Efficient streaming format

Abstract

A streaming media system and streaming format that uses a streamlined JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) manifest to enable improved streaming performance over existing streaming formats. The JSON manifest includes global objects that define certain unique (e.g., non-redundant, non-duplicative) global parameters that can pertain to any or all of the audio/video segments, along with a corresponding unique identifier to refer to the global object. The JSON schema also includes respective local objects that define local parameters for each of the audio/video segments, including one or more parameters that refer to a global object using the unique identifier of the global object, as opposed to duplicating information of the global object within the audio/video information objects themselves. As such, the disclosed JSON manifest demonstrates a substantially smaller file size, substantially faster downloading and processing time, and substantially fewer objects being ingested during processing, relative to the manifests of other streaming formats.