Patent ID: 7054774

Claim:
One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps: requesting a sewer to transmit content file data over a network at a first transmission rate; while receiving a portion of the content file data at the first transmission rate, requesting the server to transmit a specific portion of the content file data over the network at a second transmission rate; receiving the specific portion of the content file data from the server at an actual transmission rate which is less than or equal to the second transmission rate; determining if the network can viably support transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate during receipt of the specific portion of the content file data; if the network can viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, requesting the sewer to transmit subsequent content file data at a rate that is not greater than the actual transmission rate; if the network cannot viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, automatically receiving subsequent content file data at the first transmission rate; and wherein the subsequent content file data is content file data that is transmitted after the specific portion of content file data has concluded transmission.