VOD Content Library Segmentation for Persistent User History
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Video On Demand (VOD) systems struggle to maintain user records of watched content programs beyond the rental window, leading to difficulties in tracking and re-accessing previously viewed content.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to maintain a VOD information list, accessible across multiple platforms, where watched content programs are stored with metadata and can be manually managed, allowing users to view, edit, and re-access content even after the rental period has ended, with synchronization across devices and platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional VOD systems use first-in-first-out content removal after rental window, then content library space is optimized, but user access to previously watched content is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The content library is segmented into two distinct parts: a temporary content area that follows traditional FIFO removal policies to optimize space, and a permanent user history library that preserves watched content indefinitely. This segmentation allows the system to maintain both space efficiency and information retention by treating different content types differently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of watched content metadata and maintains it in the user's permanent library, separate from the actual content files. This copying approach preserves user access to content history without requiring permanent storage of the full content, resolving the contradiction between information retention and space optimization.
2Ease of operation
If VOD systems remove content after rental window, then storage resources are freed, but user ability to re-access content is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system copies only the metadata and access information of watched content into the user's permanent library, while the actual content files are stored temporarily. This allows users to easily re-access content through the permanent library without consuming continuous storage resources for the full content, balancing ease of operation with resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically adding watched content to the user's permanent library during the rental period, before the rental window expires. This ensures content is preserved and accessible even after the rental period ends, eliminating the need for users to manually save or manage content across different periods.
3Reliability
If VOD systems maintain content indefinitely, then user library is preserved, but storage capacity is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into temporary content storage and permanent user library storage. Temporary storage holds current rental content with automatic expiration, while permanent storage preserves user history. This segmentation enables indefinite content availability for users without consuming unlimited storage capacity, as temporary content is automatically removed after rental periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards temporary content files after the rental window expires, freeing storage space. Simultaneously, it recovers and preserves the metadata and access information in the user's permanent library. This discarding and recovering process maintains content availability for users while managing storage capacity by releasing space from expired content.
Data Source
AI summary
A content library may be provided. First, a video on demand content program may be received. Then, video on demand information corresponding to the video on demand content program may be added to a video on demand information list. The video on demand information corresponding to the video on demand content program may be maintained in the video on demand information list after a rental window for the video on demand content program is over.