Patent Publication Number: US-2022224966-A1

Title: Group party view and post viewing digital content creation

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Disclosure 
     The present disclosure generally relates to systems and method for the creation of digital assets during group viewing of media. In particular, the disclosed systems and methods allow viewers to create digital assets of their individual or collective reactions during the viewing of media. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Systems exist to facilitate coordinated group-watching or viewing of online streaming media. While these systems may be used in conjunction with third-party chat platforms, they existing systems often fail to provide lasting mementos from the group viewing party. There is, therefore, a need to provide more and lasting engagement experience in a digital environment associated following the group-watching of online or streaming media. 
     SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED DISCLOSURE 
     [To be completed after claim review] 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary network environment in which a system for the group viewing of streaming media and the creation of digital assets may be implemented. 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary viewer device that may be used in context of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an exemplary host server that may be used in context of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exemplary group-viewing overlay created during the use of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5A  is an exemplary digital asset created during the use of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5B  is an exemplary evaluation digital asset created during the use of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5C  is an exemplary digital asset created during the use of the system of  FIG. 1 , after polling the viewers. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating a digital asset using the system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure describes methods and systems for individual or group-watching video streams. In particular, a multi-panel display of the viewers may be superimposed over the video stream. In various aspects, the multi-panel overlay may be minimized or positioned not to obstruct the video stream. 
     In various aspects, viewer-generated content, including reactions whether physical, audible, or otherwise input at the viewers computing device, may be captured automatically and tracked in real time. Alternatively, viewer-generated content may be timestamped and used to composite the multi-panel overlay from individual viewer streams during or after viewing the streamed media. 
     After viewing the streamed media, the viewer-generated content may be used to form the overlay. Conversely, the overlay itself may be used to create digital content or digital assets at desired time points of the video stream. In one aspect, the creation of the digital assets may be dictated by a real-time or compiled voting system amongst the viewers. Additionally, the disclosed system and methods may refer to viewer privacy settings and default actions that may be taken in response to the results of the voting system. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a network environment  100  in which a system for group viewing of a media stream and creating digital assets therefrom may be implemented. The network environment  100  may include one or more content provider servers  110  that provide streaming content (e.g., video), stored in one or more data base  130 , for distribution (e.g., via video on-demand (VOD) services) using one or more content provider server application program interfaces (APIs)  130 . The network environment  100  may also include a content delivery host server  140 , a public network  150 , and one or more client devices  160 . 
     Content provider servers  110  may maintain and provide media content available for streaming. Such media content may include not only pre-recorded content (e.g., DVR content), but also streams of live broadcasts (e.g., live sporting events, live e-sporting events, broadcast premieres). The content provider servers  110  may be associated with any content provider, such as but not limited to Netflix®, Hulu®, or Amazon Prime, among others that make its content available to be streamed. In various aspects, streaming as used herein may also include the viewing or consumption of media that is downloaded to one or more client devices. 
     The streaming content from content provider server  110  may be provided through a content provider server API  130 , which allows various types of content sources server  110  to communicate over the public network  150 . The content provider server API  130  may be specific to the particular language, operating system, protocols, etc. of the content provider server  110  providing the streaming content. In a network environment  100  that includes multiple different types of content provider servers  110 , there may likewise be a corresponding number of content provider server APIs  130 . 
     The content provider server API  130  therefore facilitates direct or indirect access for each of the client devices  160  to the content hosted by the content provider servers  110 . Additional information, such as metadata, about the accessed content can also be provided by the content provider server API  130  to the client device  160 . As described below, the additional information (i.e. metadata) can be usable to provide details about the content being streamed to the client device  160 . Finally, additional services associated with the accessed content such as chat services, ratings and profiles can be provided from the content provider servers  110  to the client device  160  via the content provider server API  130 . 
