Dynamic Segment Slicing for Reduced Video Playback Delay

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media content playback systems experience significant delays before playback can commence due to the need to download predefined video segments, which can be lengthy and result in unacceptably long wait times for users, and attempts to reduce segment size lead to server performance degradation from increased network calls.

Innovation Solution

A client application dynamically slices the first segment into multiple smaller segments, allowing the video player to initiate playback sooner without increasing network requests, and once playback starts, the original segment size is used, reducing initial delay and network calls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the segment size is reduced to decrease playback delay, then the start time is improved, but the frequency of network calls increases degrading server performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback delayVSAvoidserver performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The first segment is dynamically sliced into multiple smaller sub-segments on the client side, allowing playback to start with just one sub-segment while reducing the need for frequent network calls for smaller segments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the segment size is increased to reduce network calls, then server performance is improved, but the initial playback delay becomes unacceptably long

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveserver performanceVSAvoidinitial playback delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The first segment is dynamically sliced into multiple smaller sub-segments on the client side, allowing playback to start with just one sub-segment while reducing the need for frequent network calls for smaller segments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If two segments are fetched before playback begins, then playback stability is ensured, but the wait time increases directly proportional to download time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback stabilityVSAvoidwait time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The first segment is dynamically sliced into multiple smaller sub-segments on the client side, allowing playback to start with just one sub-segment while reducing the need for frequent network calls for smaller segments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9979926B1Dynamic segment slicing for faster video playback

Publication Date: 2018.05.22 DIRECTV LLC

AI summary

A method, system, computer program product, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to control media content playback and reduce the time to commence playback of streamed media content. A client application receives a playback request to initiate playback of the media content. The client application downloads, from a server, a segment of the media content. The client application slices the segment into multiple smaller segments. The client application provides a subset of the multiple smaller segments to a video player. The subset of multiple smaller segments enable the video player to commence playback of the media content.