Apparatus and method for low bandwidth play position previewing of video content

1. A method comprising:

by a remote server, receiving, from a video processor device, a request for video content;

by the remote server, obtaining reduced-resolution thumbnail images corresponding to relative time positions of the requested video content; and

by the remote server, delivering the thumbnail images and also the requested video content to the video processor device to facilitate the video processor device's use of the thumbnail images to locate desired content within the requested video content,

wherein the remote server delivers, to the video processor device, the thumbnail images independently of the requested video content, and

wherein, when the remote server delivers the thumbnail images to the video processor device, the remote server first delivers broadly-time-spaced thumbnail images to the video processor device, and after delivering the broadly-time-spaced thumbnail images to the video processor device, the remote server then delivers additional thumbnail images representing increasing time-resolution detail to the video processor device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

playing the video content;

providing a cursor associated with a relative time position of the video content;

receiving a new cursor position associated with a request for a new relative time position of the video content;

in response to receiving the new cursor position, displaying a thumbnail image that corresponds to the new relative time position; and

transitioning the thumbnail image to a full display image at the new relative time position.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising resuming play of the video content from the new relative time position.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising pausing the video content in response to the request for a new relative time position to form paused video content.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising displaying the paused video content in a reduced resolution format.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising visually emphasizing the thumbnail image using a higher brightness relative to the paused video content.

7. A system comprising:

a remote server device configured to:

receive, from a video processor device, a request for video content;

obtain reduced-resolution thumbnail images corresponding to relative time positions of the requested video content; and

deliver the thumbnail images and also the requested video content to the video processor device to facilitate the video processor device's use of the thumbnail images to locate desired content within the requested video content,

wherein the remote server device delivers, to the video processor device, the thumbnail images independently of the requested video content, and

wherein, when the remote server device delivers the thumbnail images to the video processor device, the remote server device first delivers broadly-time-spaced thumbnail images to the video processor device, and after delivering the broadly-time-spaced thumbnail images to the video processor device, the remote server device then delivers additional thumbnail images representing increasing time-resolution detail to the video processor device.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising the video processor device, wherein the video processor device is configured to:

play the video content;

provide a cursor associated with a relative time position of the video content;

receive a new cursor position associated with a request for a new relative time position of the video content;

in response to receiving the new cursor position, display a thumbnail image that corresponds to the new relative time position; and

transition the thumbnail image to a full display image at the new relative time position.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the video processor device is further configured to resume playing of the video content from the new relative time position.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the video processor device is further configured to pause the video content in response to the request for a new relative time position to form paused video content.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the video processor device is further configured to display the paused video content in a reduced resolution format.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the video processor device is further configured to visually emphasize the thumbnail image using a higher brightness relative to the paused video content.

13. A system comprising:

a first non-transitory computer-readable medium including executable instructions configured to cause a remote server device to:

receive, from a video processor device, a request for video content;

obtain reduced-resolution thumbnail images corresponding to relative time positions of the requested video content; and

deliver the thumbnail images and also the requested video content to the video processor device to facilitate the video processor device's use of the thumbnail images to locate desired content within the requested video content,

wherein the remote server device delivers, to the video processor device, the thumbnail images independently of the requested video content, and

wherein, when the remote server device delivers the thumbnail images to the video processor device, the remote server device first delivers broadly-time-spaced thumbnail images to the video processor device, and after delivering the broadly-time-spaced thumbnail images to the video processor device, the remote server device then delivers additional thumbnail images representing increasing time-resolution detail to the video processor device.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a second non-transitory computer-readable medium including executable instructions configured to cause the video processor device to:

play the video content;

provide a cursor associated with a relative time position of the video content;

receive a new cursor position associated with a request for a new relative time position of the video content;

in response to receiving the new cursor position, display a thumbnail image that corresponds to the new relative time position; and

transition the thumbnail image to a full display image at the new relative time position.