Digital data processing

1. A security monitoring system, comprising:

a camera configured to transmit digital data in a first format, the digital data comprising an audio component and a video component;

a server side processing device in communication with the camera, the server side processing device configured to transcode the digital data, received from the camera, from the first format to a second format, the server side processing device configured to transmit the digital data in the second format; and

a user side media receiving device in communication with the server side processing device, the user side media receiving device configurable to switch between a mute mode and an un-mute mode, wherein

the user side media receiving device is configured to:

responsive to a user of the user side media receiving device switching the user side media receiving device to the mute mode, transmit a mute signal to the server side processing device, and wherein

the server side processing device is configured to stop transcoding and transmitting the audio component of the digital data to the user side media receiving device when the mute signal is received from the user side media receiving device and continue transcoding and transmitting the video component of the digital data to the user side media receiving device.

2. The security monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the user side media receiving device is configured to, responsive to the user switching the user side media receiving device to the un-mute mode, transmit an un-mute signal to the server side processing device, and wherein the server side processing device is configured to resume transcoding and transmitting the audio component of the digital data to the user side media receiving device when receiving the un-mute signal.

3. The security monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a microphone configured to capture the audio component of the digital data.

4. The security monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the transcoding and transmitting are completed in the server side processing device.

5. The security monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sever side processing device comprises at least one of: a mobile phone, a mobile tablet, or a computer, and wherein the transcoding and transmitting are completed in at least one of: the mobile phone, the mobile tablet, or the computer.

6. The security monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the user side media receiving device comprises at least one of: a mobile phone, a mobile tablet, or a computer.

7. The security monitoring system of claim 6 , wherein the user side media receiving device comprises an application, and wherein the switching between the mute mode and the un-mute mode and the transmitting of the mute signal and the un-mute signal are completed in the application.

8. A security monitoring system, comprising:

a camera configured to transmit digital data in a first format, the digital data comprising an audio component and a video component;

a server side processing device in communication with the camera, the server side processing device configured to transcode the digital data, received from the camera, from the first format to a second format, the server side processing device configured to transmit the digital data in the second format; and

a user side media receiving device in communication with the server side processing device, the user side media receiving device configurable to switch between an obscured mode, an un-obscured mode, a mute mode, and an un-mute mode, wherein the user side media receiving device is configured to:

responsive to a user of the user side media receiving device switching the user side media receiving device to the obscured mode, transmit an obscured signal to the server side processing device, and wherein

the server side processing device is configured to:

stop transcoding and transmitting the video component of the digital data to the user side media receiving device when the obscured signal is received from the user side media receiving device and continue transcoding and transmitting the audio component of the digital data to the user side media receiving side.

9. The security monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the user side media receiving device is configured to, responsive to the user switching the user side media receiving device to the un-obscured mode, transmit an un-obscured signal to the server side processing device, and wherein the server side processing device is configured to resume transcoding and transmitting the video component of the digital data to the user side media receiving device when receiving the un-obscured signal.

10. The security monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the transcoding and transmitting are completed in the server side processing device.

11. The security monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the server side processing device comprises at least one of: a mobile phone, a mobile tablet, or a computer, and wherein the transcoding and transmitting are completed in at least one of: the mobile phone, the mobile tablet, or the computer.

12. The security monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein the user side media receiving device comprises at least one of: a mobile phone, a mobile tablet, or a computer.

13. The security monitoring system of claim 12 , wherein the user side media receiving device comprises an application, and wherein the switching between the obscured mode and the un-obscured mode and the transmitting of the obscured signal and the un-obscured signal are completed in the application.

14. A method of operating a security monitoring system comprising a camera, a server side processing device, and a user side media receiving device, the method comprising:

transcoding, with the server side processing device, digital data, transmitted by the camera in a first format, from the first format to a second format, the server side processing device configured to transmit the digital data in the second format to the user side media receiving device, wherein the user side media receiving device is configurable to switch between a mute mode, an un-mute mode, an obscured mode, and an un-obscured mode;

responsive to a user of the user side media receiving device switching the user side media receiving device to the mute mode or the obscured mode, receiving, at the server side processing device, at least one of a mute signal and an obscured signal from the user side media receiving device; and

discontinuing the transcoding and transmitting of at least a portion of the digital data by the server side processing device when at least one of the mute signal and the obscured signal is received and continuing the transcoding and transmitting of another portion of the digital data, wherein the portion of the digital data comprises one of: an audio component of the digital data or a video component of the digital data, and the other portion of the digital data comprises another one of the audio component or the video component.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the server side processing device is configured to discontinue the transcoding and transmitting of the audio component when receiving the mute signal and continue the transcoding and transmitting of the video component.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the server side processing device is configured to discontinue the transcoding and transmitting of the video component when receiving the obscured signal and continue the transcoding and transmitting of the audio component.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the user side media receiving device comprises an application, and the switching between at least one of: the mute mode and the un-mute mode, and the obscured mode and the un-obscured mode, and the transmitting of at least one of: the mute signal and an un-mute signal, and the obscured signal and an un-obscured signal are completed in the application.