Patent ID: 8458362

Claim:
A system comprising: one or more servers each containing a processor and a memory, the one or more servers configured to: receive content encoded in a first format from a distribution network that distributes content from a source to an edge location; transcode the content to a second format; distribute at least a portion of the transcoded content to a plurality of terminals over an access network that connects the plurality of terminals to the one or more servers; store a plurality of copies of the content, each copy encoded in a different format; receive a request for the content from one of the plurality of terminals; select a copy of the content that is compatible with the terminal from which the request was received, wherein the selected copy of the content is the transcoded content that the one or more servers are configured to distribute over the access network; cease distributing the selected copy of the content to the terminal at a point in the content; and begin distributing a portion of a second copy of the content that is encoded in a different format than the selected copy to the terminal, the portion of the second copy beginning at said point in the content.