Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that includes a processing system including a processor and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, where the operations include receiving a request from a viewer of a content stream to pause the content stream, displaying a pause screen, requesting an advertisement to display during the pause of the content stream, retrieving content for the advertisement, and displaying the advertisement as an overlay on the pause screen. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Methods and systems for selecting and delivering content are provided. More particularly, content can be delivered to an output device from a user device through a device adaptor, such as an over-the-top (OTT) device. The OTT device or devices available to the user device are determined by a communication server. In particular, the OTT device or devices available to the user device are limited to those OTT devices associated with an output device in the user's room, or that the user is otherwise authorized to access.

Methods and systems for selecting and delivering content are provided. More particularly, content can be delivered to an output device from a user device through a device adaptor, such as an over-the-top (OTT) device. The OTT device or devices available to the user device are determined by a communication server. In particular, the OTT device or devices available to the user device are limited to those OTT devices associated with an output device in the user's room, or that the user is otherwise authorized to access.

Described embodiments include a system that includes a network interface and a processor. The processor is configured to identify, via the network interface, a state of congestion in a communication channel between a base station belonging to a cellular network and a client device, to calculate, responsively to the state of congestion, a maximum sustainable encoding bit rate (MSEBR) for a video that is being downloaded by the client device, from a server, via the communication channel, the video being encoded at a plurality of different predefined bit rates, and to inhibit the client device, in response to calculating the MSEBR, from downloading a segment of the video that is encoded at any one of the predefined bit rates that exceeds the MSEBR. Other embodiments are also described.

Described embodiments include a system that includes a network interface and a processor. The processor is configured to identify, via the network interface, a state of congestion in a communication channel between a base station belonging to a cellular network and a client device, to calculate, responsively to the state of congestion, a maximum sustainable encoding bit rate (MSEBR) for a video that is being downloaded by the client device, from a server, via the communication channel, the video being encoded at a plurality of different predefined bit rates, and to inhibit the client device, in response to calculating the MSEBR, from downloading a segment of the video that is encoded at any one of the predefined bit rates that exceeds the MSEBR. Other embodiments are also described.

Switched digital television programming for video-on-demand and other interactive television services are combined utilizing class-based, multi-dimensional decision logic to simultaneously optimize video quality and audio uniformity while minimizing latency during user interactions with the system over an unmanaged network. For example, a method of adapting content-stream bandwidth includes generating a content stream for transmission over an unmanaged network with varying capacity; sending the content stream, via the unmanaged network, toward a client device; monitoring the capacity of the unmanaged network; determining whether an aggregate bandwidth of an upcoming portion of the content stream fits the capacity, wherein the upcoming portion of the content stream corresponds to a respective frame time and includes video content and user-interface data; and, in response to a determination that the aggregate bandwidth does not fit the capacity, reducing a size of the upcoming portion of the content stream.

Switched digital television programming for video-on-demand and other interactive television services are combined utilizing class-based, multi-dimensional decision logic to simultaneously optimize video quality and audio uniformity while minimizing latency during user interactions with the system over an unmanaged network. For example, a method of adapting content-stream bandwidth includes generating a content stream for transmission over an unmanaged network with varying capacity; sending the content stream, via the unmanaged network, toward a client device; monitoring the capacity of the unmanaged network; determining whether an aggregate bandwidth of an upcoming portion of the content stream fits the capacity, wherein the upcoming portion of the content stream corresponds to a respective frame time and includes video content and user-interface data; and, in response to a determination that the aggregate bandwidth does not fit the capacity, reducing a size of the upcoming portion of the content stream.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for tracking presentation of content. In one aspect, a method includes segmenting a video into two or more segments. Each segment of the video can be a variably selected disjoint subset of the video. A client-side video player determines that playback of the video has reached the end of one of the segments. A presentation type for the video is determined, where the presentation type being one of an advertisement presentation or a non-advertisement presentation. The playback data is provided to a server-side data processing apparatus that stores the playback data in a data store. The playback data indicate the presentation type for the video and that playback of the video reached the end of the one of the segments.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for tracking presentation of content. In one aspect, a method includes segmenting a video into two or more segments. Each segment of the video can be a variably selected disjoint subset of the video. A client-side video player determines that playback of the video has reached the end of one of the segments. A presentation type for the video is determined, where the presentation type being one of an advertisement presentation or a non-advertisement presentation. The playback data is provided to a server-side data processing apparatus that stores the playback data in a data store. The playback data indicate the presentation type for the video and that playback of the video reached the end of the one of the segments.

Methods and systems for processing instructions by an online video game hosting system are provided. One example method includes receiving a control signal for a video game. The control signal is received by a server of the online video game hosting system, and the control signal is transmitted from a client device to the server over a network. Then, executing the online video game by the server while receiving the control signal. The executing causes generation of a sequence of video frames and encoding the sequence of video frames to generate a first compressed sequence of video frames and generate a second compressed sequence of video frames. Transmitting the first compressed sequence of video frames to the client device over the network for decoding by the client device to produce a first decoded sequence of video frames for displaying on a display of the client device. Receiving feedback information from the client device, the feedback information used to determine whether one or more of the first compressed sequence of video frames has been successfully decoded at the client device and modifying the encoding of the sequence of video frames in response to the feedback information. The second compressed sequence of video frames are directed to a storage associated with the server and wherein the quality of the second compressed sequence of video frames is higher than a quality of the first compressed sequence of video frames.