Video-production system with social-media features

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, a data stream representing a media content item followed by a social media (SM) content item, wherein the data stream was transmitted with a first data rate for the media content item and a second data rate for the SM content item, wherein the first data rate is different than the second data rate;

performing, by the computing system, an analysis of a data rate of the data stream, wherein the data rate of the data stream includes the first data rate for the media content item and the second data rate for the SM content item;

determining, by the computing system based on the analysis, a demarcation point in the data stream between the media content item and the SM content item; and

integrating, by the computing system using the demarcation point, the SM content item without the media content item into a video program.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in the data rate of the data stream;

responsive to detecting the change in the data rate, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the change in the data rate comprises determining that the data rate changed by more than a threshold value.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining that the point in the data stream is the demarcation point is responsive to determining that the data rate remained changed by more than the threshold value for more than a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising responsive to determining that the data rate remained changed by more than the threshold value for more than the predetermined amount of time, moving backward in the data stream by the predetermined amount of time to the demarcation point.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein only one of the media content item and the SM content item contains closed-caption data, and wherein detecting the change in the data rate is responsive to a change in a presence of the closed-caption data in the data stream.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data stream comprises audio data and video data, and wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in (i) the data rate for the audio data by more than a first threshold value or (ii) the data rate for the video data by more than a second threshold value, whichever occurs first;

responsive to detecting the change, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data stream comprises audio data, video data, and closed-caption data, and

wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in (i) the data rate for the audio data by more than a first threshold value, (ii) the data rate for the video data by more than a second threshold value, or (iii) a presence of closed-caption data, whichever occurs first;

responsive to detecting the change, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the analysis comprises:

playing, by the computing system, the media content item and the SM content item using a virtual player; and

while playing the media content item and the SM content item in the virtual player, determining the data rate of the data stream.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein integrating the SM content item into the video program comprises executing a digital-to-video effect (DVE).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein integrating the SM content item into the video program comprises streaming the data stream from a SM content provider over a communications network.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

analyzing a program schedule for the video program;

detecting an indication of the SM content item in the program schedule;

responsive to detecting the indication of the SM content item, retrieving the data stream from the SM content provider;

while receiving the data stream from the SM content provider, cueing up the data stream to the demarcation point; and

after cueing up the data stream to the demarcation point, integrating the data stream into the video program.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, program instructions that when executed by a processor, cause a computing system to perform a set of acts comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, a data stream representing a media content item followed by a social media (SM) content item, wherein the data stream was transmitted with a first data rate for the media content item and a second data rate for the SM content item, wherein the first data rate is different than the second data rate;

performing, by the computing system, an analysis of a data rate of the data stream, wherein the data rate of the data stream includes the first data rate for the media content item and the second data rate for the SM content item;

determining, by the computing system based on the analysis, a demarcation point in the data stream between the media content item and the SM content item; and

integrating, by the computing system using the demarcation point, the SM content item without the media content item into a video program.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in the data rate of the data stream;

responsive to detecting the change in the data rate, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the data stream comprises audio data and video data, and wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in (i) the data rate for the audio data by more than a first threshold value or (ii) the data rate for the video data by more than a second threshold value, whichever occurs first;

responsive to detecting the change, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the acts further comprise:

analyzing a program schedule for the video program;

detecting an indication of the SM content item in the program schedule;

responsive to detecting the indication of the SM content item, retrieving the data stream from a SM content provider;

while retrieving the data stream from the SM content provider, cueing up the data stream to the demarcation point;

after cueing up the data stream to the demarcation point, integrating the data stream into the video program.

17. A computing system configured for performing a set of acts comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, a data stream representing a media content item followed by a social media (SM) content item, wherein the data stream was transmitted with a first data rate for the media content item and a second data rate for the SM content item, wherein the first data rate is different than the second data rate;

performing, by the computing system, an analysis of a data rate of the data stream, wherein the data rate of the data stream includes the first data rate for the media content item and the second data rate for the SM content item;

determining, by the computing system based on the analysis, a demarcation point in the data stream between the media content item and the SM content item; and

integrating, by the computing system using the demarcation point, the SM content item without the media content item into a video program.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in the data rate of the data stream;

responsive to detecting the change in the data rate, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.

19. The computing system of claim 18 , wherein detecting the change in the data rate comprises determining that the data rate changed by more than a threshold value, and

wherein determining that the point in the data stream is the demarcation point is responsive to determining that the data rate remained changed by more than the threshold value for more than a predetermined amount of time.

20. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the data stream comprises audio data, video data, and closed-caption data, and

wherein determining the demarcation point comprises:

detecting a change in (i) the data rate for the audio data by more than a first threshold value, (ii) the data rate for the video data by more than a second threshold value, or (iii) a presence of closed-caption data, whichever occurs first;

responsive to detecting the change, determining a point in the data stream at which the change was detected; and

determining that the point in the data stream at which the change was detected is the demarcation point between the media content item and the SM content item.