     The content provider server API  130  can be accessed by a content delivery host server  140 . The content delivery host server  140  may include a server that provides resources and files related to the media stream, including promotional images and service configurations with client devices  160 . The content delivery host server  140  can also be called upon by the client devices  160  that request to stream or subscribe to specific content. 
     The content provider server API  130  may be accessed by a host server API  170  in order to obtain information about available streaming content for the client device  160 . As described below, the additional information about the content may include metadata describing the available content (e.g., by author, title, genre). The information may also include a location where the content is stored (e.g., URL) so that the viewer device can proceed with retrieving the content from the content provider server  110 . Furthermore, the host server API  170  may include instructions or graphic viewer interfaces for implementing functionalities (e.g., chat) that would allow different client devices  160  to interact with each other. Such instructions may be used by the host server API  170  to provide certain functionalities to the client device  160 . 
     The host server API  170  may be responsible for communicating with the different content provider servers  110  in order to provide that content to the client device  160 . The host server API  170  may carry out instructions, for example, for identifying the format of the media content and formatting the media content to be playable on the client device  160 . Such formatting may include identifying the metadata associated with each of the content then using various different types of conversion techniques so that data stored in one format at the content provider servers  110  may be rendered and displayed on the client devices  160 , which may require a different format. As such, media content of different formats may be provided to and made compatible with client device  160  via the host server API  170 . 
     The public network  150  facilitates communication of the steaming media from content provider server  110  and the host server  140  with the plurality of client devices  160 . The public network  150  can also include one or more private networks, such as, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a network of public/private networks, such as the Internet. The Internet is a broad network of interconnected computers and servers allowing for the transmission and exchange of Internet Protocol (IP) data between viewer devices connected through a network service provider. Examples of network service providers include the public switched telephone network, a cable service provider, a provider of digital subscriber line (DSL) services, or a satellite service provider. 
     The client device  160  may include a plurality of different types of computing devices. For example, the client device  160  may include any number of different gaming consoles, mobile devices, laptops, and desktops. Such client devices  160  may also be configured to access data from other storage media, such as, but not limited to memory cards or disk drives as may be appropriate in the case of downloaded services. Such devices  160  may include standard hardware computing components such as, but not limited to network and media interfaces, non-transitory computer-readable storage (memory), and processors for executing instructions that may be stored in memory. These client devices  160  may also run using a variety of different operating systems (e.g., iOS, Android), applications or computing languages (e.g., C++, JavaScript). An exemplary client device  160  is described in detail herein with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
     The host server  140  further stores and retrieves data from a host database  180 . The host database  180  also stores any digital assets or other content created during or after one or more viewers consumes streaming media at the client device  160 . The database  180  also stores the metadata associated with the media stream being provided to the client devices  160 . The host server  140  can generate metadata to relevant to the viewers&#39; interactions with the hot server  140 . In one example, the metadata can be used to link viewer-generated content at the viewer computing devices  160  for the creation of digital assets  500 . 
       FIG. 2  is an exemplary viewer device  200  that may be used in context of the system of  FIG. 1 . The client device  200  may correspond to client device  160  of  FIG. 1  and may be inclusive of desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile device, console gaming system, etc. The client device  200  is a device that the viewer can utilize to facilitate carrying out features of the present disclosure pertaining to the group-watching of streaming media and the creation of digital assets. In particular, the client device  200  allows the viewer to view the streamed media at any location and time remotely. 
     The client device  200  may include various elements as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . It should be noted that the elements are exemplary and that other aspects may incorporate more or less than the elements illustrated. With reference to  FIG. 2 , the client device  200  includes a main memory  202 , a central processing unit (CPU)  204 , at least one vector unit  206 , a graphics processing unit  208 , an input/output (I/O) processor  210 , an I/O processor memory  212 , a controller interface  214 , a memory card  216 , a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface  218 , and an IEEE interface  220 , an auxiliary (AUX) interface  222  for connecting a tracking device  224 , although other bus standards and interfaces may be utilized. The client device  200  further includes an operating system read-only memory (OS ROM)  226 , a sound processing unit  228 , an optical disc control unit  230 , and a hard disc drive  232 , which are connected via a bus  234  to the I/O processor  210 . The client device  200  further includes at least one tracking device  224 . 
