Publishing key frames of a video content item being viewed by a first user to one or more second users

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a first peer device of a first user, key frame information for each of a plurality of key frames of a video content item; and

publishing, by the first peer device, the key frame information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames of the video content item is presented to one or more second users while a corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises extracting the plurality of key frames from the video content item during playback of the video content item at the first peer device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises extracting the plurality of key frames from the video content item prior to playback of the video content item at the first peer device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the plurality of key frames from a remote source.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of key frames are stored at a remote source and the key frame information comprises a reference to the plurality of key frames at the remote source, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the reference to the plurality of key frames.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of key frames are stored at a remote source and the key frame information comprises a reference to each of the plurality of key frames at the remote source, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the references to the plurality of key frames.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the key frame information comprises information identifying a plurality of frames of the video content item as the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the information identifying the plurality of frames of the video content item as the plurality of key frames.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises:

publishing the key frame information for the plurality of key frames all at once; and

subsequently publishing timing information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the one or more second users as the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information on a frame-by-frame basis.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information on a batch-by-batch basis.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information to one or more second peer devices via a network.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information to one or more second peer devices via a centralized social networking service.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the centralized social networking service is a social networking website.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more second users are identified as being related to the first user via a social network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the one or more second users are identified by a buddy list of the first user.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more second users are unrelated to the first user.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information to a central system that distributes the key frame information to at least one of a group consisting of: a centralized social networking service with which the one or more second users are registered, and one or more second peer devices associated with the one or more second users.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information via distributed storage provided by a distributed network formed by a plurality of peer devices including the first peer device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein one or more peer devices associated with the one or more second users obtain the key frame information from the distributed storage such that the plurality of key frames of the video content item are presented to the one or more second users as the corresponding segments of the video content item are viewed by the first user.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of key frames are presented to the one or more second users as part of a user profile of the first user such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented in the user profile of the first user while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein for each second user from the one or more second users, the plurality of key frames are presented to the second user as part of a buddy list of the second user such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented in the buddy list of the second user while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein for each second user from the one or more second users, the plurality of key frames are presented to the second user along with key frames published for a plurality of additional first users as part of a key frame presentation billboard such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented in the key frame presentation billboard while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer device operates as a key frame proxy for a mobile device of the first user, and publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information on behalf of the mobile device of the first user as the video content item is viewed by the first user on the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising inserting an advertisement into the plurality of key frames.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein inserting an advertisement into the plurality of key frames comprises one of a group consisting of:

inserting an advertisement between two successive key frames from the plurality of key frames;

replacing a key frame from the plurality of key frames with an advertisement; and

modifying a key frame from the plurality of key frames to insert an advertisement into the key frame.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein inserting an advertisement into the plurality of key frames comprises:

identifying a high value key frame from the plurality of key frames; and

inserting an advertisement into the plurality of key frames at a location selected from a group consisting of: before the high value key frame, after the high value key frame, and within the high value key frame.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein inserting an advertisement into the plurality of key frames comprises:

identifying a low value key frame from the plurality of key frames; and

replacing the low value key frame with an advertisement.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein inserting an advertisement into the plurality of key frames comprises:

identifying a key frame from the plurality of key frames that is desirable for a product placement advertisement; and

inserting the product placement advertisement into the plurality of key frames at a location selected from a group consisting of: before the key frame identified as being desirable for the product placement advertisement, after the key frame identified as being desirable for the product placement advertisement, and within the key frame identified as being desirable for the product placement advertisement.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information via distributed storage provided by a distributed network formed by a plurality of peer devices including the first peer device, and the method further comprises modifying the key frame information stored in the distributed storage such that an advertisement is inserted into the plurality of key frames.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein modifying the key frame information stored in the distributed storage such that an advertisement is inserted into the plurality of key frames comprises:

determining one or more consumer interests of a plurality of second users comprising the one or more second users consuming key frame information published via the distributed storage for video content items being viewed by a plurality of first users including the first user;

identifying the first user as a highly valued producer;

selecting an advertisement to insert into the plurality of key frames for the video content item being viewed by the first user; and

modifying the key frame information stored in the distributed storage by the first peer device such that the advertisement is inserted into the plurality of key frames published for the video content item being viewed by the first user.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer device is a user device.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer device is a stand-alone device connected between at least one video playback device and a display device, and the method further comprises:

receiving the video content item at the stand-alone device from a video playback device from the at least one video playback device; and

providing the video content item from the stand-alone device to the display device for presentation to the first user.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the one or more second users so long as the corresponding segment of the video content item is being viewed by the first user, the key frame of the plurality of key frames corresponding to the corresponding segment of the video content item being viewed by the first user.

