An apparatus, system, and method for maintaining a programming lineup of adaptive-bitrate content streaming is provided. The apparatus includes a timeline module configured to maintain a programming lineup of media content available over a network. The media content may comprise a plurality of streamlets. The apparatus also includes at least one data module configured to maintain multi-bitrate streamlet information. The system includes the apparatus and a client module configured to acquire content based upon the programming lineup provided by the timeline module. The method includes maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network, and maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adapting playback bit rate in a content delivery system based on scene complexity of the video content as well as network conditions and other performance factors. A scene complexity map of the video content indicates the complexity levels of different scenes within the video content. Using the scene complexity map, a content player may download scenes of lower scene complexity levels from video streams encoded to lower bit rates to manage the bandwidth consumed to download the video content and allow for the downloading of scenes of higher complexity levels from video streams encoded to higher bit rates.

The present disclosure discloses a method for synchronously pushing a multimedia resource based on a heterogeneous network. The method includes: step 1: obtaining, by a server, end-to-end broadband network delay information or broadband network delay and available bandwidth information of different users; step 2: after receiving a client request, calculating, by the server according to the end-to-end broadband network delay information or the broadband network delay and available bandwidth information of the different users, a moment at which the multimedia resource can be synchronously presented; and step 3: sending, by the server, the multimedia resource after the moment at which the multimedia resource can be synchronously presented, and synchronously playing, by a client, content according to a start presentation time of the multimedia resource, so that broadband content of the different users can be synchronously presented.

Example methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to control digital video bandwidth utilization with a virtualized communication hub are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include monitoring, with a virtual access function of the virtualized communication hub, an aggregate load on a broadband access medium to detect bandwidth utilization events. Disclosed example methods also include sending, from the virtual access function, a first notification message to a virtual set-top box of the virtualized communication hub in response to detecting a first bandwidth utilization event. Disclosed example methods further include adjusting, at the virtual set-top box and based on the first notification message, an output bandwidth for streaming digital media from the virtual set-top box to a physical set-top box via a broadband access medium.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a size of a buffer based on a probability that a rewind request will be received during a currently playing segment of media. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is likely, the system will increase the size of a buffer such that the rewind request can be accommodated using data from the buffer. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is unlikely, the system will decrease the size of the buffer to free resources for other system components.

A method for processing an online video stream may include determining a transmission performance of a network for a queue of video frames, wherein each video frame in the queue may be associated with a priority level. The method may also include determining a maximum discarding level based on the transmission performance of the network. The method may further include removing a target video frame of which the associated priority level is lower than or equal to the maximum discarding level from the queue.

Techniques for prioritization of data streams include transmitting a plurality of data streams to a first device over a network where each data stream is configured to cause the first device to perform a specific function, dynamically detecting a bandwidth limitation limiting an amount of available bandwidth for transmitting the plurality of data streams, dynamically determining bandwidth reduction criteria by identifying a first subset of the plurality of data streams to stop transmitting based on the specific function that each respective data stream causes the first device to perform, temporarily stopping transmitting of the first subset of data streams configured to cause the first device to perform a first set of functions, and continuing to transmit a second subset of data streams not included in the first subset of the data streams to the first device to cause the first device to continue to perform a second set of functions.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a size of a buffer based on a probability that a rewind request will be received during a currently playing segment of media. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is likely, the system will increase the size of a buffer such that the rewind request can be accommodated using data from the buffer. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is unlikely, the system will decrease the size of the buffer to free resources for other system components.

A method for video optimization, terminal and network apparatus. The method includes: receiving, by a network apparatus, a video measurement report, wherein the video measurement report carries radio network layer information and application layer information, and the radio network layer information includes at least one of the following: radio channel quality and radio channel strength; and performing, by the network apparatus, a video optimization strategy according to the video measurement report and returning a video measurement report response, wherein the video measurement report response carries a video optimization instruction.

Provided are an electronic apparatus and a method of operating the same. The electronic apparatus includes: a buffer configured to receive one or more first frames corresponding to a first stream and one or more second frames corresponding to a second stream; and a controller configured to identify the one or more second frames and control the buffer to output the identified one or more second frames, in response to a playback switch event, wherein the controller is configured to identify the one or more second frames based on a time stamp value of the one or more second frames distinguished from a time stamp value of the one or more first frames or a second flag added to the one or more second frames and distinguished from a first flag added to the one or more first frames.