     The tracking device  224  may be a camera, which includes eye-tracking capabilities. The camera may be integrated into or attached as a peripheral device to client device  200 . According to various aspects, typical eye-tracking devices may use infrared non-collimated light reflected from the eye and sensed by a camera or optical sensor. The information is then analyzed to extract eye rotation from changes in reflections. Camera-based trackers focus on one or both eyes and record their movement as the viewer looks at some type of stimulus. Camera-based eye trackers use the center of the pupil and light to create corneal reflections (CRs). The vector between the pupil center and the CR can be used to compute the point of regard on surface or the gaze direction. A simple calibration procedure of the viewer may be needed before using the eye tracker. 
     In other aspects, trackers that are more sensitive may use reflections from the front of the cornea and that back of the lens of the eye as features to track over time. In yet other aspects, even more sensitive trackers image features from inside the eye, including retinal blood vessels, and follow these features as the eye rotates. Most eye tracking devices may use a sampling rate of at least 30 Hz, although 50/60 Hz is most common. Some tracking devises may run as high as 240 Hz, which is needed to capture detail of very rapid eye movement. The foregoing describes example eye-tracking technology that may be used in accordance with the present disclosure. In various aspects, any known eye gaze tracking technology that one skilled in the art would be capable of applying could be used. 
     A range camera may instead be used with the present disclosure to capture gestures made by the viewer and is capable of facial recognition. A range camera is typically used to capture and interpret specific gestures, which allows a hands-free control of an entertainment system. This technology may use an infrared projector, a camera, a depth sensor, and a microchip to track the movement of objects and individuals in three dimensions. This viewer device may also employ a variant of image-based three-dimensional reconstruction. 
     The tracking device  224  may include a microphone integrated into or attached as a peripheral device to client device  200  that captures voice data. The microphone may conduct acoustic source localization and/or ambient noise suppression. The microphones may be usable to receive verbal instructions from the viewer to schedule, retrieve, and display content on the client device  200 . 
     Alternatively, tracking device  224  may be the controller of the viewer device  200 . The controller may use a combination of built-in accelerometers and infrared detection to sense its position in 3D space when pointed at the LEDs in a sensor nearby, attached to, or integrated into the console of the entertainment system. This design allows viewers to control functionalities of the client device  200  with physical gestures as well as button-presses. The controller connects to the client device  200  using wireless technology that allows data exchange over short distances (e.g., 30 feet). The controller may additionally include a “rumble” feature (i.e., a shaking of the controller during certain points in the game) and/or an internal speaker. 
     The controller may additionally or alternatively be designed to capture biometric readings using sensors in the remote to record data including, for example, skin moisture, heart rhythm, and muscle movement. Further still, in various aspects, any technology suitable for measuring and/or capturing motion, facial expressions and/or any other physical or physiological state of a viewer may be used. 
     As noted above, the client device  200  may be an electronic gaming console. Alternatively, the client device  200  may be implemented as a general-purpose computer, a set-top box, or a hand-held gaming device. Further, similar viewer devices may contain more or less operating components. 
     The CPU  204 , the vector unit  206 , the graphics-processing unit  208 , and the I/O processor  210  communicate via a system bus  236 . Further, the CPU  204  communicates with the main memory  202  via a dedicated bus  238 , while the vector unit  206  and the graphics-processing unit  208  may communicate through a dedicated bus  240 . The CPU  204  executes programs stored in the OS ROM  226  and the main memory  202 . The main memory  202  may contain pre-stored programs and programs transferred through the I/O Processor  210  from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical disc (not shown) using the optical disc control unit  230 . The I/O processor  210  primarily controls data exchanges between the various devices of the viewer device  200  including the CPU  204 , the vector unit  206 , the graphics processing unit  208 , and the controller interface  214 . 
