Google Inc.

Intel Corporation

Realnetworks Gmbh

Aaron James Colwell

Amol Shukla

Andrew Scherkus

Francis William Galligan

David Kimbal Dorwin

An adaptive variable fidelity media provision system and method are provided herein.

Adaptive variable fidelity media distribution system and method

This disclosure relates to adaptive streaming for legacy media frameworks. A streaming component includes a reception component that receives a first set of header data associated with an audio stream, and a second set of header data associated with a video stream. A parsing component synthesizes a third set of header data using the first set of header data and the second set of header data based on a set of header criteria for a legacy media framework, and provides the third set of header data to the legacy media framework. A download component acquires respective sets of data from the audio stream and the video stream, and an adaption component provides sets of data to the legacy media framework based on a set of streaming criteria for the legacy media framework.

Adaptive streaming for legacy media frameworks

A system and method provides adaptively streaming a video over a content delivery network. A client sends a streaming request for a first portion of the video to a computer server, where the video has multiple video chunks, and each video chunk has one or more streaming parameters (e.g., priority and bitrate). The computer server retrieves the requested portion of the video and streams the first portion of the video over a content delivery network. The client monitors the video chunks received from the computer server and determines the video quality of the next portion of the video based on the monitoring. Responsive to the condition of the content delivery network being able to support streaming the next portion of the video with higher quality, the client updates the default video quality and requests the next portion of the video with the updated default video quality.

Adaptive video streaming over a content delivery network

Systems and methods for initiating presentation of media content prior to receiving seek index data associated with the media content. In particular, if necessary, the seek index data can be received after playback and/or presentation of the media content begins. Thus, delays associated with obtaining or otherwise processing seek index data can be reduced or postponed or in cases of adaptive streaming, higher quality presentation of the media content can be achieved.

Initiating media presentation prior to receiving seek index data

Embodiments are directed towards enabling a portion of a protected content stream to be played in a degraded quality or experience at a client device when a key and/or license for some other portion of the content stream is unobtainable, or is not obtained by the client device. A content stream has a plurality of layers, with a baseline layer having a lowest quality level of the plurality of layers that is unencrypted, while at least one other layer is encrypted. When the key to decrypt the encrypted layer(s) is unobtained, at least the baseline unencrypted layer is allowed to still play at the client device.

Allowing degraded play of protected content using scalable codecs when key/license is not obtained

A layered media stream comprising media information layers of different priorities may be adaptively distributed by transmitting at least one of the media information layers to a client on a time-windowed basis. A client device obtains different media information layers during various time windows, and different portions of the media stream may be rendered using different combinations of layers obtained in each time window. In various embodiments, different layers may be obtained from different hosting devices using differing distribution models.

A layered media stream may be distributed via a managed server and a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. At least one base layer typically provides a lower-quality media stream, while one or more enhancement layers provide improvements to the media stream. A managed server may provide a base layer to clients. The managed server may also provide enhancement layers through the P2P network. The availability of the enhancement layers may provide clients with an incentive to participate in the P2P network. In some cases, when demand for the media stream is low, the managed server may provide all layers to clients in a traditional client-server network model. When demand for the media stream is high, the managed server may provide only the base layer, making enhancement layers available via the P2P network.

Variable fidelity media provision system and method

A layered media stream comprising media information layers of different priorities may be adaptively distributed by transmitting at least one of the media information layers to a client on a time-windowed basis. Within each time window, the transmission of the media information layers is attempted in priority order and lower priority layers are transmitted as network conditions allow.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Aaron James Colwell