Methods and apparatus to measure media using media object characteristics

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a client device a plurality of first network communications from at least a first server, the first network communications including a collector media object and a plurality of second media objects for presenting at the client device, the collector media object and the plurality of second media objects embedded in a webpage, the collector media object being at least one of streaming video, streaming audio, internet protocol television (IPTV) content, a movie, a television program, or an advertisement;

performing at least one collecting operation by a processor executing a first instruction in the collector media object presented at the client device, the at least one collecting operation defined by the first instruction, the at least one collecting operation including collecting a first characteristic of the collector media object and collecting second characteristics corresponding to the plurality of second media objects, the second media objects presented at the client device concurrently with the collector media object; and

based on the processor executing a second instruction associated with the collector media object, transmitting a second network communication from the client device to a second server of an audience measurement entity, the second network communication reporting multiple impressions corresponding to the presentations of the collector media object and the second media objects at the client device, the reporting of the multiple impressions including sending the first and second characteristics and an identifier associated with the client device in the second network communication.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including sending a third network communication to a database proprietor to request demographics information associated with the client device.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the sending of the third network communication to the database proprietor is based on a rule located in the collector media object.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the sending of the third network communication to the database proprietor is based on an address of the database proprietor located in a redirect request received at the client device.

5. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the identifier is a first cookie corresponding to the audience measurement entity, and the sending of the third network communication includes sending a second cookie corresponding to the database proprietor in the third network communication.

6. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the database proprietor is a social network service.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic is first metadata encoded in the collector media object, and the second characteristics are at least one of second metadata encoded in the second media objects or signatures generated based on the second media objects.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second characteristics are signatures of the second media objects, and collecting the signatures includes performing a screen capture, and generating the signatures based on corresponding images of the second media objects.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including, based on the processor executing the second instruction located in the collector media object, sending a uniform resource locator of a host website of the collector media object and the second media objects to the audience measurement entity.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second media objects include at least one of an advertisement, video, or audio.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the collector media object and the plurality of second media objects are concurrently embedded in spatially distinct visible regions of the webpage.

12. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

receive a plurality of first network communications from at least a first server, the first network communications including a collector media object and a plurality of second media objects for presenting at a client device, the collector media object and the plurality of second media objects embedded in a webpage, the collector media object being at least one of streaming video, streaming audio, internet protocol television (IPTV) content, a movie, a television program, or an advertisement;

based on a first instruction in the collector media object presented at the client device, perform at least one collecting operation, the at least one collecting operation defined by the first instruction, the at least one collecting operation including collecting a first characteristic of the collector media object and collecting second characteristics corresponding to the plurality of second media objects, the plurality of second media objects presented at the client device concurrently with the collector media object; and

based on a second instruction associated with the collector media object, transmit a second network communication from the client device to a second server of an audience measurement entity, the second network communication reporting multiple impressions corresponding to the presentations of the collector media object and the second media objects at the client device, the reporting of the multiple impressions including sending the first and second characteristics and an identifier associated with the client device in the second network communication.

13. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second instruction further causes the processor to send a third network communication to a database proprietor to request demographics information associated with the client device.

14. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the second instruction causes the processor to send the third network communication to the database proprietor based on a rule located in the collector media object.

15. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the second instruction causes the processor to send the third network communication to the database proprietor based on an address of the database proprietor located in a redirect request received at the client device.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the identifier is a first cookie corresponding to the audience measurement entity, and the second instruction causes the processor to send the third network communication by sending a second cookie corresponding to the database proprietor in the third network communication.

17. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the database proprietor is a social network service.

18. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first characteristic is first metadata encoded in the collector media object, and the second characteristics are at least one of second metadata encoded in the second media objects or signatures generated based on the second media objects.

19. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second characteristics are signatures of the second media objects, and the first instruction causes the processor to collect the signatures by performing a screen capture, and generating the signatures based on corresponding images of the second media objects.

20. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second instruction further causes the processor to send a uniform resource locator of a host website of the collector media object and the second media objects to the audience measurement entity.

21. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second media objects include at least one of an advertisement, video, or audio.

22. An apparatus comprising:

an interface circuit to receive at a client device a plurality of first network communications from at least a first server, the first network communications including a collector media object and a plurality of second media objects for presenting at the client device, the collector media object and the plurality of second media objects embedded in a webpage, the collector media object being at least one of streaming video, streaming audio, internet protocol television (IPTV) content, a movie, a television program, or an advertisement; and

a collector to perform at least one collecting operation by executing a first instruction in the collector media object presented at the client device, the at least one collecting operation defined by the first instruction, the at least one collecting operation including collecting a first characteristic of the collector media object and collecting second characteristics corresponding to the plurality of second media objects, the second media objects presented at the client device concurrently with the collector media object, the interface circuit to transmit, based on a second instruction associated with the collector media object presented at the client device, a second network communication from the client device to a second server of an audience measurement entity, the second network communication to report multiple impressions corresponding to the presentations of the collector media object and the second media objects at the client device, the reporting of the multiple impressions including sending the first and second characteristics and an identifier associated with the client device in the second network communication.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 22 , wherein the interface circuit is further to send a third network communication to a database proprietor to request demographics information associated with the client device.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 , wherein the interface circuit is to send the third network communication to the database proprietor based on a rule located in the collector media object.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 , wherein the interface circuit is to send the third network communication to the database proprietor based on an address of the database proprietor located in a redirect request received at the client device.

26. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 , wherein the identifier is a first cookie corresponding to the audience measurement entity, and the interface circuit is to send the third network communication by sending a second cookie corresponding to the database proprietor in the third network communication.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 , wherein the database proprietor is a social network service.

28. The apparatus as defined in claim 22 , wherein the first characteristic is first metadata encoded in the collector media object, and the second characteristics are at least one of second metadata encoded in the second media objects or signatures generated based on the second media objects.

29. The apparatus as defined in claim 22 , wherein the second characteristics are signatures of the second media objects, and the collector is to collect the signatures by performing a screen capture, and generating the signatures based on corresponding images of the second media objects.

30. The apparatus as defined in claim 22 , wherein the interface circuit is further to send a uniform resource locator of a host website of the collector media object and the second media objects to the audience measurement entity.

31. The apparatus as defined in claim 22 , wherein the second media objects include at least one of an advertisement, video, or audio.