| CPC H04N 21/26258 (2013.01) [H04N 21/2387 (2013.01); H04N 21/2662 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A method comprising:
acquiring, by a processing system including at least one processor, a playlist identifying a plurality of video files and an order in which the plurality of video files is to be played back during a video streaming session on an endpoint device;
obtaining, by the processing system from an operator of a communications network over which the plurality of video files is to be downloaded to the endpoint device, a maximum value of a streaming parameter for the video streaming session;
selecting, by the processing system from among the plurality of video files, a subsequent video file, wherein the subsequent video file is scheduled in the playlist for playback after a playback of a currently playing video file of the plurality of video files ends, and wherein the subsequent video file includes a second plurality of chunks;
selecting, by the processing system for each chunk of the second plurality of chunks, a variant, such that a second plurality of variants is selected in which each variant of the second plurality of variants corresponds to one chunk of the second plurality of chunks, wherein the selecting the variant is based on both the maximum value and a measured value for the streaming parameter;
downloading, by the processing system, the second plurality of variants to a local buffer of the endpoint device;
selecting, by the processing system from among the plurality of video files, another subsequent video file, wherein the another subsequent video file is scheduled in the playlist for playback after a playback of the subsequent video file ends, and wherein the another subsequent video file includes a third plurality of chunks;
selecting, by the processing system for each chunk of the third plurality of chunks, a variant, such that a third plurality of variants is selected in which each variant of the third plurality of variants corresponds to one chunk of the third plurality of chunks, wherein the selecting for each chunk of the third plurality of chunks is based on both the maximum value and the measured value for the streaming parameter, and wherein the selecting the third plurality of variants maximizes a utility function for the video streaming session; and
downloading, by the processing system, the third plurality of variants to the local buffer of the endpoint device simultaneously with downloading the second plurality of variants.
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