Systems and methods for achieving ad avoidance by selectively switching media streams

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for avoiding playback of an advertisement by selectively switching between media streams. To this end, a media guidance application receives a plurality of media streams from different sources, switches to a first media stream and plays back a first media asset of the first media stream, and determines that an end to playback of the first media asset is imminent. The media guidance application then determines whether a second media stream of the plurality of media streams is within a threshold amount of time of playing back a beginning of a second media asset, and if the second media stream is within the threshold amount of time of playing back the beginning of the second media asset, the media guidance application switches from the first media stream to the second media stream and plays back the second media asset.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Streaming media has become prevalent in users' lives. Over the course of time, the types of sources from which users stream media has grown from simple broadcast sources (e.g., over the air television or radio) to a myriad of other sources, like over-the-top (“OTT”) streaming media providers, Internet media distributers, Internet radio stations, and the like.[0002]As streaming media increases in popularity, streaming media providers seek to increase revenue by embedding advertisements in the media streams (e.g., as commercials that are inserted in between playback of portions of a given program or song). Consumers have responded negatively to such advertising, as it is disruptive to the media consumption experience. Thus, technology was developed to either remove advertisements or make advertisements skippable in recorded versions of streaming media, or to offer users alternative content to an advertisement when an advertisement is detected in stream...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text discusses a media guidance application that can detect when two media assets have overlapping playback and determine which the user prefers. It can then buffer the playback of the second media asset and play it back from the beginning without cutting off the last few seconds of the first media asset. The application can also determine if the user prefers to play the entirety of a given media asset or if they want a seamless switching to non-advertisement media. The technical effects of this application include smoother playback and improved user experience.

Problems solved by technology

Consumers have responded negatively to such advertising, as it is disruptive to the media consumption experience.

Moreover, advertisers and media streaming sources have begun implementing sophisticated technology to disable mechanisms for removing advertisements, thus rendering efforts to thwart avoidance of viewing an advertisement by way of recording or inserting substitute content moot.

In some embodiments, the media guidance application may determine that the second media stream is not within the threshold amount of time of playing back the beginning of the second media asset, and thus, that the second media stream is not a viable stream to switch to.

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