System and method for a symmetric architecture for multimedia players

摘要

Systems and methods for architectures for a compact and efficient multimedia player are disclosed. These architectures may consist of two threads which operate in parallel to read data over a network and render this data for a user of the multimedia player. Both threads are operable to perform read operations and render operations, however, the two threads do not simultaneously read or render data. The two threads may be kept out of phase via thread synchronization techniques, thus when one thread is reading the other may be rendering and vice versa. If one thread finishes its current phase before the other thread has completed its current phase, then the first thread blocks until the second thread completes its current phase; the threads can then exchange tasks.