Systems and methods for managing provisioning of keys prior to a key rotation are provided. A license server generates a license that is associated with a renewal time. The renewal time is a time that is prior to a key rotation time, and triggers a receiver device to send a renewal request prior to the key rotation time. The renewal time may be a randomized time prior to the key rotation time that differs for different receiver devices. The license is transmitted to the receiver device. The license server then receives a renewal request from the receiver device that is triggered at the renewal time. The license server generates a next license that comprises a next key, whereby the next key is a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted signal after the key rotation time. The next license is transmitted to the receiver device prior to the key rotation time.

A method of delivering a video sequence in a network, the sequence including a plurality of temporal segments encoded at a plurality of qualities, the method including storing a dataset indicating the relative size of segments of the video stream; computing in dependence on that dataset a time schedule for delivery of the segments, the time schedule indicating a target delivery time for each segment sufficient to deliver all the segments in the sequence in time for decoding and being independent of the encoded quality of each segment; for each segment: setting one or more transmission parameters for the segment in dependence on the target delivery time for the segment and the relative size of the segment; and delivering the segment over the network using the one or more transmission parameters.

The disclosure provides a connection allocation method in a media playing process, including: receiving playing requests initiated by a player embedded in a webpage, wherein the player plays media data in the webpage; storing the received playing requests into a buffering queue to queue according to a receiving sequence of the playing requests; and allocating connections to the playing requests in the buffering queue according to an upper limit of the number of concurrent connections usable for the buffering queue and the receiving sequence, wherein the connections are used for the player to request to-be-played media data. The disclosure further provides a media playing device and a storage medium.

A distributive instructions transmission system for the performing a task the can be generated by request of a user. A user initiates the process by transmitting a request for instructions for the execution of a chosen task to a remote processing center. The indicated task request will be acted upon by one several options. The processing center immediately generate instructions that will result in the execution of the task, check to see if the task is already requested by other users or take steps to make possible execution of the task. Execution of the requested task can involve the generation of an enhance subset of user instructions that is transmitted to one or many different processors. If needed the task can be divided into smaller task (sub-segments). If more than one process is involved, the processor can be located in a single site, or be remote to one another. If more than one processor is involved in the task, each processor will get sub-set of instructions for each sub-segment of the task.

An operating method of an electronic apparatus includes receiving multi-streams that include a first to N-th streams in a descending order of priority, obtaining multi-content corresponding to the multi-streams, and outputting the multi-content in a multi-view mode so that the multi-content corresponding to the multi-streams is respectively output to a plurality of partial screens. The receiving of the multi-streams includes determining a bit rate of each of the multi-streams according to priorities among the multi-streams and buffering each stream at the determined bit rate, and the multi-streams include a main stream having a higher priority and one or more sub-streams having a lower priority than the main stream.

A set-top box with self-monitoring and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, a housing secures a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein, which are communicatively interconnected by a busing architecture. The memory is accessible to the processor, and the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to detect when the television is not being utilized. Responsive thereto, the instructions cause the processor to scan channels received from the television input and generate a composite TV screen image data that may be resolved to a single TV screen image made from an assemblage of TV screen image captures corresponding to the scanned channels.

Assets of broadcast network content are targeted to network users of interest based on location information regarding user equipment devices. Asset providers can specify location targeting criteria via a graphical user interface displaying mapping information. This location targeting criteria can then be compared to location information regarding user equipment devices so that assets are delivered to appropriate devices. The comparison of the location targeting criteria to the device location information can be performed at the user equipment devices or at another location. In the latter case, the assets can be addressed to appropriate user equipment devices or appropriate user equipment devices can be directed to select the asset, which is broadcast via the network. In this manner, assets can be targeted to individual network users on a basis independent of network topology.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and software are described for providing content to a device comprising streaming content and sending content in a non-streaming manner (e.g., by downloading a file containing the content). In some aspects, switching between streaming and downloading may be performed in a dynamic manner during presentation of the content, and may be seamless to the user's viewing experience.

Methods and apparatus are described for delivering streams of media content in ways that smooth out the peaks that might otherwise occur due to the bit rate variations that result from encoding of the media content. This is accomplished by controlling the timing of the transmission of packets of the encoded media content.

A computer-implemented method for preserving video stream quality may include (i) identifying a plurality of video streams being transmitted via a shared connection with limited bandwidth, (ii) determining that viewership of a video stream within the plurality of video streams falls below a popularity threshold, (iii) increasing bandwidth availability for a remainder of the plurality of video streams by ceasing transmission of the video stream with the viewership that falls below the popularity threshold, and (iv) continuing to transmit the remainder of the plurality of video streams via the shared connection with the limited bandwidth. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.