Systems and methods for providing blackout support in video mosaic environments
Systems and methods for providing blackout support in video mosaic environments are disclosed. In response to receiving a request for a video mosaic page, screen data, which may include blackout information, is received. The screen data identifies the video assets in the video mosaic page. A determination is made, based at least in part on the screen data, whether any video assets in the video mosaic page should be blacked out. Blacked out assets may be masked and their associated audio blocked. In addition, an overlay of options associated with the blacked out asset may be presented. The overlay may include options to substitute the blacked out asset with replacement content, search for similar content, or retrieve more information about the blackout.
1. A method for providing enhanced blackout support in a video mosaic screen presented on user equipment, the method comprising:
generating for display the video mosaic screen including a plurality of video assets, wherein a first video asset is blacked out;
receiving a user selection of a portion of the video mosaic screen corresponding to the first video asset that is blacked out;
in response to receiving the user selection of the portion corresponding to the first video asset that is blacked out, determining a user-selected second video asset for replacement at the portion of the video mosaic screen, by:
generating for display an options overlay for the first video asset including a search option to search for a replacement video asset;
receiving a user selection of the search option in the options overlay;
in response to receiving the user selection of the search option in the options overlay, performing a search, within a database of available video assets, for available video assets that are similar to the first video asset;
in response to the search, obtaining and generating for display, within the options overlay, a list of available video assets that are similar to the first video asset; and
receiving a user selection of the second video asset from the list of available video assets; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the second video asset, generating for display the video mosaic screen including the plurality of video assets, wherein the blacked out first video asset is replaced with the second video asset.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing a search, within the databased of available video assets, for the available video assets that are similar to the first video asset further comprises:
performing, within the databased of available video assets, a title search of keywords relating to the first video.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing a search, within the databased of available video assets, for the available video assets that are similar to the first video asset further comprises:
constructing a search string based on media information including any of an actor name, a director name, and a genre name.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein performing a search, within the databased of available video assets, for the available video assets that are similar to the first video asset further comprises:
presenting the constructed search string to a user;
adding or removing search criteria based on user provided amendment.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the first video asset is similar to the second video asset by calculating a distance between the first video asset and the second video asset.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the user selection of the portion corresponding to the first video asset that is blacked out:
generating for display the options overlay for the first video asset including a list of video assets that are similar to the first video asset.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transferring a recording of the first video asset to the user equipment upon determining that the first video asset is no longer blacked out on the user equipment.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating for display the video mosaic screen further comprises generating for display a second video asset of the plurality of video assets that is not blacked out on the user equipment.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the options overlay is a first options overlay, and further comprising:
receiving a first user selection of the recording of the first video asset from the video mosaic page;
generating for display a second options overlay in response to the first user selection;
receiving a user selection of an option in the second options overlay; and
generating for display information relating to the first video asset in response to the user selection of the option in the second options overlay.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the options overlay is a first options overlay, and further comprising:
receiving a first user selection of a recording of the first video asset from the video mosaic page; and
generating for display a second options overlay simultaneously with a second video asset in response to the first user selection.
11. A system for providing enhanced blackout support in a video mosaic screen presented on user equipment, the system comprising:
display circuitry;
communication circuitry; and
control circuitry configured to:
generate, via the display circuitry, for display the video mosaic screen including a plurality of video assets, wherein a first video asset is blacked out;
receive, via the communication circuitry, a user selection of a portion of the video mosaic screen corresponding to the first video asset that is blacked out;
in response to receiving the user selection of the portion corresponding to the first video asset that is blacked out, determine a user-selected second video asset for replacement at the portion of the video mosaic screen, by:
generating, via the display circuitry, for display an options overlay for the first video asset including a search option to search for a replacement video asset;
receiving, via the communication circuitry, a user selection of the search option in the options overlay;
in response to receiving the user selection of the search option in the options overlay, performing a search, within a database of available video assets, for a available video assets that are similar to the first video asset;
in response to the search, obtaining and generating for display, within the options overlay, a list of available video assets that are similar to the first video asset; and
receiving, via the communication circuitry, a user selection of the second video asset from the list of available video assets; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the second video asset, generate, via the display circuitry, for display the video mosaic screen including the plurality of video assets, wherein the blacked out first video asset is replaced with the second video asset.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry, when performing a search, within the databased of available video assets, for the available video assets that are similar to the first video asset, is further configured to:
perform, within the databased of available video assets, a title search of keywords relating to the first video.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry, when performing a search, within the databased of available video assets, for the available video assets that are similar to the first video asset, is further configured to:
construct a search string based on media information including any of an actor name, a director name, and a genre name.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry, when performing a search, within the databased of available video assets, for the available video assets that are similar to the first video asset, is further configured to:
present the constructed search string to a user; and
add or remove search criteria based on user provided amendment.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the first video asset is similar to the second video asset by calculating a distance between the first video asset and the second video asset.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
in response to receiving the user selection of the portion corresponding to the first video asset that is blacked out:
generate for display the options overlay for the first video asset including a list of video assets that are similar to the first video asset.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transfer a recording of the first video asset to the user equipment upon determining that the first video asset is no longer blacked out on the user equipment.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry configured to generate for display the video mosaic screen comprises the control circuitry further configured to generate for display a second video asset of the plurality of video assets that is not blacked out on the user equipment.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the options overlay is a first options overlay, and the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first user selection of the recording of the first video asset from the video mosaic page;
generate for display a second options overlay in response to the first user selection;
receive a user selection of an option in the second options overlay; and
generate for display information relating to the first video asset in response to the user selection of the option in the second options overlay.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the options overlay is a first options overlay, and the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a first user selection of the recording of the first video asset from the video mosaic page; and
generate for display a second options overlay simultaneously with a second video asset in response to the first user selection.