Harmonic, Inc.

Noam Koren

Martin Raptis Picco

Jeremy Cole Rosenberg

Marcelo C San Martin

Raz Nitzan

Ilan Ben-Zeev

Guo Feng Huang

Shai Bard

Eyal Nitzany

Roughly described, a system and method for delivering video content to a user's client device in a video-on-demand (VOD) system, which includes providing a collection of video segments, the segments having a predefined default sequence; establishing a streaming video session according to a session-oriented protocol; transmitting toward the client device a script executable by the client device, the script operable to transmit navigational codes toward the head-end equipment in response to and indicating user selection among navigational choices; beginning transmission of the video segments in the collection toward the client device in accordance with the default sequence of segments; and in response to receipt of one of the navigational codes, and without tearing down the streaming video session, altering the transmission sequence to jump to the segment that the user selected.

Browsing and viewing video assets using TV set-top box

Approaches for encoding/transcoding of digital video based on subjective video quality preferences or display device characteristics or capabilities. A set of esthetic digital video preferences are received from a user via a user interface. The user may be associated with a supplier or provider of digital video or may be a viewer of the digital video. A video quality profile that describes the set of esthetic digital video preferences or the characteristics or capabilities of a display device is created and stored. Upon determining that a video quality profile is associated with a compressed digital video bit stream, a final rate of compression for the compressed digital video bit stream is determined using one or more video quality profiles. In this way, a user's subjective video quality preferences or the characteristics or capabilities of a display device can be considered in encoding/transcoding digital video.

Encoding/transcoding based on subjective video quality preferences

Approaches for transcoding on-the-fly (TOTF). A digital video is encoded to produce a set of encoding decisions. A video quality profile is created that describes the set of encoding decisions. Upon determining that the video quality profile is associated with a compressed digital video bit stream, a final rate of compression is determined, frame by frame, for the compressed digital video bit stream using the video quality profile. The final rate of compression may be determined either internal or external to an encoder/transcoder. The video quality profile may be created by reviewing a plurality of encoding decisions to determine which encoding decisions merit inclusion based on a variety of criteria.

Transcoding on-the-fly (TOTF)

A data stream processing system receives a transport stream containing single/multiple program/s and receives alternate content. The system identifies portions of the transport stream to replace with the alternate content. An alternate content data stream is generated that includes the alternate content and at least one sync packet. The sync packet enables synchronous replacement of the alternate content into the transport stream. The system then distributes the alternate content data stream.

Modification and distribution of video content

Methods and apparatus to communicate between a local component and a remote component, where the local component is connected to the remote component using a non-deterministic communication link. A local clock is synchronized with a remote clock to within a maximum offset. A rate message from the remote component is received at the local component, where the rate message includes a first time stamp. A data rate is adjusted using the rate message when the time of the local clock substantially matches a time determined using the first time stamp. A data message is sent to the remote component using the adjusted data rate, where the data message includes a second time stamp for use in processing data in the data message. In some implementations, the time determined using the first time stamp is also determined using information about a communication link delay and/or a clock offset.

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Haniel, Israel

Noam Koren