Patent ID: 8549167

Claim:
A computer implemented method of delivering media content to a client device, the method comprising: receiving, by a content server, a request from the client device for media content to be delivered to the client device at a specific format that is compatible with the client device; if the media content is locally available in the specified format, delivering, by the content server, the locally available media content to the client device; and if the media content is not locally available in the specified format: splitting the media content into a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including a high-priority segment and a plurality of low-priority segments, wherein a segment-length of the high-priority segment is selected as a function of performance indicators associated with the plurality of lower-performance computing entities and wherein at the time of splitting the media content into a plurality of segments, dynamically adjusting segment-length of the high-priority segment based on the performance indicators; transmitting the high-priority segment to a selected high-performance computing entity for prioritized conversion of the high-priority segment to the specific format; transmitting the converted high-priority segment to the client device for playback of the media content pertaining to the high-priority segment; transmitting each of the plurality of low-priority segments to one of a plurality of lower-performance computing entities for conversion of each of the low-priority segments to the specified format; and serially transmitting the converted low-priority segments to the client device for to be played back subsequent to the playback of the high-priority segment.