Monitoring streaming media content

1. An apparatus to monitor streaming media, the apparatus comprising:

a combiner to combine first metering data extracted from first media included in a transport stream being sent to a media device with second metering data obtained independently of the first media to form combined metering data, the combined metering data not being decodable by a meter associated with the media device;

a transcoder to transcode the combined metering data to form transcoded metering data having a format decodable by the meter associated with the media device; and

an encoder to encode the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the encoder is to:

encode the transcoded metering data as ID3 tag metadata; and

insert the ID3 tag metadata into the transport stream.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the encoder is to encode the transcoded metering data into an M3U file.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transcoder is to transcode the combined metering data into text data, and the encoder is to insert the text data into the M3U file.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the encoder is further to schedule the M3U file for transmission to the media device before transmission of the transport stream to the media device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first metering data includes watermark data extracted from the first media, and the second metering data includes timestamp data obtained from a clock.

7. A method to monitor streaming media, the method comprising:

combining, by executing an instruction with a processor, first metering data extracted from first media included in a transport stream being sent to a media device with second metering data obtained independently of the first media to form combined metering data, the combined metering data not being decodable by a meter associated with the media device;

transcoding, by executing an instruction with the processor, the combined metering data to form transcoded metering data having a format decodable by the meter associated with the media device; and

encoding the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the encoding of the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream includes:

encoding the transcoded metering data as ID3 tag metadata; and

inserting the ID3 tag metadata into the transport stream.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the encoding of the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream includes encoding the transcoded metering data into an M3U file.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the transcoding of the combined metering data includes transcoding the combined metering data into text data, and the encoding of the transcoded metering data into the M3U file includes inserting the text data into the M3U file.

11. The method of claim 9 , further including scheduling the M3U file for transmission to the media device before transmission of the transport stream to the media device.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first metering data includes watermark data extracted from the first media, and the second metering data includes timestamp data obtained from a clock.

13. The method of claim 7 , further including transmitting secondary media to the media device, the secondary media selected based on the transcoded metering data as monitored by the meter associated with the media device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to at least:

combine first metering data extracted from first media included in a transport stream being sent to a media device with second metering data obtained independently of the first media to form combined metering data, the combined metering data not being decodable by a meter associated with the media device;

transcode the combined metering data to form transcoded metering data having a format decodable by the meter associated with the media device; and

encode the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein to encode the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream, the instructions further cause the processor to:

encode the transcoded metering data as ID3 tag metadata; and

insert the ID3 tag metadata into the transport stream.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein to encode the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream, the instructions further cause the processor to encode the transcoded metering data into an M3U file.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein to transcode the combined metering data, the instructions cause the processor to transcode the combined metering data into text data, and to encode the transcoded metering data into the M3U file, the instructions cause the processor to insert the text data into the M3U file.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to schedule the M3U file for transmission to the media device before transmission of the transport stream to the media device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the first metering data includes watermark data extracted from the first media, and the second metering data includes timestamp data obtained from a clock.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to transmit secondary media to the media device, the secondary media selected based on the transcoded metering data as monitored by the meter associated with the media device.