Indication of trickplay availability for selected multimedia stream
View Patent ↗A user is able to select a multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at a multimedia receiver. The availability of one or more trickplay features for the selected multimedia stream is determined in response to the selection of the multimedia stream. A visual indicator, an audible indicator, or both are selectively provided for display/output based on the determined availability status of the corresponding trickplay feature. The selective provision of a trickplay indicator can include providing a first trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is available and providing a second, different trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is unavailable. Alternately, the selective provision of a trickplay indicator includes providing the trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is unavailable and omitting provision of the trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is available, or vice versa.
1. A method comprising:
selecting, at a multimedia receiver, a select multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;
determining, at the multimedia receiver, based on an analysis of an encoding format of the select multimedia stream an availability of a trickplay feature for controlling a presentation of the select multimedia stream; and
responsive to determining the availability of the trickplay feature, presenting a visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
presenting the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and
omitting a presentation of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and
presenting a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as a second visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second visual indicator is different than the first visual indicator in at least one of color, luminosity, transparency, shape, size, or position.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
presenting for display an array of graphical representations, each graphical representation associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the array of graphical representations comprising a select graphical representation associated with the select multimedia stream; and
receiving user input indicating selection of the select graphical representation from the array of graphical representations.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
presenting for display a listing of a plurality of entries, each entry associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the listing comprising a select entry associated with the select multimedia stream; and
receiving user input indicating selection of the select entry from the listing.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presentation of the visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream is a first presentation for a limited time period, and further comprising:
detecting motion of a remote controller associated with the multimedia receiver;
presenting the visual indicator in a second presentation responsive to the detected motion; and
presenting the select multimedia stream for display in response to selection of the select multimedia stream.
8. The method of claim 1 , comprising detecting an aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports the trickplay feature based in part on a source of the select multimedia stream and a buffering capability for the select multimedia stream.
9. The method of claim 1 , comprising detecting than aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports the trickplay feature based in part on a transmission protocol of the select multimedia stream.
10. The method of claim 1 , comprising detecting the aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports the trickplay feature based in part on metadata received at the multimedia receiver in association with the select multimedia stream.
11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of computer instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
selecting a select multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;
detecting an aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports a trickplay feature, wherein the aspect is detected based on an analysis of at least one of an encoding format of the select multimedia stream, a source of the select multimedia stream or metadata associated with the select multimedia stream;
determining according to the detected aspect an availability of the trickplay feature for controlling a presentation of the select multimedia stream; and
responsive to determining the availability of the trickplay feature, presenting a visual indicator indicating an availability of the trickplay feature for the first multimedia stream.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , comprising computer instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
omitting a presentation of the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , comprising computer instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and
presenting a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as a second visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.
14. A method comprising:
receiving, at a multimedia receiver, a plurality of multimedia streams;
detecting, at the multimedia receiver, an aspect of each of the plurality of multimedia streams that characterizes which of the plurality of multimedia streams supports a trickplay feature, wherein the aspect is detected based on an analysis of at least one of an encoding format of the plurality of multimedia streams, a source of the plurality of multimedia streams or metadata associated with the plurality of multimedia streams;
determining, for each multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams, according to the detected aspect of each multimedia stream an availability status of a trickplay feature for the multimedia stream;
presenting a plurality of graphical representations for concurrent display, each graphical representation comprising graphical content of a corresponding multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams; and
for each multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams, selectively presenting a visual indicator for display in association with the corresponding graphical representation, the visual indicator indicating an availability of the trickplay feature for the multimedia stream.
15. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
presenting the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for a corresponding multimedia stream; and
omitting a presentation of the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the corresponding multimedia stream.
16. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for a corresponding multimedia stream; and
presenting a second visual indicator as a second visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the corresponding multimedia stream.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein each graphical representation comprises one of a still image or a video clip.
18. A multimedia receiver comprising: a memory storing computer instructions and being coupled to a processor, wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:
selecting a multimedia stream of a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;
detecting an aspect of the select multimedia stream that characterizes whether the select multimedia stream supports a trickplay feature, wherein the aspect is detected based on an analysis of at least one of an encoding format of the select multimedia stream, a source of the select multimedia stream or metadata associated with the select multimedia stream;
determining according to the detected aspect an availability of the trickplay feature for controlling a presentation of the select multimedia stream; and
responsive to determining the availability of the trickplay feature, presenting a visual indicator for display based on the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream, the visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream.
19. The multimedia receiver of claim 18 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:
presenting the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and
omitting a presentation of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream.
20. The multimedia receiver of claim 19 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:
presenting a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and
presenting a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as a second visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.
21. The multimedia receiver of claim 19 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:
presenting for display an array of graphical representations of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the array of graphical representations comprising a select graphical representation associated with the select multimedia stream; and
receiving user input indicating selection of the select graphical representation from the array of graphical representations.
22. The multimedia receiver of claim 19 wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions performs operations comprising:
presenting a listing of a plurality of entries, each entry associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the listing comprising a select entry associated with the select multimedia stream; and
receiving user input indicating selection of the select entry from the listing.