Streaming Media Chunk Recording and Dynamic Ad Insertion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Digital Video Recorder (DVR) solutions cannot record live streaming content effectively due to storage limitations and bandwidth requirements, and they fail to support dynamic playback on different devices, leading to issues like pixelated video and revenue loss for service providers.
Innovation Solution
A media client that records streaming media content in portions or 'chunks', generates a stream manifest file, and allows for dynamic playback by compressing and storing chunks, enabling reconstruction of media content with appropriate resolution and advertising insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional DVR solutions store complete video content in compressed format, then storage capacity is sufficient for recorded content, but live streaming content cannot be recorded due to unbounded nature and storage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the live video stream into discrete time intervals (e.g., 6-second chunks) that are stored individually in the CDN. This allows the system to store only portions of the stream rather than the entire unbounded stream, enabling live recording capability while managing storage resources efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by buffering a predetermined number of chunks (e.g., 10 chunks) in the CDN before playback is requested. This preliminary buffering enables the client to reconstruct and play back the live stream without requiring continuous network connection or complete stream storage, thus enabling recording of unbounded live content.
2Ease of operation
If video client buffers chunks for playback, then live streaming playback is enabled, but the client cannot compress content for local storage due to memory limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The CDN acts as an intermediary between the live stream source and the video client. It stores the buffered chunks and provides them to the client upon request, eliminating the need for the client to maintain large buffers in its limited memory while still enabling smooth playback and recording functionality.
3Manufacturing precision
If recorded content is stored in original resolution, then playback quality is maintained, but subsequent viewings cannot generate additional advertising revenue
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic playback by allowing the client to request specific chunks from the CDN based on playback needs. This dynamic access mechanism enables the system to track viewing history and identify replay scenarios, creating opportunities for dynamic ad insertion and additional advertising revenue while maintaining original video quality.
4Adaptability or versatility
If service provider stores complete live streams for DVR functionality, then recording capability is achieved, but bandwidth requirements and storage costs become unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing complete live streams, the system performs partial action by buffering only a predetermined number of chunks (e.g., 10 chunks) in the CDN. This partial buffering approach provides sufficient content for DVR functionality while dramatically reducing bandwidth and storage resource requirements compared to storing complete streams.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for recording a media stream for use by a rendering device. In one embodiment, a client device records live, unbound streaming media content from a Content Delivery Network (CDN) in "chunks" according to a data structure such as a manifest file. The live media content stream chunks are compressed and stored for later playback. The client device uses information regarding the chunks to generate a local manifest file, which it then uses to reconstruct the media stream. A video client may also dynamically insert and account for updated secondary content (such as advertisements) during each playback instance, thus enabling the service provider to realize commercial opportunities which were previously not possible. Various operational/business rules are also disclosed for e.g., enabling and disabling functions with respect to playback of the content.