Techniques where a computing device such as a smart phone can be leveraged to facilitate ratings data capture through a set top box (“STB”) associated with a content subscription service such as satellite television are described. In an exemplary embodiment, STB channel data can be communicated to the computing device via a personal area network (“PAN”) connection such as Bluetooth. The computing device in turn can forward the STB channel data to a remote server over a wide area network (“WAN”).

A production facility receives program content from a plurality of broadcast feeds over the Internet. In an embodiment, the production facility comprises server on a computer network, such as the Internet. The server comprises computer programs configured to manipulate the audio and video data of the multiple program contents. At the production facility, the program content can be manipulated to produce a production. Program manipulation can comprise at least one of green screen technology, music, graphics, Foley, sound effects, voice over, advertising, or the like. The production is broadcast over the computer network to viewers, where the viewers receive the production. In an embodiment, the production is customized based on the viewers' input received while broadcasting. In other words, the production is customized in real time based at least in part on the interaction of the production with the viewers. In another embodiment, the viewers can further manipulate the program content of the production to create a new production, which can be broadcast over the customized programming system.

Methods and systems are described for a media guidance application that limits the incentive for authorized users to share content with unauthorized users, while still allowing users to access content virtually anywhere. Specifically, the media guidance application allows an authorized user to receive only a portion of a media asset that he or she is authorized to access on a different device, after a designated time period, and/or when the remaining portion of the media asset is inaccessible.

A user is enabled to interact with a virtual world environment using an instant messenger application by enabling a user to enter the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface, generating and managing an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment, monitoring a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment, determining descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring, and providing the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface.

A multimedia content management system includes a mobile computing device and a backend server. The mobile computing device includes a memory programmed with a mobile application, a processor module, a wireless communication module configured to communicate over a wireless communication link, and a first multimedia device configured to capture a first video and a second video. The mobile application is configured to transmit the first video and the second video over the wireless communication link via the wireless communication module. The backend server is communicably coupled to the mobile computing device via the wireless communications link and configured to execute a persistent internet accessible request protocol for receiving, updating, and storing transmitted videos. The multimedia content management system is useful for hosting and remotely managing multimedia content.

Systems and methods for virtual interactions are described. One or more users can view or listen to media, react to the media and share such media experience virtually with others. The media experience can take place synchronously, asynchronously or both.

A proxy service is described for linking a device with a remote server via a mobile application. Accordingly, a portable computer such as a smart phone can execute a mobile application that creates a proxy service through which data can be wirelessly communicated from the device to the portable computer via a personal area network (PAN) and wirelessly communicated from the portable computer to the remote server via a wide area network (WAN). The remote server can also send data to the device via the proxy service in the reverse direction.

One aspect of this disclosure relates a video processing device comprising a processor for processing a manifest file for video streaming for a user. The manifest file comprises at least a plurality of positions defined for a scene that are associated with pre-rendered omnidirectional or volumetric video segments stored on a server system. The manifest file may also contain a plurality of resource locators for retrieving omnidirectional or volumetric video segments from the server system. Each resource locator may be associated with a position defined for the scene. The video processing device may be configured to associate a position of the user with a first position for the scene in the manifest file to retrieve a first omnidirectional or volumetric video segment associated with the first position using a first resource locator from the manifest file.

A method that comprises receiving at a network connected server from a first client terminal, a message comprising, an user application ID of a user selecting a media object using a user interface presented on a display of the first client terminal and the media object, generating a web document which presents a browser user interface and the media object when accessed by a browser, the web document having a network accessible storage address, sending the network accessible storage address from the network connected server to allow a browser installed in a second client terminal to use of the network accessible storage address to display the media object the browser user interface, identifying a usage of the browser user interface for inputting a reaction to the media object by a user of the second client terminal, and forwarding the reaction to the first client terminal using the sender user ID.

A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.