CONTEXTUAL COMPANION PANEL

1 . A method for use by a client system including or coupled to a display device, the method for presenting content to a user via the display device, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data;

(b) obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;

(c) identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data;

(d) displaying a portion of the video content data on the display device; and

(e) based on results of the identifying, while displaying the portion of the video content data on the display device, also displaying, alongside the portion of the video content data, a portion of the contextual content data that is relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (a) obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data comprises:

(a.1) receive a selection of content that the user wants to view;

(a.2) sending a request for the selected content to a remote system; and

(a.3) receiving the video content data from the remote system in response to the request.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the (a) obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data further comprises:

(a.4.i) receiving the video time data along with the video content data from the remote system in response to the request; or

(a.4.ii) determining the video time data using a timer of the client system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (b) obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data includes:

(b.1) sending a request for the contextual content data to a remote system;

(b.2) receiving the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data from the remote system in response to the request; and

(b.3) storing the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data at least until the contextual content data is displayed.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the (b) obtaining contextual content data corresponding to a particular point in time occurs prior to the (a) obtaining video content data corresponding to the particular point in time.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the (c) identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data comprises:

(c.1) tracking a time associated with a portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed; and

(c.2) identifying that a portion of the contextual content data is temporally related to a portion of the video content data by identifying when a time associated with a portion of the contextual content data is substantially the same as the tracked time associated with the portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the (b.1) sending a request for the contextual content data to a remote system comprises periodically sending requests for contextual content data to the remote system.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contextual content data, that is displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed, includes at least one interactive element relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises a polling question.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises an option to display additional contextual content data not currently being displayed.

11 . A system for presenting content to a user, comprising:

a network interface that receives video content data and corresponding video time data, and receives contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;

a display interface that interfaces with a display device capable of displaying video content; and

one or more storage devices that store the received video content data and corresponding video time data, and store the received contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;

one or more processors in communication with the one or more storage devices, the network interface, and the display interface, wherein the one or more processors

identify portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data;

cause a portion of the video content data to be displayed on the display device; and

while the portion of the video content data is being displayed on the display device, also cause a portion of the contextual content data that is relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device display, to be displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a user interface that enables a user to select content that the user wants to view;

wherein the network interface sends a request for the selected content to a first remote system, and receives the video content data along with the video time data from the first remote system in response to the request;

wherein the network interface sends a request for the contextual content data to a second remote system, and receives the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data from the second remote system in response to the request;

wherein the contextual content data corresponding to a particular point in time is received prior to the video content data corresponding to the particular point in time; and

wherein the first and second remote systems can be a same remote system or different remote systems.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein, in order to identify portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data, the one or more processors:

track a time associated with a portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed; and

identify that a portion of the contextual content data is temporally related to a portion of the video content data by identifying when a time associated with a portion of the contextual content data is substantially the same as the tracked time associated with the portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the contextual content data, that is displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed, includes at least one interactive element relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises a polling question.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein a said interactive element of the contextual content data comprises an option to display additional contextual content data not currently being displayed.

17 . One or more processor readable storage devices having instructions encoded thereon which when executed cause one or more processors of a client system to perform a method for presenting content to a user via a display device, the method comprising:

obtaining video content data and obtaining or determining corresponding video time data;

obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data;

identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data based on the contextual time data and the video time data;

displaying a portion of the video content data on the display device; and

based on results of the identifying, while displaying the portion of the video content data on the display device, also displaying, alongside the portion of the video content data, a portion of the contextual content data that is relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.

18 . The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 17 , wherein the obtaining contextual content data and corresponding contextual time data includes:

sending a request for the contextual content data to a remote system;

receiving the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data from the remote system in response to the request; and

storing the contextual content data and the corresponding contextual time data at least until they are displayed;

wherein the obtaining contextual content data corresponding to a particular point in time occurs prior to the obtaining video content data corresponding to the particular point in time.

19 . The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 18 , wherein the identifying portions of the contextual content data that are temporally related to portions of the video content data comprises:

tracking a time associated with a portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed; and

identifying that a portion of the contextual content data is temporally related to a portion of the video content data by identifying when a time associated with a portion of the contextual content data is substantially the same as the tracked time associated with the portion of the video content data being displayed or about to be displayed.

20 . The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 17 , wherein the contextual content data, that is displayed alongside the portion of the video content data being displayed, includes at least one interactive element relevant to the portion of the video content data being displayed on the display device.