Patent ID: 7769829

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: monitoring, via an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) aggregator, a media feed that is an RSS-based media feed, the media feed specifying updates associated with available content, wherein the media feed is an RSS enclosure that includes a Synchronous Media Integration Language (SMIL)-based playlist; based on monitoring the media feed, receiving, at the RSS aggregator via the media feed, a pointer to a content playback file; initiating, via the RSS aggregator, retrieval of the content playback file as specified by the pointer, including receiving the content playback file in a markup language format in which data in the content playback file is tagged according to a markup language standard used by a media player application to execute the content playback file, the content playback file referencing retrievable content and the content playback file including playback instructions that indicate how to playback the retrievable content in the media player application; initiating playback of the available content in accordance with the playback instructions in the content playback file; identifying that the content playback file includes the playback instructions and a corresponding at least one content reference pointer to retrieve the available content based on a file extension associated with the content playback file, the content playback file specifying tags referencing predefined viewing regions in which to display the available content according to tag-based instructions in the content playback file; wherein initiating playback of the available content in accordance with playback instructions includes: parsing the content playback file to identify: i) a pointer in the content playback file to the available content, and ii) the playback instructions in the content playback file; retrieving the available content from a remote location over a respective network as specified by the pointer in the content playback file; and initiating playback of the retrieved available content in accordance with the playback instructions as specified by the content playback file; wherein receiving the pointer to the content playback file additionally includes: receiving an indication that a file type associated with the content playback file is one in which the content playback file includes a set of retrievable instructions and at least one corresponding content reference pointer for playback of the available content.