Television Server Transcoding for Multimedia Format Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current televisions have limited support for multimedia formats due to varying chip performance, memory, and storage, leading to restrictions on video formats, resolution, and code rates, making it difficult to play a wide range of multimedia resources.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus where a television connects to a server to transcode multimedia resources into formats supported by the television, using identification information to determine decoding capabilities and transcoding buffer pool queries, allowing for the playback of diverse multimedia formats by invoking appropriate players.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If televisions use hardware decoding based on chip performance and memory, then manufacturing cost is limited and device complexity is reduced, but multimedia format support is limited and adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the television and multimedia resources. The server performs transcoding of multimedia files into formats compatible with the television's hardware capabilities, allowing the television to play diverse multimedia formats without requiring advanced hardware decoding capabilities. This resolves the contradiction by offloading the complex format conversion task to the server while keeping the television's hardware simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If televisions support more multimedia formats through better chip performance and memory, then adaptability improves, but manufacturing cost increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as a mediator that handles the complex transcoding operations, allowing the television to support multiple formats without requiring complex hardware. The television only needs basic playback capabilities, while the server manages the format conversion, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs preliminary transcoding of multimedia files before they are transmitted to the television. By converting files to compatible formats in advance, the television receives pre-processed content that requires minimal processing, reducing the need for high-performance chips and complex hardware architecture.
3Speed
If televisions use hardware decoding for speed and storage space, then processing speed is improved and storage space is reduced, but video format variety and resolution ratio are greatly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The server mediates between the multimedia source and the television by performing transcoding operations. This allows the television to maintain fast hardware decoding for compatible formats while the server handles format conversion for unsupported videos, thus preserving processing speed for supported formats while expanding overall format variety through server-side conversion.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a method and an apparatus for playing an online television program. The method includes: a television obtaining a link address of a multimedia resource and determining whether having an online player capable of playing the multimedia resource; the television establishing a connection with a server based on a determination that the television does not have the online player capable of playing the multimedia resource; and the television sending the link of the multimedia resource to the server, such that the server transcodes the multimedia resource according to the link of the multimedia resource.