Optimally adapting multimedia content for mobile subscriber device playback

摘要

An apparatus and method are disclosed for distributing multimedia content, the method comprising, storing an item of multimedia content as stored multimedia content; firstly transcoding said stored multimedia content for playback on a first multimedia device (104), thereby producing a firstly transcoded version of said stored multimedia content; generating a content ID of said firstly transcoded version of said stored multimedia content; storing said content ID of said firstly transcoded version of said stored multimedia content, as a stored first content ID, in association with said stored multimedia content; receiving an instruction to forward said item of multimedia content to a second multimedia device (104), said instruction comprising a copy of said firstly transcoded version of said stored multimedia content; and performing the following in response to said instruction: accessing said stored multimedia content using said stored first content ID of said firstly transcoded version of said stored multimedia content, said accessing comprising: generating a received content ID of said copy of said firstly transcoded version of said stored multimedia content; and looking up said stored multimedia content by comparing said received content ID with said stored first content ID; and transcoding said stored multimedia content for playback on a second multimedia device (104).