Real-time transport protocol ad cue extensions

1. One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method for delivering an ad to a user of a primary media stream, the method comprising:

receiving a primary media stream that includes a transport protocol;

identifying a cue point, defined in the transport protocol, for an ad to be inserted into at least one of the primary media stream or a secondary media stream, wherein the transport protocol includes an ad-type field that indicates a type of ad format that is allowable in response to the cue point;

decoding a group of timing bits in the transport protocol to determine a delivery time of the ad with respect to a content of the primary stream;

decoding a group of bits within the transport protocol to determine a starting point and an ending point of the ad with respect to a point in the primary media stream;

selecting at least one of the primary media stream or the secondary media stream based on information in the transport protocol;

selecting the ad based at least on the type of ad format that is allowable;

inserting the ad by way of a splicer in at least one of the primary media stream or the secondary media stream that was selected, wherein the splicer is further operable to direct the media presentation device to retrieve the ad from the external source; and

delivering the ad to the user.

2. The one or more nontransitory computer readable media of claim 1 , the method further comprising initiating the secondary media stream in response to the cue point in the transport protocol.

3. The one or more nontransitory computer readable media of claim 1 , wherein the primary media stream and the secondary media stream are selected from a group including unicast streams and multicast streams.

4. The one or more nontransitory computer readable media of claim 1 , wherein the primary media stream includes at least one of a video or an audio within the transport protocol.

5. A system for delivering an ad to a user of a primary media stream, the system comprising:

the primary media stream connected to a splicer;

a transport protocol within the primary media stream, wherein the transport protocol defines a cue point at which the ad is to be delivered to the user, wherein the transport protocol includes one or more fields that define attributes of the cue point, wherein within the transport protocol is encoded a group of bits specifying at least one of a starting point and an ending point of the ad, with respect to a point in the primary media stream;

a media presentation device operable to:

A) receive at least one of the primary media stream or a secondary media stream,

B) retrieve the ad from an external source other than the primary media stream and the secondary media stream, and

C) present to the user at least one of the primary media stream, the secondary media stream, or the ad from the external source; and

the splicer operable to:

A) receive the primary media stream,

B) identify the cue point, wherein identifying the cue point includes decoding a group of timing bits in the transport protocol to determine a delivery time of the ad with respect to a content of the primary stream;

C) transmit the primary media stream to the user,

D) transmit the ad to the user in at least one of the primary media stream or the secondary media stream based on information in the transport protocol, and

E) direct the media presentation device to retrieve the ad from the external source.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the primary media stream includes at least one of a video and an audio.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the secondary media stream is initiated in response to the cue point in the transport protocol.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the primary media stream and the secondary media stream are selected from a group including unicast streams and multicast streams.

9. One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of delivering an ad to a user of a primary media stream by way of a splicer, the method comprising:

receiving the primary media stream, the primary media stream having, within a transport protocol, a transport protocol header extension that defines an ad cue point;

interpreting one or more fields within the transport protocol header extension that define attributes of the ad cue point, wherein a limit field indicates a maximum number of ads that may be played in response to the ad cue point, and wherein interpreting one or more fields that define attributes of the ad cue point includes decoding a group of timing bits to determine a delivery time of the ad; and

transmitting the ad at the ad cue point in at least one of the primary media stream or a secondary media stream, based on information in the transport protocol header extension;

wherein the splicer is operable to direct the media presentation device to retrieve the ad from an external source.

10. The one or more nontransitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein the secondary media stream is initiated in response to the ad cue point in the transport protocol header extension.

11. The one or more nontransitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein the primary media stream and the secondary media stream are selected from a group including unicast streams and multicast streams.

12. The one or more nontransitory computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the primary media stream or the secondary media stream is received by a computing device operable to present at least one of the primary media stream or the secondary media stream to the user.