Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Justin Michael Binns

Marc Joliveau

Charles Benjamin Franklin Waggoner

Matthew James Bordenet

Patrik Schnell

Stefan Christian Richter

Nicholas James Benson

Kenneth Thomas Burford

Joshua B Barnard

Lars Christian Ulness

Terje Kristian Backman

Li Tong

Chris Longo

James Marvin Freeman, Ii

Jim Knowler

Konstantin Wilms

Girish Bansilal Bajaj

Gregory Scott Benjamin

James Eric Knowler

Disclosed are various embodiments for a client application for streaming media. The client application estimates the bandwidth of the client and the latency between the client and a media distribution service. A bit rate for a media stream is determined using the latency, a buffer state, and the estimated bandwidth. A time to send the request is determined using the estimated bandwidth and latency.

Generating requests for streaming media

Techniques are described for switching streaming of media content between content delivery networks (CDNs) during mid-stream. An initial CDN can be used to stream the media content. The performance of a second CDN can be measured by requesting a fragment of the media content as a measurement or test fragment. Streaming of the media content can be switched to the second CDN if its performance is determined to be better than the initial CDN.

Mid-stream content delivery network switching

Disclosed are various embodiments for a service for selecting the bandwidth of a media stream. The service correlates the buffer state of a client with previously communicated portions of the stream. The service then determines a bit rate for subsequent portions of the stream. A manifest may be generated indicating a source for content at the determined bit rate.

Bit rate selection for streaming media

Disclosed are various embodiments for selecting fragments of a media item. An estimated bandwidth for a client is calculated. A confidence score for the estimated bandwidth is determined. When the confidence score falls below a threshold, the estimated bandwidth is modified. A fragment for the media item is selected using the modified estimated bandwidth.

Live stream manifests for on demand content

Techniques are described for balancing traffic among content delivery networks (CDNs). A CDN balancer can analyze CDN performance data and determine CDN balancing ratios used to distribute traffic among the CDNs.

Content delivery network balancer

A technology is described for processing video files using a software container. An example method may include dividing a video file into video segments and distributing the video segments to software containers which provide an isolated environment for a video processing application by creating a virtual container in which the processing application is contained. The video segments are then processed using the video processing application contained in the software containers, and the video file may be reconstructed using processed video segments output by the video processing application.

Video file processing

Image and audio data can be captured over a period of time. The image data can be captured by a plurality of cameras positioned to capture images that sufficiently represent an environment (e.g., a movie set, scene, or office setting). The audio data can be captured over the period of time by a plurality of microphones spatially arranged throughout the environment. The images can be stitched or otherwise combined to generate a three-dimensional representation of the environment and objects in the environment (e.g., people or furniture), where the three-dimensional representation reflects changes (e.g., object movement or changes in lighting) that occurred in the environment over the period. For each period of time, audio data can be mapped to a corresponding region of the environment. Information representing a virtual environment of the three-dimensional representation of the environment can be encoded for device playback and stored.

High resolution 3D content

Techniques are described for facilitating the delivery of digital content using gossip protocols. A group of client devices share information about network conditions in sideband communications using a gossip protocol. Each of the client devices then uses this information to make decisions about how to access content. By providing accurate and current information about network conditions the occurrence of buffering events and/or fatal errors may be significantly reduced or eliminated.

Content delivery using gossip protocols

Techniques are described for generating manifest files for media content playback. A server can dynamically generate manifest files with a selection of quality levels indicated as being available for playback. Factors such as device characteristics, playback history, and more can be used to generate the manifest files.

Dynamic manifests for media content playback

Techniques are described for providing a local cache for media content playback. A proxy device on a local network can store fragments of media content received from a media server in a local cache. Viewer devices on the local network can request the fragments from the local cache when a bandwidth of a communication connection between the viewer devices and the media server degrades.

Local cache for media content playback

Disclosed are various embodiments for requesting fragments of a media item. A latency to a media distribution service and bandwidth for a client are estimated. A time to request a subsequent fragment from the media item is determined. Sources for the fragment are scored and one of the sources is selected. The fragment is requested from the selected source.

Techniques are described for caching dynamic objects for media content playback. A media server can provide a cache key representing a set of instructions used to select a subset of manifest data. The cache key can be provided to a viewer device, which can then contact a content delivery network (CDN) for a dynamic manifest file corresponding to the cache key. The CDN can contact the media server to have the dynamic manifest file generated using the cache key if it is not in its cache.

Dynamic objects caching for media content playback

A technology is described for processing video files using a software container cluster. An example method may include analyzing a video file to identify locations in the video file that may be used to divide the video file into video segments. Each of the video segments may be analyzed to determine an estimated amount of processing capacity used to process each of the video segments and each of the video segments may be assigned to a software container configured with a processing capacity that substantially aligns with the estimated amount of processing capacity used to process the video segment. The video segments may then be scheduled to be processed in parallel using the software containers. After the video segments have been processed, the video file may then be reconstructed from the processed video segments output by the software containers.

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Auburn, WA, United States of America

Justin Michael Binns