Patent ID: 8352996

Claim:
A method for video playback switching, comprising: accessing a server to retrieve respective index files for a low bit rate version of a video file and a high bit rate version of the video file; instantiating a low bit rate media player for the low bit rate version and a high bit rate media player for the high bit rate version; beginning playback of the video file by the high bit rate media player streaming the high bit rate version from the server; upon an indication of impeded playback conditions, selecting a transition point within the high bit rate version, wherein the transition point indicates where downloading of the high bit rate version stops and where downloading of the low bit rate version begins; positioning the low bit rate media player to begin playback at the transition point; and switching playback of the video file from the high bit rate media player to the low bit rate media player upon encountering the transition point, where after the low bit rate media player streams the low bit rate version from the server, wherein the playback conditions comprise network conditions and local hardware conditions corresponding to a host machine wherein the low bit rate media player and the high bit rate media player are instantiated.