     The graphics-processing unit  208  executes graphics instructions received from the CPU  204  and the vector unit  206  to produce images for display on a display device (not shown). For example, the vector unit  206  may transform objects from three-dimensional coordinates to two-dimensional coordinates, and send the two-dimensional coordinates to the graphics-processing unit  208 . Furthermore, the sound processing unit  230  executes instructions to produce sound signals that are outputted to an audio device such as speakers (not shown). 
     A viewer of the client device  200  provides instructions via the controller interface  214  to the CPU  204 . For example, the viewer may instruct the CPU  204  to store certain information on the memory card  216  or instruct the viewer device  200  to perform some specified action. Example controllers associated with the controller interface  214  may include a touch-screen, keyboards, and game controllers. 
     Other devices may be connected to the client device  200  via the USB interface  218 , the IEEE interface  220 , and the AUX interface  222 . Specifically, a tracking device  224 , including a camera or a sensor may be connected to the client device  200  via the AUX interface  222 , while a controller may be connected via the USB interface  218 . In some aspects, a VR headset or related hardware equipment may be communicatively coupled to computing device  200  via one or more computing interfaces. Hardware and related software for implementing an augmented reality (AR) experience may similarly be coupled to computing device  200  via one or more computing interfaces. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an exemplary host server  140  that may be used in context of the system of  FIG. 1 . The host server  140  may include a plurality of different features that facilitates group-viewing and the creation of digital assets. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the host server  140  may include memory  300 , one or more processor  305 , the host server application program interface (API)  140 , a streaming media storage and buffer  310 , a viewer profile module  315 , a viewer reaction module  320 , a social engagement module  325 , a digital asset creation module  330 , a metadata module  335 , a machine learning module  340 , and a communication interfaces  345 . 
     According to one aspect, the host application program interface (API)  140  allows a host to manage how data, including but not limited to the media stream, is distributed to remote viewers. Using the API  140 , an administrator (e.g., developer, gaming platform provider, streaming media aggregator) can customize and modify how the host server operates with respect to what data is retrieved from the content provider server  110 , how the media stream is presented to the client devices, and how digital assets are generated and compiled during viewing of the media stream. 
     The media storage and buffer  310  may be used to store the streaming media temporarily until it can be processed and distributed to viewers. In another aspect, the media storage and buffer may be used to store the viewer-generated content anddigital assets temporarily. 
     The viewer profile module  315  is used to store information about each viewer. In one aspect, viewers may need to create their own profile and sign in to their respective profiles before being allowed to access/view the media content (“streamed media”). The stored viewer profiles would be used by the host server  140  to identify the types of modifications to the media stream or digital assets that can be carried out to better engage the viewer in the viewing experience. 
     The viewer profile module  315  may also store viewer preferences about the distribution of the media viewed on their respective client devices  160 . For example, the viewer profile module  315  can customize preferred views, preferred additional information to be displayed, preferred audio, and even preferred advertisements. The viewer profile module  315  also stores privacy settings and preferences for the viewers. For example, the privacy settings may dictate when or how a viewer&#39;s likeness or other identifying information is incorporated into any group-viewing generated digital assets. In one aspect, a viewer may indicate that they prefer not to be included in any digital assets. Alternatively, a viewer may indicate that they do not wish to be included in digital assets that may be formatted for subsequent sharing. 
     The viewer profile module  315  can also store information about the client devices. This information may identify, for example, the format the media stream would need to be transmitted in order to be compatible with the client device. With all the information about the viewer stored in the viewer profile, the host server  140  would be able to identify the appropriate version of the media stream to be distributed. 
     The viewer reaction module  320  receives and processes viewer-generated content related to a viewer&#39;s reaction to the presented streaming media. The reactions may also include physical movements or facial expressions captured by the tracking device  224 . 
