Systems and methods for client-based addressable advertising

1. A method comprising:

detecting a first transport stream that includes a television program and an addressable advertising break within the television program for inserting an advertisement;

tuning into the first transport stream in the midst of the advertising break;

determining an amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break;

using a marker message, identifying a first advertisement that includes a micro switch point that may be inserted into the first transport stream in the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break;

determining that playing the first advertisement from its beginning would exceed the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break; and

in response to determining that playing the first advertisement from its beginning would exceed the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break:

determining that playing the first advertisement from its micro switch point would not exceed the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break; and

playing the first advertisement from its micro switch point within the addressable advertising break.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a client splice message; and

using the client splice message to determine the micro switch point in the first advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the micro switch point is a transition point within the first advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, associating a portion of the first advertisement that exists prior to the micro switch point with a generic portion.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

tuning into the first transport stream in the midst of a second advertising break;

determining lack of an incoming marker message after tuning into the first transport stream in the midst of the second advertising break; and

in response to determining lack of the incoming marker message, switching back to the television program.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein switching back to the television program is performed without displaying a black screen.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the switching back is performed in real-time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, obtaining timeline instructions included in a private data stream to determine the addressable advertising break during which the first advertisement can be played.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marker message indicates a relative time position within the addressable advertising break of the television program.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first advertisement includes a plurality of micro switch points; and

selecting one of the plurality of micro switch points as the micro switch point from which the first advertisement is to be played in the addressable advertising break.

11. A system comprising:

a computing device that is configured to:

detect a first transport stream that includes a television program and an addressable advertising break within the television program for inserting an advertisement;

tune into the first transport stream in the midst of the advertising break;

determine an amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break;

use a marker message, identifying a first advertisement that includes a micro switch point that may be inserted into the first transport stream in the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break;

determine that playing the first advertisement from its beginning would exceed the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break; and

in response to determining that playing the first advertisement from its beginning would exceed the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break:

determine that playing the first advertisement from its micro switch point would not exceed the amount of time remaining in the addressable advertising break; and

play the first advertisement from its micro switch point within the addressable advertising break.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising, the computing device configured to:

receive a client splice message; and

use the client splice message to determine the micro switch point in the first advertisement.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the micro switch point is a transition point within the first advertisement.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising, the computing device configured to associate a portion of the first advertisement that exists prior to the micro switch point with a generic portion.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising, the computing device configured to:

tune into the first transport stream in the midst of a second advertising break;

determine lack of an incoming marker message after tuning into the first transport stream in the midst of the second advertising break; and

in response to determining lack of the incoming marker message, switch back to the television program.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein switching back to the television program is performed by the computing device without displaying a black screen.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the switching back is performed by the computing device in real-time.

18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising, the computing device configured to obtain timeline instructions included in a private data stream to determine the addressable advertising break during which the first advertisement can be played.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the marker message indicates a relative time position within the addressable advertising break of the television program.

20. The system of claim 11 , further comprising, the computing device configured to:

determine that the first advertisement includes a plurality of micro switch points; and

select one of the plurality of micro switch points as the micro switch point from which the first advertisement is to be played in the addressable advertising break.