PLAYOUT-DEPENDENT UNICAST STREAMING OF DIGITAL VIDEO CONTENT

摘要

A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content involvesproviding a unicast stream to a client in response to the play out status ofthe unicast stream at the client. In particular, a unicast stream is providedto a client based on whether or not the unicast stream is intended for real-time playout at the client. In order to preserve valuable network resources,if the client does not intend the unicast stream for real-time playout, theunicast stream is not provided to the client. Network resources can also beconserved by utilizing one session between a stream server and a client tosupport more than one active unicast stream between the stream server and theclient in the case where at least one of the active unicast streams is notintended for real-time playout at the client.