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.

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing encoding or decoding of adaptive bitrate streams. In various embodiments, one or more first computing systems may divide a live media content stream into one or more segments, each segment might include a starting segment boundary and an ending segment boundary. The one or more first computing systems might encode the one or more segments into one or more primary adaptive bitrate streams. The one or more first computing systems might also divide the one or more segments of the live media content stream into one or more subsegments. Each subsegment might be less than a length of a corresponding segment of the one or more segments. The one or more first computing systems might the encode and/or a second computing system might decode the one or more subsegments into or from one or more secondary adaptive bitrate streams.

Techniques for allocating bandwidth for low latency content and buffered content are described. In accordance with various embodiments, a bandwidth allocation method is performed at a device (e.g., a server) with one or more processors and a non-transitory memory. The server determines available bandwidth for delivering content to a client device in a stream, where the stream includes low latency content and buffered content. The server further identifies characteristics of the low latency content. The server then allocates a first portion of the available bandwidth to the low latency content and a second portion of the available bandwidth to the buffered content based on the characteristics of the low latency content.

A method and apparatus to create and transmit transport multiplexes comprising one or more levels of service over a network. In one embodiment, the level of service comprises high definition (HD) content or programs, and the transmitted multiplexes are distributed over a plurality of downstream RF carriers in a cable network simultaneously. A head-end architecture for performing the multiplexing and distribution of multiple HD programs over the multiple carriers (i.e., in a “wideband” configuration) is disclosed. CPE having one or more wideband tuners is also disclosed, the CPE being adapted to receive the multiplexed HD content from the various RF carriers, and demultiplex it in order to permit decoding and subsequent viewing by the user. The use of multiple HD source programs with the multiplex advantageously provides for enhanced statistical multiplexing by providing a larger “pool” of constituent inputs and available carriers.

[Problem] In order to improve the likelihood of being able to continue delivery even during degradation of communication quality and improve the efficiency of use of the capability of a transmission path, even with hierarchical encoding having a small number of hierarchies, the present invention comprises: measuring the communication quality of the transmission path with a data receiving device; determining a hierarchical structure of hierarchical data on the basis of the results of measuring the communication quality; generating the hierarchical data of the hierarchical structure by hierarchical encoding of input data; and delivering delivery data of at least some hierarchies of the hierarchical data to the data receiving device.

A server resource provides notification to subscribers in a respective network environment that the content is available for retrieval at a particular bit rate (e.g., a promotional bit rate) or particular level of quality (e.g., promotional level of quality) amongst multiple levels of quality for a limited duration of time. For example, an especially high level of quality (or bit rate) of the content may be available only for the limited duration of time. After making the especially high level of quality of content available for retrieval during a promotional period, the content may be subsequently available for retrieval only at lower levels of quality. Accordingly, one or more configurations as discussed herein include changing the ability to access content encoded at different levels of quality over time.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for a multi-video stream transmission to a client terminal. The systems and methods may include obtaining a multi-video stream including a plurality of video streams, each video stream including multiple key frames characterized by a frame rate and a key frame interval. The systems and methods may include determining a delay time of an initial key frame for each video stream based on a plurality of frame rates and a plurality of key frame intervals of the plurality of video streams. The systems and methods may further include processing the plurality of video streams to determine a desired sending time of the initial key frame in the corresponding video streams based on the delay time of the initial key frame in each video stream. The systems and methods may further include transmitting the plurality of processed video streams to the client terminal.

Embodiments are generally directed to transport controlled video coding. An embodiment of an apparatus includes one or more processors to process data; a memory to store data, including data for video streaming; and a video processing mechanism including an encoder and a transport mechanism, wherein the video processing mechanism is to generate a prediction of channel throughput for a network channel, encode one or more bitstreams based on the prediction, including encoding a plurality of bitstreams including a first bitstream and a second bitstream if the prediction indicates an increase or decrease in channel throughput and encoding a single bitstream if the prediction indicates a stable channel throughput; and select a bitstream of the one or more bitstreams for a current frame.

A system and method for management of bandwidth shared by a plurality of video content encoders is provided. A management service coordinates an unequal allocation of available bandwidth among a set of encoding nodes. The management service can receive measured bandwidth attributes from a plurality of encoding nodes to determine a total available bandwidth. The management service can then allocate the available bandwidth based by applying allocation criteria that can include performance criteria, financial criteria or other prioritization criteria. The management service can then transmit the allocated bandwidth to the encoding nodes.

A method provides for delivering video content from a server to a plurality of media devices is disclosed that distributes accurately excess bandwidth. The method includes: determining, by the server, the bandwidth to allocate to each of the plurality of media devices using a hypertext transfer protocol-based live streaming client model or a need parameter vector and/or measured bandwidth limitations associated with each of the plurality of media devices and providing the allocated bandwidth to each of the plurality of media devices, wherein the video content is transmitted in a plurality of segments from the server, and wherein each segment is transmitted at a bitrate that may vary from segment to segment.