A method is provided to provide configuration information from a broadcast network controller (BNC) to a decoder in an HTTP live streaming (HLS) network. The method includes the steps of: (a) initiating a configuration event notification by the BNC; (b) writing the configuration information as file; (c) announcing the configuration information as a SCTE-104 request; (d) translating the SCTE-104 request into an SCTE-35 message; (e) translating the SCTE-35 message into an HLS playlist file; and (f) retrieving the HLS playlist file at the decoder.

A method for providing media content by a server, the media content comprising media components, each media component comprising initialization data and media data, the method being carried out by the server for a preselection of a plurality of media components, obtaining an indication of which initialization data of the plurality of media components should be used by a client to process media data of the media components of the preselection; and describing the preselection in a media presentation description, the description of the preselection comprising references to each media component of the plurality of media components and the obtained indication.

The playback of video content upon a display is enhanced through the unobtrusive presentation of extrinsic data upon the same display. A video content feature is rendered on a display. A quantity of extrinsic data relevant to a current time in the video content feature is determined based at least in part on viewing history of a user. A graphical element presenting at least a portion of the extrinsic data is rendered on the display while the video content feature is also being rendered on the display.

A method for distributing High Dynamic Range (HDR) content to playback devices for displaying images where the HDR content is encoded to an HDR bitstream and the HDR bitstream is subsequently decoded by a playback device. The HDR bitstream contains auxiliary metadata packets that are based upon the processing capability of the playback device.

A method for decoding a picture block is disclosed. The decoding method comprises: reconstructing reference picture from another reference picture of a decoder picture buffer of a first layer of a multi-layered stream and from data decoded from a second layer of said multi-layered stream and storing said reference picture in a decoder picture buffer of said second layer, wherein said reference picture is indicated as not to be displayed; decoding a flag indicating that a subsequently decoded picture of the second layer is not using any inter-layer prediction; and reconstructing a picture block of said subsequently decoded picture at least from said reference picture.

A MSS chunking method for an MP4 file, an MSS adapter, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are disclosed. The method may include: receiving an MSS download request for downloading of at least one MSS chunk of a first MP4 file; determining, according to MSS chunk indexes and virtual chunk indexes of the first MP4 file, data segments in the first MP4 file corresponding to data of the at least one MSS chunk, each MSS chunk index containing a playing address of a respective MSS chunk of the first MP4 file, and each virtual chunk index containing a correspondence between the data of a respective MSS chunk and a respective one of data segments of the first MP4 file; sending a data segment download request to a media server and receiving data segments; and assembling contents of the data segments to generate the at least one MSS chunk.

In general, in an aspect, versions of representations of segments of a media item are received and temporarily stored on a media playing device. The segments have a sequence. The temporarily stored versions are used in sequence to present at least part of the media item to a user. One or more other versions of representations of segments of the media item are also received and persistently stored on the media playing device. The one or more persistently stored other versions are used to enhance the presentation of at least part of the media item to the user.

A system for facilitating a virtual screening is disclosed. The system identifies a user for participating in a virtual screening of media content. The system generates a unique link for the user to facilitate access to the media content. When the user interacts with the link, the system prompts the user to authenticate with the system and determines whether the authentication was successful. If authentication is successful, the link is associated with an identifier of the user and/or a user device. A request for a key for decrypting the media content and a request for a digitally signed file accessing the media content pursuant to parameters are made. If the digitally signed file is valid, the system applies a watermark to the media content to track the use of the media content and streams the media content to the user. Feedback on the media content is obtained from the user.

A method to provide configuration information from a broadcast network controller (BNC) to a decoder in an HTTP live streaming (HLS) network. The method includes the steps of: (a) initiating a configuration event notification by the BNC; (b) writing the configuration information as file; (c) announcing the configuration information as a SCTE-104 request; (d) translating the SCTE-104 request into an SCTE-35 message; (e) translating the SCTE-35 message into an HLS playlist file; and (f) retrieving the HLS playlist file at the decoder.

A system and method for improved compression of a graphical user interface (GUI) receives a first graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI including a GUI object. The method further includes compressing the first GUI, wherein the compressed first GUI is associated with a first compression ratio; generating a second GUI based on the GUI object of the first GUI, wherein the second GUI is different from the first GUI; compressing the second GUI, wherein the compressed second GUI is associated with a second compression ratio; generating an instruction which when executed configures a computer device to render the second GUI, in response to determining that the second compression ratio is higher than the first compression ratio; and generating an instruction which when executed configures the computer device to render the first GUI, in response to determining that the second compression ratio is lower than the first compression ratio.