34. A method comprising:

obtaining key frame information published by a first peer device of a first user for each of a plurality of key frames of a video content item; and

presenting the plurality of key frames to one or more second users such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the one or more second users while a corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the plurality of key frames.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the key frame information comprises a reference to the plurality of key frames at a remote source, and presenting the plurality of key frames comprises obtaining the plurality of key frames from the remote source using the reference.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the key frame information comprises, for each key frame from the plurality of key frames, a reference to the key frame at a remote source, and presenting the plurality of key frames comprises obtaining the plurality of key frames from the remote source using the references.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein obtaining the key frame information comprises:

obtaining the key frame information for the plurality of key frames all at once; and

repeatedly obtaining timing information published by the first peer device as the first user views the video content item, wherein the timing information is indicative of a playback position of the first user within the video content item;

wherein presenting the plurality of key frames comprises presenting the plurality of key frames based on the timing information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the one or more second users while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the key frame information on a frame-by-frame basis such that, for each segment of the video content item, the key frame information for a key frame from the plurality of key frames for the segment of the video content item is obtained at a time that enables the key frame to be presented to the one or more second users while the first user is viewing the segment of the video content item.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein presenting the plurality of key frames comprises presenting the plurality of key frames to the one or more second users as part of a user profile of the first user such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented in the user profile of the first user while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein for each second user from the one or more second users, presenting the plurality of key frames comprises presenting the plurality of key frames to the second user as part of a buddy list of the second user such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented in the buddy list of the second user while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein for each second user from the one or more second users, presenting the plurality of key frames comprises presenting the plurality of key frames to the second user along with key frames published for a plurality of additional first users as part of a key frame presentation billboard such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented in the key frame presentation billboard while the corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein for each second user from the one or more second users, obtaining the key frame information comprises:

receiving user input from the second user identifying one or more desired criteria;

obtaining key frame information published by one or more desired users including the first user and one or more of the plurality of additional first users currently viewing or expected to view video content items satisfying the one or more desired criteria; and

for each desired user of the one or more desired users, presenting a plurality of key frames provided by the key frame information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the second user while the desired user is viewing a corresponding segment of the video content item being viewed by the desired user.

44. The method of claim 34 wherein for each second peer device of one or more second peer devices of the one or more second users:

obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the key frame information at the second peer device; and

presenting the plurality of key frames comprises presenting the plurality of key frames to the one or more second users via the one or more second peer devices.

45. The method of claim 34 wherein:

obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the key frame information at a social networking service of the one or more second users; and

presenting the plurality of key frames comprises presenting the plurality of key frames to the one or more second users via the social networking service.

46. The method of claim 34 wherein presenting the plurality of key frames to the one or more second users comprises presenting the plurality of key frames to the one or more second users such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the one or more second users so long as the corresponding segment of the video content item is being viewed by the first user, the key frame of the plurality of key frames corresponding to the corresponding segment of the video content item being viewed by the first user.

47. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a key frame proxy, key frame information for each of a plurality of key frames of a video content item; and

publishing, by the key frame proxy, the key frame information on behalf of a first user of a first device such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames of the video content item is presented to one or more second users while a corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user at the first device.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the first device is a mobile device.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises extracting the plurality of key frames from the video content item.

50. The method of claim 47 wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the plurality of key frames from a remote source.

51. The method of claim 47 wherein the plurality of key frames are stored at a remote source and the key frame information comprises a reference to the plurality of key frames at the remote source, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the reference to the plurality of key frames.

52. The method of claim 47 wherein the plurality of key frames are stored at a remote source and the key frame information comprises a reference to each of the plurality of key frames at the remote source, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the references to the plurality of key frames.

53. The method of claim 47 wherein the key frame information comprises information identifying a plurality of frames of the video content item as the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises obtaining the information identifying the plurality of frames of the video content item as the plurality of key frames.

54. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

receiving, by the key frame proxy, the video content item;

wherein the key frame information comprises the plurality of key frames, and obtaining the key frame information comprises extracting the plurality of key frames from the video content item.

55. The method of claim 54 further comprising providing, by the key frame proxy, the video content item to the first device of the first user.

56. The method of claim 47 further comprising providing, by the key frame proxy, the video content item to the first device of the first user.

57. The method of claim 47 wherein publishing the key frame information comprises publishing the key frame information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames is presented to the one or more second users so long as the corresponding segment of the video content item is being viewed by the first user, the key frame of the plurality of key frames corresponding to the corresponding segment of the video content item being viewed by the first user.

58. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the following steps to be performed:

obtaining, by a first peer device of a first user, key frame information for each of a plurality of key frames of a video content item; and

publishing, by the first peer device, the key frame information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames of the video content item is presented to one or more second users while a corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.

59. A first peer device of a first user comprising:

an obtaining portion configured to obtain key frame information for each of a plurality of key frames of a video content item; and

a publishing portion configured to publish the key frame information such that each key frame of the plurality of key frames of the video content item is presented to one or more second users while a corresponding segment of the video content item is viewed by the first user.