EXCHANGING STREAMING INFORMATION

摘要

Intermediate devices (1) such as server devices receive streaming information (2) from source devices (3) and transmit the streaming information (4) possibly in a time- shifted manner via networks (5) to destination devices (6) such as client devices in client- server-combinations. To offer the time-shifted manner, the intermediate devices (1) comprise circular buffers (16) for storing at least parts of the streaming information (2, 4). By providing the intermediate devices (1) with transmitters (17) for transmitting buffer data (7) to the destination devices (6) and with receivers (18) for receiving request data (8) from the destination devices (6), for example in accordance with a network protocol, with the request data (8) defining sizes of time-shifts expressed at the hand of the buffer data (7), the circular buffers (16) can be used more flexibly by one destination device (6) and can be used by more than one destination device (6) in a relatively flexible environment. The intermediate / destination devices (1, 6) may be universal-plug-and-play-devices and/or digital- living- network-alliance-devices and/or open-internet-protocol-television-forum-devices and/or hybrid-broadcast-broadband-television-devices.