Patent ID: 8813141
Filing Date: 2014-08-19
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of providing video content, the method comprising: receiving, at a stream server, video content associated with a television stream from a video source, wherein the video content includes a plurality of channels; receiving, at the stream server, a channel change request from a set-top box device via an internet protocol television network, wherein the channel change request indicates a requested channel of the plurality of channels; sending, from the stream server, a primary multicast video stream corresponding to a channel to an internet protocol television video distribution network entity via the internet protocol television network, wherein the primary multicast video stream is associated with a first bandwidth; and sending, from the stream server, a secondary multicast video stream to the internet protocol television video distribution network entity, wherein the secondary multicast video stream is limited to a plurality of I-frames extracted from the primary multicast video stream, wherein transmission from the stream server of each I-frame of the secondary multicast video stream is delayed with respect to a corresponding I-frame of the primary multicast video stream, and wherein the delay is based on an amount of writing time to satisfy a buffer threshold of a video content buffer at the set-top box device to prevent a noticeable time shift of video displayed by the set-top box device when the set-top box device switches from outputting the secondary multicast video stream to outputting the primary multicast video stream.