Patent ID: 8625607

Claim:
An apparatus for use in controlling multiplexing operations performed by a single-stage multiplexer in a content delivery network, said apparatus comprising: a computerized device in data communication with said single-stage multiplexer; and at least one management process configured to run on said computerized device, said management process comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to when executed: receive metadata describing individual bandwidth requirements associated with respective ones of a plurality of content; project, based at least in part on said metadata, said bandwidth requirements for said respective ones of said plurality of content at some period in the future; and cause bandwidth allocation to be performed at said single-stage multiplexer for said plurality of content based at least in part on said projection; wherein said bandwidth allocation comprises selection of an optimal version of individual ones of said plurality of content from among a plurality of previously generated content versions for inclusion in a multiplex generated by said single-stage multiplexer; and wherein each of said plurality of previously generated content versions comprises a version of said individual ones of said plurality of content encoded to utilize a different amount of bandwidth.