Patent ID: 8027560

Claim:
A method for synchronizing digital video and audio playback by at least two video players and at least two audio players in a system, the method comprising: providing digital video and audio data over a digital data network to a plurality of decoders associated with the at least two video players and the at least two audio players, each of the plurality of decoders connected to the digital data network at a different location; and operating each of the plurality of decoders to adjust a local clock of the respective decoder based on a master clock derived from content of the data, set a system delay time in relation to the master clock, the system delay time representing a maximum delay in delivering the digital video and audio data to the plurality of decoders, and adjust video and audio playback based on their respective local clock and the system delay time to substantially synchronize playback of the audio and video data by the at least two audio players and the at least two video players associated with different ones of the plurality of decoders.