Multi-media management

摘要

A multimedia provider multicasts a main multimedia stream comprising a mixture of intra and inter frames and multicasts an associated auxiliary stream comprising intra frames. At least a portion of the intra frames in the auxiliary stream are generated based on same multimedia data as at least a portion of the inter frames of the main stream. The provider also transmits a stream information channel comprising information descriptive of time instances of intra frames in the main and auxiliary streams. This information allows a set top box to selectively connect, in connection with session set-up and channel switch, to the main or auxiliary stream to receive an intra frame with as a low delay as possible.

主权项

1. A multimedia providing unit comprising:
a processor; a memory; a transmitter that multicasts, using the processor, a main multimedia stream comprising a mixture of intra frames and inter frames and that multicasts, using the processor, an associated auxiliary stream comprising intra frames, wherein at least a portion of said intra frames of said auxiliary stream are generated based on same multimedia data as at least a portion of said inter frames of said main multimedia stream, and wherein the intra frames of the auxiliary stream are encoded at a same quality level as the intra frames of the main multimedia stream; said transmitter multicasts, using the processor, said main multimedia stream with a defined time delay relative to said auxiliary stream; and a channel provider that provides, using the processor, a stream information channel comprising information descriptive of time instances of intra frames in said main multimedia stream and said auxiliary stream.