Patent ID: 8468571

Claim:
A method for enabling trick plays during a variable bit rate (VBR) playback of a media file transmitted to a user media device as a constant bit rate (CBR) flow, said method comprising: determining a plurality of access points within the media file, wherein the media file is configured to be played back from each of the plurality of access points, each of the plurality of access points being associated with a scene of a plurality of scenes of the media file; calculating a minimum buffer value for each of the plurality of access points, wherein the minimum buffer value identifies a minimum amount of the media file to transmit to the user media device before beginning playback of the media file by the user media device from each of the plurality of access points to substantially ensure that the media file is configured to be played back by the user media device from each of the plurality of access points continuously and uninterruptedly at a variable bit rate; receiving a user selection of an access point of the plurality of access points, wherein the user selection represents a scene chosen by the user from the plurality of scenes; and transmitting the minimum amount of the media file from the selected access point to the user media device before playback of the media file from the selected access point begins.