Patent ID: 7590752

Claim:
A system for distributing media content from a first media player to other media players that include a second media player, comprising: the first media player configured to: receive a first play-back request for an item of media content from a component of the first media player, wherein the first media player includes a first stream target, in response to the first play-back request, initiate a first process to retrieve at least a part of the item of media content from at least one device selected from the group consisting of the first media player and one or more further devices, output at least said part of the item of media content retrieved as a result of said first process to the first stream target to provide streaming of media content, receive, from a plurality of the other media players, a plurality of further requests for the item of media content that are sent in an uncoordinated order with respect to one another from the plurality of other media players to the first media player, the further requests being received by the first media player after receiving the first play-back request, and in reply to the further requests for the item of media content, transmit one or more parts of the item of media content, retrieved as a result of said first process, to the requesting other media players; and the second media player configured to: receive a second play-back request for the item of media content from a component of the second media player, wherein the second media player includes a second stream target, in response to the second play-back request, initiate a second process to retrieve at least a part of the item of media content from the first media player, the second process including sending a request for at least said part of the item of media content to the first media player, receive at least said part of the item of media content retrieved as a result of said second process, and output at least said part of the received media content to the second stream target to provide streaming of media content; wherein the first media player is adapted to output at least a part of the media content to the first stream target while the second media player outputs at least a part of the media content to the second stream target.