Patent ID: 7802004

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing media content, the method comprising: accessing a first playlist that has a non-canonical format; providing a plurality of translators to translate playlists from a plurality of different native data formats to a canonical data format, the plurality of translators stored in a memory associated with a multimedia client/server device; and invoking one of the translators to translate, via a canonical application program interface (API), the first playlist into the canonical data format and to form a second playlist that is based on the canonical data format, wherein: translating the first playlist into the canonical data format to form the second playlist includes at least inserting streaming media control instructions and data into the first playlist; and the canonical API includes a dynamic override interface for providing dynamic control over media content on the first playlist, the dynamic control comprising a “stop streaming media now” interface for immediately stopping streaming a first media content item to begin streaming a newly specified second media content item by dynamically deleting the first media content item from the second playlist and adding the newly specified second media content item to the second playlist.