) may be determined, using machine learning, that take such extracted features as input and output predicted pan and scan framing decisions. Thereafter, the image frames of a received video may be converted between aspect ratios on a shot-by-shot basis, by extracting the same features and using the function(s) to make pan and scan framing predictions.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards reframing videos from one aspect ratio to another aspect ratio while maintaining visibility of regions of interest. A set of regions of interest are determined in frames in a video with a first aspect ratio. The set of regions of interest can be used to estimate an initial camera path. An optimal camera path is determined by leveraging the identified regions of interest using the initial camera path. Sub crops with a second aspect ratio different from the first aspect ratio of the video are identified. The sub crops are placed as designated using the optimal camera path to generate a cropped video with the second aspect ratio.

A method includes receiving, at a server from a user device, a request for media content. The request identifies a first personal quality profile. The method includes identifying, at the server, a version of the media content to send to the user device based on first media quality preferences indicated by the first personal quality profile. The method includes, in response to a determination of unavailability of the version from a content source: retrieving, at the server from the content source, a particular version of the media content; and modifying, at the server, a visual attribute of the particular version to generate the version. The method further includes sending the version from the server to the user device.

A camera system captures an image in a source aspect ratio and applies a transformation to the input image to scale and warp the input image to generate an output image having a target aspect ratio different than the source aspect ratio. The output image has the same field of view as the input image, maintains image resolution, and limits distortion to levels that do not substantially affect the viewing experience. In one embodiment, the output image is non-linearly warped relative to the input image such that a distortion in the output image relative to the input image is greater in a corner region of the output image than a center region of the output image.

Systems and methods for streaming and playing back video having a variety of resolutions, frame rates, and/or sample aspect ratios, where the video streams are encoded at one of a number of maximum bit rate levels, in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a processor, and storage containing data relating combinations of resolution and frame rates to maximum bitrates, where a plurality of resolution and frame rates that are related to the same maximum bitrate form a maximum bitrate level. In addition, an encoding application configures the processor to encode a video stream as a plurality of video streams having different resolutions and frame rates, where the target maximum bitrate used during the encoding is selected based upon the maximum bitrate levels of the resolution and frame rate combinations indicated within the data relating combinations of resolution and frame rates to maximum bitrates.