Patent ID: 6637031
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of presenting time-varying multimedia content, the method comprising:receiving in a buffer a lower quality data stream for an initial portion of the multimedia content wherein the lower quality data stream is received at a rate faster than a real-time playback rate for the multimedia content, the lower quality data stream having been encoded at a bit rate below a transmission rate; receiving in the buffer a higher quality data stream of a subsequent portion of the multimedia content, the higher quality data stream having been encoded at a bit rate that equals the transmission rate; presenting the initial portion of the multimedia content at the real-time playback rate; presenting the subsequent portion of the multimedia content at the real-time playback rate; and wherein receiving the initial portion faster than the real-time playback rate provides for a reduction of the latency due to buffering by a desired amount.