Patent ID: 8566887

Claim:
A system for distribution of multimedia content and associated closed-caption data over a packet-switched network, said system comprising: a content source adapted to generate said multimedia content comprising associated closed-caption data; a caption data server; a streaming server; a headend apparatus configured to receive said multimedia content from said content source and provide said multimedia content to said caption data server and to said streaming server, said caption data server configured to extract said caption data from said multimedia content and said streaming server configured to format said multimedia content; and at least one client device in data communication with said streaming server and said caption data server, said at least one client device configured to receive said multimedia content directly from said streaming server and said caption data directly from said caption data server, and display said multimedia content and said caption data in a substantially synchronized form; wherein provision of said multimedia content from said streaming server occurs substantially independent of provision of said caption data from said caption data server; and wherein said substantial synchronization occurs based at least in part on pre-compensation of predictable delays associated with one or more required functions of said network.