Proxy for Streaming Media Manifest Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing streaming media systems face challenges with large manifest file sizes in rolling mode, which can lead to bandwidth consumption and resource burdens on content servers and media players, and hinder trick-play operations such as pause, fast forward, and rewind when accessing portions outside the specified window.
Innovation Solution
A proxy component communicates with the content server on behalf of the media player, predicting and inserting additional media segment URLs into the manifest file, allowing for a reduced manifest file size and improved trick-play capabilities by maintaining a sliding window of media segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a rolling manifest file includes a limited number of media segment URLs defining a sliding window, then the manifest file size is reduced, but trick-play operations cannot access portions outside the specified window
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy component predicts and inserts additional media segment URLs that occur prior to and/or subsequent to the media segment URLs included in the manifest file. This preliminary action of adding URLs beyond the current window allows the manifest file to support trick-play operations (pause, fast forward, rewind) while maintaining a reduced file size through the sliding window approach.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the manifest file includes URLs for all media segments in a program, then complete media access is enabled, but the file size becomes excessively large consuming substantial bandwidth and server resources
Solution Approach 1:
The manifest file is segmented to include only a limited number of media segment URLs that define a sliding window, rather than including all URLs. This segmentation reduces the manifest file size while the proxy component's ability to predict and insert additional URLs ensures that complete media access remains enabled when needed for trick-play operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the proxy component predicts and inserts additional media segment URLs, then trick-play operations are enabled, but the manifest file size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy component performs partial prediction by inserting only the necessary additional media segment URLs that occur prior to and/or subsequent to the included URLs, rather than adding all possible URLs. This partial action enables trick-play operations while minimizing the increase in manifest file size to only what is strictly necessary for the predicted trick-play needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing streaming media content to be rendered by a media player employs a proxy for the media player. The proxy sends a request over a network to a content server. In response, a rolling manifest file is received by the proxy. The manifest file includes a sequence of media segment URLs indicating an ordering of the media segments that create a representation of a portion of the content stream. The URLs follow a predefined naming convention that allows URLs occurring prior to and subsequent to the URLs included in the manifest file to be predicted. The proxy predicts additional URLs that occur prior to and/or subsequent to the URLs included in the manifest file. The manifest file is modified by inserting the additional media segment URLs into the manifest file. The additional URLs are sequentially located before or after the URLs included in the manifest file.