Systems and methods for media packaging

1. A computer-implemented method for packaging media and data for transmission over a broadband communications network link for display at a terminal destination comprising:

collecting a plurality of media segments from a database for transmission to said terminal destination, each of said media segments comprising a fragment of a content message;

creating targeting information for transmission to said terminal destination, said targeting information defining a plurality of versions of said content message formed from two or more of the plurality of media segments and a target segment audience;

packaging said plurality of media segments and said targeting information in a single electronic package file; and

transmitting the single electronic package file and instructions to unpack said single electronic package file, the instructions being configured to instruct said terminal destination to analyze said targeting information to determine which one of the plurality of versions of said content message to assemble based on the target segment audience, assemble one or more of the collected plurality of media segments to generate said content message, and display said assembled content message at said terminal destination in accordance with the targeting information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said unpacking occurs substantially on-demand.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, using an optimizing procedure during said packaging to optimize the size of said package.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein, said media segments are segments of advertisements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said terminal destination is a user's set-top box.

6. A computer-implemented method for unpacking media and data for display at a terminal destination in accordance with targeting instructions, comprising:

receiving over a network a single electronic package file containing a plurality of media segments comprising a fragment of a content message and targeting information defining a plurality of versions of the content message formed from two or more of the plurality of media segments and a target segment audience for each of the plurality of versions of the content message;

unpacking said plurality of media segments and said targeting information from said single electronic package file;

identifying one of said plurality of versions of said content message based upon said targeting information; and

assembling said one of said plurality of versions of said content message from two or more of the plurality of media segments using said targeting information into an assembled content message for display at said terminal destination.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said unpacking takes place substantially on-demand.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said media segments include audio and video segments, and said assembling comprises:

concatenating audio segments,

concatenating video segments,

combining the concatenated audio and video segments; and

forwarding the combined concatenated segments for display.

9. A computer-implemented method for delivering media segments over a broadband network link for display at a terminal destination comprising:

collecting a plurality of media segments from a database for transmission to an intermediate cache server from which a unique transmission path exists to the terminal destination, each of said media segments comprising a fragment of a content message;

creating targeting information for transmission to the intermediate cache server, said targeting information defining a plurality of versions of said content message formed from two or more of the plurality of media segments and a target segment audience;

packaging the collected plurality of media segments and targeting information at a source location into a single electronic package;

transmitting said single electronic package from said source location to said cache server over said broadband network link; and

transmitting instructions to de-package said single electronic package at said intermediate cache server substantially on-demand, the instructions being configured to instruct said terminal destination to analyze said targeting information to determine which one of the plurality of versions of said content message to assemble based on the target segment audience, assemble one or more of the plurality of media segments to generate said content message, and display said assembled content message at said terminal destination in accordance with the targeting information.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising

preprocessing said media segments prior to said transmitting for enabling substantially on-demand de-packaging of said single package at said intermediate cache server.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said preprocessing comprises converting said media segments at said source to a format compatible with a format required at the terminal destination.

12. The method of claim 9 further wherein said packaging comprises creating a package file having at least an index table, media assets, and an assembly table.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said index table comprises at least pointers to the location and lengths of identified media segments in the package file and their type.

14. The method of claim 12 further wherein said assembly table comprises at least instructions regarding a concatenation of media segments for display in different demographic episodes.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said demographic episodes are time periods.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said packaging comprises

creating a plurality of first video files in a first format;

creating a plurality of first audio files in a second format;

converting said first video files to a third format compatible with use at said terminal destination;

converting said first audio files to a fourth format compatible with use at said terminal destination; and

multiplexing said converted files into a packaging file for transmission to an intermediate cache server.

17. The method of claim 16 further wherein said unpacking comprises

de-packaging, at said intermediate cache server, said transmitted package file to generate video media and audio media assets;

concatenating said audio and video assets at said intermediate cache server; and

outputting from said intermediate cache server said concatenated files to a unique signal path to the destination terminal.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said third and fourth formats are formats directly usable at said destination terminal.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said unpacking occurs at said terminal destination.