Patent ID: 8219711

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by a server, a content file encoded for a first bit rate; transcoding, by the server, the content file for a plurality of second bit rates, where the plurality of second bit rates are different than the first bit rate; storing, by the server, the content file transcoded at the plurality of second bit rates; receiving, by the server, a request, from a client device, for the content file encoded for an other bit rate that is different from the first bit rate; in response to receiving the request, determining, by the server, a segment of the content file to be transcoded to the other bit rate; determining, by the server, if the other bit rate is equivalent to one of the plurality of second bit rates; determining, by the server and in response to determining that the other bit rate is not equivalent to one of the plurality of second bit rates, one of the plurality of second bit rates that is closest to the other bit rate; transcoding, by the server and using the content file transcoded at the closest one of the plurality of second bit rates, the segment to the other bit rate; and delivering, by the server, the transcoded segment to the client device.