Methods for recognizing thumbnails may include operations of receiving an identification of a thumbnail source for content, receiving the thumbnail, computing a hash value for the thumbnail, and associating the hash value with the thumbnail. Operations for content characterization may include launching an image analysis application, selecting a top level category to apply to a thumbnail, providing the thumbnail to the image analysis application, applying the selected top level category to the thumbnail to determine if the thumbnail satisfies the top level category, if satisfied, associating the top level category with the thumbnail, and repeating the one or more of the above operations with respect to a second category. Operations may include receiving an identification of a node to receive a thumbnail, obtaining a node selected category, receiving a proposed thumbnail to provide to the node, and determining if the proposed thumbnail has been previously recognized and categorized.

Methods for recognizing thumbnails may include operations of receiving an identification of a thumbnail source for content, receiving the thumbnail, computing a hash value for the thumbnail, and associating the hash value with the thumbnail. Operations for content characterization may include launching an image analysis application, selecting a top level category to apply to a thumbnail, providing the thumbnail to the image analysis application, applying the selected top level category to the thumbnail to determine if the thumbnail satisfies the top level category, if satisfied, associating the top level category with the thumbnail, and repeating the one or more of the above operations with respect to a second category. Operations may include receiving an identification of a node to receive a thumbnail, obtaining a node selected category, receiving a proposed thumbnail to provide to the node, and determining if the proposed thumbnail has been previously recognized and categorized.

A method includes: receiving text data and motion data of a virtual object, the motion data including a motion identifier of a specified motion and a start position identifier of a start position that the specified motion starts being in line with text in the text data; generating audio data and expression data of the virtual object according to the text data, and generating facial images of the virtual object according to the expression data; generating a background image sequence containing the specified motion according to the start position identifier and the motion identifier, the background image sequence including at least one background image; performing image fusion processing on the facial images and the at least one background image to obtain one or more live video frames; and synthesizing the live video frames with the audio data into a live video stream in real time.

A method includes: receiving text data and motion data of a virtual object, the motion data including a motion identifier of a specified motion and a start position identifier of a start position that the specified motion starts being in line with text in the text data; generating audio data and expression data of the virtual object according to the text data, and generating facial images of the virtual object according to the expression data; generating a background image sequence containing the specified motion according to the start position identifier and the motion identifier, the background image sequence including at least one background image; performing image fusion processing on the facial images and the at least one background image to obtain one or more live video frames; and synthesizing the live video frames with the audio data into a live video stream in real time.

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.

In one aspect, a method is performed by a computing system that is in communication with a content-presentation device, where the content-presentation device is scheduled to perform, at a modification start-time, a content-modification operation that comprises modifying a modifiable content-segment that the content-presentation device is scheduled to receive. The method includes determining that the content-presentation device has detected, within a predefined time period after the modification start-time and during performance of the content-modification operation, a mismatch between reference fingerprint data representing the modifiable content-segment and query fingerprint data representing content received by the content-presentation device from a tuner device connected to the content-presentation device. The method also includes determining that the mismatch is due to the tuner device having modified the modifiable content-segment before the modification start-time and, in response to determining that the mismatch is due to the tuner device having modified the modifiable content-segment before the modification start-time, performing an action.

In one aspect, a method is performed by a computing system that is in communication with a content-presentation device, where the content-presentation device is scheduled to perform, at a modification start-time, a content-modification operation that comprises modifying a modifiable content-segment that the content-presentation device is scheduled to receive. The method includes determining that the content-presentation device has detected, within a predefined time period after the modification start-time and during performance of the content-modification operation, a mismatch between reference fingerprint data representing the modifiable content-segment and query fingerprint data representing content received by the content-presentation device from a tuner device connected to the content-presentation device. The method also includes determining that the mismatch is due to the tuner device having modified the modifiable content-segment before the modification start-time and, in response to determining that the mismatch is due to the tuner device having modified the modifiable content-segment before the modification start-time, performing an action.

In some embodiments, a method receives a message that identifies an asset being viewed on a video service at a timestamp. The message is associated with a profile identifier and a plurality of messages are received for the profile identifier while using the video service. The method determines a channel identifier for a channel in which the asset is offered during the timestamp and determines whether a channel change occurred based on the channel identifier and a prior channel identifier determined from a prior message in the plurality of messages. When the channel change has occurred, the method stores the channel identifier and timestamp for the profile identifier in a data structure, wherein a list of channels is generated by querying the data structure to determine a set of channel identifiers and timestamps for the profile identifier.

The present disclosure describes specific technical approaches to implementing an arrangement in which two or more individual stories share a common feature or “knot” so as to combine to form a larger overall story, and where the individual stories are presented in different orders to different audiences, with the order of presentation affecting the audience perception of the larger overall story.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for generating videos with characters indicating regions of images are provided. For example, an image containing a first region may be received. At least one characteristic of a character may be obtained. A script containing a first segment of the script may be received. The first segment of the script may be related to the first region of the image. The at least one characteristic of a character and the script may be used to generate a video of the character presenting the script and at least part of the image, where the character visually indicates the first region of the image while presenting the first segment of the script.