     During group-viewing of the media stream, the viewer reaction module  320  captures data from the viewer&#39;s respective client devices  160 . The viewer reaction module  320 , alone or in conjunction with the metadata module  335 , may synchronize multiple viewer reactions of multiple viewers captured from their respective client devices and the viewed streaming media, such that viewer reactions in response to the same actions or events in the media stream may be correlated to one another. In another aspect, the viewer reaction module  320  may identify a type of reaction made by the viewer and classify the same as a laughing, crying, frightened, or ambivalent, among others. In addition, to physical reactions of the viewer captured by the tracking device  224 , the viewer reaction module  320  may also receive and incorporate text or graphics input by the viewer. 
     The social engagement module  325  facilitates and encourages further engagement with the media stream and social interactions among the viewers at the client devices  160 . In various aspects, the social engagement module  325  may facilitate social interactions between the groups of viewers. For example, the social engagement module  325  may generate a video chat among viewers of the media stream. In one aspect, the members of the video chat may be limited to viewers invited to the video chat. According to one aspect, the digital assets, based on viewer-generated content, may include images or video of the viewers captured during the video chat. In another aspect, the social engagement module  325  may facilitate communication between viewers using chat, email, video chat, or any other suitable communication modalities. 
     In one aspect, the social engagement module  325  may generate a multi panel overlay  400 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , over the streaming media that incorporates real-time streams from the client devices  160  capturing the viewers as the watch the streaming media. The multi panel overlay  400  may be the display of a multi-person video chat among the viewers or the multi panel overlay may be a non-interactive composite of individual video streams recorded in real-time at the various client devices  160 . In various other aspects, the overlay  400  may be formatted for display over the streamed media without obstructing the streamed media. In another aspect, the overlay  400  may be displayed alongside the streamed media; while in other aspects, the overlay  400  is not displayed to viewer&#39;s during the group-viewing yet may be presented during a pause in the streamed media or after the conclusion of the streamed media. 
     The digital asset creation module  330  creates digital assets from the images, video, or other inputs received from the viewers&#39; client devices  160 . The inputs may include physical motions or facial expressions as identified by the tracking device  224 . In one aspect, the digital assets are composed of images of the viewer during certain portions of the media stream. For example, the digital asset  500  may be an image of an individual viewer or a composite image of multiple viewers depicting their reactions to the same portion of the media stream. In another aspect, the digital asset  500  may be a video of one or more viewers reacting to the media stream. In various aspects, the digital asset creation module  330  generates one or more digital asset  500  during viewing of the media stream. Alternatively, the digital asset creation module  330  may generate one or more digital asset  500  at the conclusion of the media stream. 
     The digital asset creation module  330  may further format or otherwise manipulate the viewer-generated content and digital asset for distribution over the public network to other platforms including but not limited to other social network platforms. In one aspect, after generation of the digital asset  500 , viewers may add additional text, audio, or other features to create a meme from the generated digital asset. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5A , a digital asset  500  created during a group viewing of a horror movie, (e.g. The Shining) may depict the viewers  504  A-C all reacting to and being frightened by the same scene in the movie. In one aspect, the frightened reactions may be captured in real time. Alternatively, the viewer reactions may be captured whenever the viewer watches the movie, even if not viewed simultaneously with other viewers. By using timestamps, the digital asset creation module  330  may synchronize the captured viewer reactions to produce the digital asset. As shown in  FIG. 5A , additional indicia  506 , such as text or graphics regarding the group viewing event may be included. The additional indicia  506  may be generated automatically based on the media streamed or the indicia may be input and edited by one or more viewer  504 A-C. 
     The digital asset creation module  330  may also censor or prevent the generation of a digital asset  500  based upon input from one or more viewers. For example, the digital asset creation module  330  may poll each of the viewers after the creation and display of a digital asset  500  to seek approval to publish the asset. The rejection of a digital asset  500  may involve only a single viewer whose captured image is removed from the digital asset or it may reject the entire image if a number of viewers above a pre-determined threshold reject the asset. 
