There is provided a system and method for the synchronizing on-air commercial programming with interactive applications, providing interactive content synchronized with on-air television programming. There is provided a system comprising a client device with a display device and an input device and running a synchronization application. The client device receives digital data transmitted from a server, and transmits user feedback information generated from user interactions with the digital data back to the server. The digital data are interactive advertisements, such as online social games, that increase users' awareness of the advertised products or messages. The digital data are delivered to the user's client device in synchronization with the broadcasting of on-air television commercials.

There is provided a system and method for the synchronizing on-air commercial programming with interactive applications, providing interactive content synchronized with on-air television programming. There is provided a system comprising a client device with a display device and an input device and running a synchronization application. The client device receives digital data transmitted from a server, and transmits user feedback information generated from user interactions with the digital data back to the server. The digital data are interactive advertisements, such as online social games, that increase users' awareness of the advertised products or messages. The digital data are delivered to the user's client device in synchronization with the broadcasting of on-air television commercials.

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for sharing encoder output of video streams. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining video profiles for each of a plurality of devices. The method further provides determining if two or more of the video profiles are similar by determining if parameters associated with each video profile differ by less than a threshold value. The method further provides transmitting a video stream encoded in a single format to the devices if they have similar profiles and transmitting video streams encoded in different formats to the devices if they do not have similar profiles.

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for sharing encoder output of video streams. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining video profiles for each of a plurality of devices. The method further provides determining if two or more of the video profiles are similar by determining if parameters associated with each video profile differ by less than a threshold value. The method further provides transmitting a video stream encoded in a single format to the devices if they have similar profiles and transmitting video streams encoded in different formats to the devices if they do not have similar profiles.

A method of decoding an enhanced video stream composed of base layer video access units and enhancement layer video access units, each access unit comprising a plurality of syntax structures, includes passing the syntax structures of the base layer access units to a base layer buffer, passing syntax structures of the enhancement layer access units to an enhancement layer buffer, outputting the syntax structures passed to the base layer buffer in a predetermined sequence, outputting the syntax structures passed to the enhancement layer buffer in a predetermined sequence, and recombining the sequences of syntax structures output by the base layer buffer and the enhancement layer buffer respectively to form a complete enhanced access unit, composed of base layer syntax structures and enhancement layer syntax structures in a predetermined sequence.

A method of decoding an enhanced video stream composed of base layer video access units and enhancement layer video access units, each access unit comprising a plurality of syntax structures, includes passing the syntax structures of the base layer access units to a base layer buffer, passing syntax structures of the enhancement layer access units to an enhancement layer buffer, outputting the syntax structures passed to the base layer buffer in a predetermined sequence, outputting the syntax structures passed to the enhancement layer buffer in a predetermined sequence, and recombining the sequences of syntax structures output by the base layer buffer and the enhancement layer buffer respectively to form a complete enhanced access unit, composed of base layer syntax structures and enhancement layer syntax structures in a predetermined sequence.

A method for audio and video synchronization, includes: receiving audio data sent by the video player, wherein the audio data includes more than one audio sampling points; obtaining a network delay change between the audio player and the video player, wherein the network delay change refers to a time difference between the network delay monitored for the first time and the network delay monitored for the last time; determining a total amount of audio data to be adjusted according to the network delay change; and adding audio sampling points to the received audio data or deleting audio sampling points from the received audio data according to the total amount of audio data to be adjusted and a preset adjustment strategy, so that the audio player is synchronized with the video player, and playing the added or deleted audio data.

A method for audio and video synchronization, includes: receiving audio data sent by the video player, wherein the audio data includes more than one audio sampling points; obtaining a network delay change between the audio player and the video player, wherein the network delay change refers to a time difference between the network delay monitored for the first time and the network delay monitored for the last time; determining a total amount of audio data to be adjusted according to the network delay change; and adding audio sampling points to the received audio data or deleting audio sampling points from the received audio data according to the total amount of audio data to be adjusted and a preset adjustment strategy, so that the audio player is synchronized with the video player, and playing the added or deleted audio data.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to broadcast advanced television system committee (ATSC) video in switched digital video (SDV) systems. An example SDV broadcast method includes accessing an instruction to de-multiplex at least one of a plurality of multiple program transport streams, the instruction identifying a first program stream of the plurality of program streams for inclusion and a second program stream of the plurality of program streams for exclusion based on a rating region table (RRT). The plurality of program streams are de-multiplexed according to the instruction.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to broadcast advanced television system committee (ATSC) video in switched digital video (SDV) systems. An example SDV broadcast method includes accessing an instruction to de-multiplex at least one of a plurality of multiple program transport streams, the instruction identifying a first program stream of the plurality of program streams for inclusion and a second program stream of the plurality of program streams for exclusion based on a rating region table (RRT). The plurality of program streams are de-multiplexed according to the instruction.