Patent ID: 8229287

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving input to play video content in an abridging mode, wherein the abridging mode presents an abridged version of the video content, and in response, playing the video content in the abridging mode; and while playing the video content in the abridging mode, receiving input to switch from the abridging mode to an expanding mode, wherein the expanding mode presents a longer and more detailed version of the video content than the abridging mode does, and in response, playing the video content in the expanding mode; wherein both the input to play video content in an abridging mode, and the input to switch from the abridging mode to an expanding mode, are generated via an interactive control element of a displayed interactive timeline interface; wherein the timeline interface, during the playing of the video content, dynamically performs: synchronously displaying one or more elements of the timeline interface which visibly represent the video content and which are visibly synchronized with the playing of the video content; receiving input to the interactive control element to change the playing of the video content from one level of abridgement to another level of abridgement; and adjusting one or more portions of the timeline interface to visibly and dynamically reflect the playing of the video content at a changed level of abridgement.