     For example, referring now to  FIGS. 5B and 5C , the digital asset creation module  330  may generate a preliminary digital asset  502 A. As shown, this preliminary digital asset  502 A includes reaction images  508 A-F from multiple viewers. The initial digital asset  502 A also includes polling data  510 A-F to receive input regarding the acceptance or rejection of the reaction image  508 A-F for each viewer. After polling the viewers, a final digital asset  502 B is generated. The final digital asset  502 B, as shown in  FIG. 5C , two of the reaction images are omitted as they were rejected during the polling process. 
     In yet another aspect, the digital asset creation module  330  works in conjunction with the machine learning module  340  to predict the likelihood that a viewer will reject an image or video proposed for inclusion in a digital asset  500 . For example, the machine learning module may help identify a captured image where a viewer has their eyes closed or the image is blurry such that the viewer is likely to vote for rejecting the captured image. Similarly, the digital asset creation module  330  may reference stored viewer profile data to identify any privacy restrictions desired by the viewers. For example, a viewer may require approval for all digital assets before publication and viewing by the other viewers. In another example, a viewer may indicate a preference in their viewer profile for the automatic approval of all captured images. Alternatively, a viewer may automatically opt of the capture of any images or video. 
     The metadata module  335  generates metadata for the media stream and the viewer-generated assets created during the group viewing. Additionally, the generated metadata may be used to synchronize viewer-generated content with the media stream further. The metadata may also be used to recall previous instances of viewer-generated assets, and portions thereof. In another aspect, the metadata module  335  may identify or assign timestamps related to the streaming media and/or in response to the viewer-generated content and inputs. 
     In another aspect, the metadata may be associated with a particular viewer or a group of viewers; while in another aspect, the metadata may be associated with a particular type of reaction in the viewer-generated digital assets. This can be performed, for example, by providing unique labels for the media stream, viewers, and/or the generated digital assets. In this way, the digital assets may be stored separately from the metadata that is generated. However if the digital assets are ever retrieved and viewed by the viewer, the corresponding metadata can be queried and applied accordingly. 
     The machine learning module  360  may be an internal or external artificial intelligence (AI) or other machine learning system trained using any suitable machine learning model, system, or dataset to predict or identify likely viewer preferences and likely actions while viewing the media stream, among others. The machine learning module  360  may also be used to predict viewer reactions and may adjust the tracking device  224  automatically. For example, the machine learning module  360  may determine when a frightening or scary portion of the media stream will displayed and may determine that a full-body reaction by the viewer may occur. Based on this determination, the machine learning module  360  may instruct a tracking device  224  of the viewer&#39;s client device  160  to zoom-out to capture a predicted whole body reaction, such as jumping. Alternatively, the machine learning module  335  may provide instructions to the tracking device  224  to zoom-in on a viewer&#39;s face. The machine learning module  335  may determine the best tracking device  224  settings to capture a likely reaction based upon previous viewer actions, previous digital asset approvals or rejections, historic viewer reactions from all viewers of the media stream or combinations thereof. 
     The communication interface  345  facilitates communication between the various features of the system of  FIG. 1 . For example, this would facilitate transmission of information from the content provider server  110  to the host server  140  and from the host server to the client devices  160 . 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method  600  for generating digital assets during group-watching of a media stream or streaming media. The method  600  may be embodied as executable instructions in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including but not limited to a CD, DVD, or non-volatile memory such as a hard drive. The instructions of the storage medium may be executed by a processor (or processors) to cause various hardware components of a computing device hosting or otherwise accessing the storage medium to perform or aid in performing the method. The steps identified in  FIG. 6  (and the order thereof) are exemplary and may include various alternatives, equivalents, or derivations thereof including but not limited to the order of execution of the same. 
