Embodiments herein describe a content distribution system that removes time-dependent promotional content before providing a recording of a media presentation (e.g., show or program) to a video-on-demand (VOD) provider. To receive Nielsen credit for a subscriber watching a recording of the media presentation using VOD, the recording must be almost the same as the live version of the media presentation which includes the original program content and the commercial advertisements shown during commercial breaks. However, some shows also include promotional content that a telecommunication or cable provider adds to the media presentation to promote other shows or events being broadcasted later. By the time the user views the recording, however, the promotional content may already be outdated. The embodiments herein describe techniques for removing time-dependent promotional content from a media presentation before the recording of the media presentation is sent to VOD providers.

A system and a method render internet multimedia content in a network using an application to render the internet multimedia content and/or locally stored multimedia content on one or more rendering devices in the network. The application may provide web browser functions, such as, for example, receiving, processing, decoding and/or rendering the internet multimedia content. The application may have an enhanced user interface which may enable a user to select the internet multimedia content and a rendering device in the network, send the internet multimedia content to the rendering device and/or control rendering of the internet multimedia content on the rendering device.

Embodiments are provided for replacing media items in a queue of a playback device. An example implementation involves receiving, at the playback device, first data indicating an addition of a first media item to a queue. The playback device determines that the first media item is no longer accessible to the playback device at a later second time. The playback device initiates a query for a media item similar to the first media item and receives second data indicating that a second media item has replaced the first media item in the queue, the second media item being similar to the first media item. In response, the playback device initiates playback of the second media item on the playback device.

In various embodiments, an optimization engine regenerates items included in an interactive page while the user is interacting with the interactive page. In operation, an optimization engine displays a portion of the interactive page during a viewing session. Subsequently, the optimization engine computes a probability distribution for the viewing session over a set of interests based on model parameters and operations performed by the user during the viewing session. The optimization engine then regenerates items that are included in a second portion of the interactive page based on the probability distribution for the viewing session. The optimization engine displays a least a part of the resulting regenerated interactive page. Advantageously, by regenerating items included in the interactive page based on operations performed by the user during the viewing session, the optimization engine reduces the time required for the user to view an item that piques an interest.

Systems and methods for providing a first user with recommendations of media assets for inclusion in a playlist for a second user based on the second user's viewing activity. These systems and methods receive, from the second user, an expression of disinterest in a media asset included in the playlist for the second user, update a user profile associated with the second user based on the expression of disinterest, and determine a recommendation for another media asset based on the updated user profile associated with the second user. The systems and methods provide the recommendation to the first user. By recommending media assets that the second user is least likely to object to, these systems and methods reduce the frequency of disruptive requests for media assets from the second user.

A method and system for rendering a HTTP Live Streaming video stream on a display includes a player receiving a master manifest from a network device in response to selecting a video channel. The player also receives a plurality of variant manifests referenced by the master manifest from the network device, where each of the variant manifests references video files each of which having a different bit rate for the same video stream. The player simultaneously maintains the variant manifests in the player. The player determines an effective start time of the video stream based upon the selecting video channel where the effective start time is a time later than an earliest time referenced in the plurality of variant manifests. The player enables reverse of the video stream based upon one of the variant manifests to as early as the effective start time and not enabling reverse of the video stream based upon one of the variant manifests to a time earlier than the effective start time.

A programming access device such as, for example, a cable or satellite set top box (STB), a digital video recorder (DVR), a personal computer, and/or a digital media receiver automatically optimizes an order of content choices presented in a content listing, such as a program guide display, favorite channel display, and/or a recording listing display based on the past viewing and/or recording history of a current user.

A system that provides for the accessing and playing of media files having differing associated rights such as non-DRM media files, purchased and downloaded media files, subscription download files such as tethered downloads, and subscription streamed DRM files. The system also provides a method and user interface for sharing a media collection among computing devices in communication via a network. The system allows access and playback, from each computing device on a network, of all media files in a media collection, regardless of their associated rights.

Embodiments described herein may involve queue versioning. An example implementation may involve a playback device initiating playback of a queue including one or more first audio streams. A queue identification token stored in data storage represents a current version of the queue. The playback device receives, from a computing system, data representing instructions to add one or more second audio streams to the queue, the instructions including an indication of the one or more second audio streams and a first token representing an expected queue version. The playback device determines whether the expected queue version represented by the first token matches the current version of the queue represented by the queue identification token. If not, the playback device foregoes adding the one or more second audio streams to the queue.

Methods and systems provide synchronized sharing of multimedia between multiple devices. The multiple devices may form an ad-hoc network for sharing of multimedia. In an embodiment, group members may have playlist manipulation privileges such as pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, or adding tracks to the playlist. A system may stream or distribute content according to the shared playlist. Playback may be synchronized for group members so that everyone is exposed to a same part of the content as the same time.