Generating media stream including contextual markers

1 . A method comprising:

receiving a playback manifest identifying media items, the playback manifest including

destination platform information indicating that a destination to which the playback manifest is to be transmitted is an automotive application platform, and

hosted media locations associated with one or more media sources from which the media items identified in the playback manifest are available;

determining whether a first media item of the media items is available at a device co-located with the automotive application platform;

in response to determining that the first media item is available at the device co-located with the automotive application platform, substituting a first hosted media location associated with the first media item in the playback manifest with an updated hosted media location, the updated host media location indicating the device co-located with the automotive application platform;

determining whether a second media item of the media items is unavailable at the device co-located with the automotive application platform; and

in response to determining that the second media item is unavailable at the device co-located with the automotive application platform, leaving unmodified a second hosted media location associated with the second media item.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a first physical location of the automotive application platform and a second physical location of a particular media source associated with a particular hosted media location indicated in the playback manifest;

determining that a particular media item is available from an alternate media source closer in physical proximity to the first physical location of the automotive application platform than a physical proximity of the particular media source is to the first physical location of the automotive application platform; and

substituting the particular hosted media location in the playback manifest with a second updated host media location associated with the alternate media source.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein determining whether the media items are available at the device co-located with the automotive application platform includes:

receiving information indicating local availability of the media items from a wireless device connected to the automotive application platform.

4 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein determining whether the media items are available at the device co-located with the automotive application platform includes:

receiving information indicating local availability of the media items from the automotive application platform.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein:

the device co-located with the automotive application platform includes a memory integral to the automotive application platform.

6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented by a processing device included in a content distribution network.

7 . A device comprising:

memory storing a program of instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the program of instructions to cause the device to:

receive a playback manifest identifying media items, the playback manifest including

destination platform information indicating that a destination to which the playback manifest is to be transmitted is an automotive application platform, and

hosted media locations associated with one or more media sources from which the media items identified in the playback manifest are available;

determine whether a first media item of the media items is available at the device co-located with the automotive application platform;

in response to determining that the first media item is available at the device co-located with the automotive application platform, substitute a first hosted media location associated with the first media item in the playback manifest with an updated hosted media location, the updated host media location indicating the device co-located with the automotive application platform;

determine whether a second media item of the media items is unavailable at the device co-located with the automotive application platform; and

in response to determining that the second media item is unavailable at the device co-located with the automotive application platform, leave unmodified a second hosted media location associated with the second media item.

8 . The device as in claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the program of instructions to further cause the device to:

determine a first physical location of the automotive application platform and a second physical location of a particular media source associated with a particular hosted media location indicated in the playback manifest;

determine that a particular media item is available from an alternate media source closer in physical proximity to the first physical location of the automotive application platform than a physical proximity of the particular media source is to the first physical location of the automotive application platform; and

substitute the particular hosted media location in the playback manifest with a second updated host media location associated with the alternate media source.

9 . The device as in claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the program of instructions to further cause the device to:

receive information indicating local availability of the media items from a wireless device connected to the automotive application platform.

10 . The device as in claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the program of instructions to further cause the device to:

receive information indicating local availability of the media items from the automotive application platform.

11 . The device as in claim 7 , wherein:

the device co-located with the automotive application platform includes a memory integral to the automotive application platform.

12 . The device as in claim 7 , wherein the device is included in a content distribution network.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions configured to be stored in a memory and executed by a processor, the program of instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to receive a playback manifest identifying media items, the playback manifest including

destination platform information indicating that a destination to which the playback manifest is to be transmitted is an automotive application platform, and

hosted media locations associated with one or more media sources from which the media items identified in the playback manifest are available;

at least one instruction to determine whether a first media item of the media items is available at a device co-located with the automotive application platform;

at least one instruction to, in response to determining that the first media item is available at the device co-located with the automotive application platform, substitute a first hosted media location associated with the first media item in the playback manifest with an updated hosted media location, the updated host media location indicating the device co-located with the automotive application platform;

at least one instruction to determine whether a second media item of the media items is unavailable at the device co-located with the automotive application platform; and

at least one instruction to leave unmodified a second hosted media location associated with the second media item in response to determining that the second media item is unavailable at the device co-located with the automotive application platform.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as in claim 13 , wherein the program of instructions further includes:

at least one instruction to determine a first physical location of the automotive application platform and a second physical location of a particular media source associated with a particular hosted media location indicated in the playback manifest;

at least one instruction to determine that a particular media item is available from an alternate media source closer in physical proximity to the first physical location of the automotive application platform than a physical proximity of the particular media source is to the first physical location of the automotive application platform; and

at least one instruction to substitute the particular hosted media location in the playback manifest with a second updated host media location associated with the alternate media source.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as in claim 13 , wherein the program of instructions further includes:

at least one instruction to receive information indicating local availability of the media items from a wireless device connected to the automotive application platform.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as in claim 13 , wherein the program of instructions further includes:

at least one instruction to receive information indicating local availability of the media items from the automotive application platform.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as in claim 13 , wherein:

the device co-located with the automotive application platform includes a memory integral to the automotive application platform.