     In method  600 , information may be stored in memory regarding the media content that may be streamed to the client devices  160 . Content, such as but not limited to viewer reactions, may be captured during play of the streamed media content. The captured reactions may be composited into a digital asset  500  that may be subsequently shared on various social media platforms. Additionally, one or more timestamps may be associated with the captured content, such that the media content and the captured content may be synchronized for later streaming and display. In this aspect, the streaming media and generated digital asset  500  may be viewed again by the viewers. Alternatively, an acquaintance of the group viewing the streaming media may view the streaming media at a later time and view the previously generated digital asset or they may capture their own reaction to generate new digital assets. 
     In step  610 , information may be stored in memory regarding a content provider and a media stream. A host may establish a channel or interface for distributing the media stream from the content provider. The host may require authentication information from viewers (e.g., viewer name, password) that allows an account to be established in association with the content distribution interface. In addition, various other devices in the network may subscribe to receive content distributed through the interface. Information regarding the host, the content provider, data regarding the streamed media, and the viewers of the group-viewing event may be maintained in memory. Where certain content providers require a specific subscription (e.g., “premium” cable content), the subscriber device may be required to have a subscription associated with the content provider in order to access content through the channel. 
     In step  620 , media content (e.g., a specified episode of a television program) may be streamed to the client devices  160 . As discussed herein, the media content may include any type of pre-recorded or live media content available to be streamed over a communication network. Such media content may originate from a content provider server  110 , formatted by content provider server API  130  and they are then provided to the client devices through an interface generate by the host server API  170 . In another aspect, the streaming media may be provided to the client device directly from the content provider server or another source, while the host server API  170  communicates with the content provider server or other source at the backend to gather data regarding the streaming media and synchronize the viewer-generated content. 
     In step  630 , content generated by the viewers may be captured during display of the streaming media. In various aspect, the viewer-generated content may include audio or video commentary, viewer reactions, background or other contextual asides, text, graphics and other types of content generated in reaction to the streaming media. Because the viewer-generated content may be produced and captured during play of the streaming media, the timing of the viewer-generated content may be correlated to with the timing of the displayed media. For example, the viewer-generated content may start at a certain point within the timeline of the streaming media. 
     In step  640 , metadata, including one or more timestamps related to the media content may be assigned to the viewer-generated content. Because the viewer-generated content may be responsive to what is being shown as during play of the media content, such viewer-generated content may not make sense or otherwise lack context when played in the absence of the media content or when played out of sync with the media content. As the viewer-generated content is captured, however, one or more timestamps (e.g., reflecting a current point within the timeline of the playing media content) may be associated with certain points within the viewer-generated content. 
     In step  650 , one or more digital assets may be created from the viewer-generated content. In one aspect, the digital asset  500  may be a newly generated digital file that includes a composite image, video, or audio file, among others, that incorporates viewer reactions from one or more viewers that are group-watching the streaming media. In another aspect, the digital asset may be the viewer-generated content as captured directly from the viewer&#39;s client device. 
     In step  660 , the digital asset  500  is transmitted to the client devices  160  for display to the viewers. In one aspect, the digital asset  500  may be displayed to only those viewers that have provided viewer-generated content for the asset. In another aspect, the digital asset may be displayed to all viewers that are group-watching the streaming media. 
     In yet another aspect, each viewer may be polled at step  670  to obtain their approval of the captured viewer-generated content before generation of the digital asset  500 . In another aspect, each viewer may be polled after viewing the digital asset  500 . Alternatively, rather than polling the viewer&#39;s directly, the digital asset creation module  330  may reference stored preferences for respective viewers before generating the digital asset  500 . 
     At step  680 , the digital asset  500  is published for display, storage, or further editing by the viewers at the client devices  160 . After publishing the final digital asset to the client devices, the viewers may use or share the digital asset with others (e.g. through use on social media platforms). 
     The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described aspects were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the technology and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology in various aspects and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the technology be defined by the claim.