Methods and systems for providing dynamically composed personalized media assets

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a playback device, a plurality of playgraphs for a media item, the media item including a plurality of media item segments, the plurality of playgraphs defining multiple different playback paths between the plurality of media item segments;

receiving a selection input that identifies, from the plurality of playgraphs, a selected playgraph that is designed to present the media item according to a predefined series of media item segments that is arranged in a specified order; and

playing back, on the playback device, the predefined series of media item segments from the media item in the specified order specified in the selected playgraph, such that playback of the media item according to the selected playgraph provides one of a plurality of customized presentations of the media item and includes at least one non-sequential media item segment that is out of order relative to an order in which the plurality of media item segments was initially encoded.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the media item, including its plurality of media item segments, comprises a single data structure.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of media item segments is encoded in a specified initial order.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the media item includes a virtual asset including a unique identifier that ties the virtual asset to the media item and to a specific selected playgraph, the virtual asset created dynamically upon determining that personalization information associated with a user that is associated with the playback device is unavailable.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the media item includes a virtual asset, the virtual asset including a unique identifier that ties the virtual asset to the media item and to a specific selected playgraph that provides a defined playback pathway through the media item segments.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the media item includes a plurality of associated virtual assets.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving the selection input indicating that the media item is to be played back on the playback device;

selecting a specific virtual asset from among the plurality of associated virtual assets; and

presenting the media item on the playback device using the specific selected playgraph identified in the virtual asset.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein a specific virtual asset is selected for presentation on the playback device based on one or more personalization characteristics associated with a user of the playback device.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the specific virtual asset identifies specific media item segments selected to appeal to the user of the playback device.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the specific virtual asset further orders the specific media item segments in a specified playback order that is designed to appeal to the user of the playback device.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the specific virtual asset identifies the specific media item segments and the specified playback order using metadata tags.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the media item comprises a preview of a movie or television show, and wherein the preview includes at least one introductory segment and at least one body segment.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the media item segments are selected from a plurality of different movies or television shows.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving the selection input selecting a specified virtual asset among the plurality of associated virtual assets; and

receiving the unique identifier for the specified virtual asset at the playback device, wherein the playback device plays back the media item according to a stored playgraph that is associated with the specified virtual asset identified by the unique identifier.

15 . A system comprising:

at least one physical processor; and

physical memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one physical processor, cause the at least one physical processor to:

receive, at a playback device, a plurality of playgraphs for a media item, the media item including a plurality of media item segments, the plurality of playgraphs defining multiple different playback paths between the plurality of media item segments;

receive a selection input that identifies, from the plurality of playgraphs, a selected playgraph that is designed to present the media item according to a predefined series of media item segments that is arranged in a specified order; and

play back, on the playback device, the predefined series of media item segments from the media item in the specified order specified in the selected playgraph, such that playback of the media item according to the selected playgraph provides one of a plurality of customized presentations of the media item and includes at least one non-sequential media item segment that is out of order relative to an order in which the plurality of media item segments was initially encoded.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the media item includes a virtual asset, the virtual asset including a unique identifier that ties the virtual asset to the media item and to a specific selected playgraph that provides a defined playback pathway through the media item segments.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the virtual asset is created dynamically upon determining that personalization information associated with a user that is associated with the playback device is unavailable.

18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

tracking which media item segments the user viewed on the playback device; and

adding resulting tracking information to the personalization information associated with the user.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the resulting tracking information notes which media item segments were personalized to the user and which media item segments were randomly selected.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive, at a playback device, a plurality of playgraphs for a media item, the media item including a plurality of media item segments, the plurality of playgraphs defining multiple different playback paths between the plurality of media item segments;

receive a selection input that identifies, from the plurality of playgraphs, a selected playgraph that is designed to present the media item according to a predefined series of media item segments that is arranged in a specified order; and

play back, on the playback device, the predefined series of media item segments from the media item in the specified order specified in the selected playgraph, such that playback of the media item according to the selected playgraph provides one of a plurality of customized presentations of the media item and includes at least one non-sequential media item segment that is out of order relative to an order in which the plurality of media item segments was initially encoded.