Systems and methods for reducing latency in video streaming

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a live content item;

encoding, using a first encoder, at least a first portion of the live content item into a first bitstream;

packaging, using a packager, the first bitstream into a first plurality of segments, wherein the first segment of the first plurality of segments starts at a first time in the live content item;

determining, based on a predefined factor, an offset;

encoding, using a second encoder, at least a second portion of the live content item into a second bitstream; and

packaging, using the packager, the second bitstream into a second plurality of segments, wherein:

each segment of the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments starts with an instantaneous decoder refresh frame;

each segment at a corresponding position in the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments comprises a group of pictures; and

the first segment of the second plurality of segments starts at a second time in the live content item, wherein the second time is based on the offset and is after the first time.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, based on the offset, a plurality of additional encoders to encode parts of the live content item into a corresponding plurality of bitstreams; and

packaging, using the packager, each bitstream comprising a corresponding plurality of segments, wherein:

each segment of each corresponding plurality of segments starts with an instantaneous decoder refresh frame;

each segment at a corresponding position in the first plurality of segments and in each corresponding plurality of segments comprises a group of pictures; and

the first segment of each corresponding plurality of segments starts after the second time.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each segment comprises a plurality of fragments;

each fragment of each segment of the first plurality of segments and each fragment of each segment of the second plurality of segments starts with an instantaneous decoder refresh frame;

each fragment at a corresponding position in the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments comprises a group of pictures; and

a first fragment of the first segment of the second plurality of segments starts, based on the offset, after the first time.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the computing device, a request to receive the live content item;

identifying a third time at which the request was received;

identifying a fourth time at which a next instantaneous decoder refresh frame of the first bitstream is available;

identifying a fifth time at which a next instantaneous decoder refresh frame of the second bitstream is available;

calculating a first difference between the third time and the fourth time;

calculating a second difference between the third time and the fifth time;

identifying which of the first difference and the second difference is smaller; and

selecting the respective first bitstream or second bitstream associated with the smaller difference; and

responding to the request with the selected respective first bitstream or second bitstream.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bitstream and the second bitstream are encoded at a first bitrate, and the method further comprises:

encoding, using a third encoder, at least a third portion of the live content item into a third bitstream;

packaging, using the packager, the third bitstream into a third plurality of segments, wherein the third bitstream corresponds to the first bitstream and is encoded at a second bitrate, wherein the first and second bitstreams are different;

encoding, using a fourth encoder, the live content item into a fourth bitstream; and

packaging, using the packager, the fourth bitstream into a fourth plurality of segments, wherein the fourth bitstream corresponds to the second bitstream and is encoded at the second bitrate.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a first computing device, and the method further comprises:

transmitting, from the first computing device to a second computing device, a segment from the first plurality of segments;

identifying a low bandwidth condition associated with the second computing device; and

transmitting, to the second computing device, a request to disable one or more interactive features associated with a media player at the second computing device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the group of pictures comprises the instantaneous decoder refresh frame and one or more P-frames.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bitstream and the second bitstream comprise a moof box after every frame.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the offset is based on a target latency.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the offset is based on a target bandwidth of the first bitstream and the second bitstream.

11 . A system comprising:

input/output circuitry configured to:

receive, at a computing device, a live content item; and

processing circuitry configured to:

encode, using a first encoder, at least a first portion of the live content item into a first bitstream;

package, using a packager, the first bitstream into a first plurality of segments, wherein the first segment of the first plurality of segments starts at a first time in the live content item;

determine, based on a predefined factor, an offset;

encode, using a second encoder, at least a second portion of the live content item into a second bitstream; and

package, using the packager, the second bitstream into a second plurality of segments, wherein:

each segment of the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments starts with an instantaneous decoder refresh frame;

each segment at a corresponding position in the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments comprises a group of pictures; and

the first segment of the second plurality of segments starts at a second time in the live content item, wherein the second time is based on the offset and is after the first time.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

identify, based on the offset, a plurality of additional encoders to encode parts of the live content item into a corresponding plurality of bitstreams; and

packaging, using the packager, each bitstream comprising a corresponding plurality of segments, wherein:

each segment of each corresponding plurality of segments starts with an instantaneous decoder refresh frame;

each segment at a corresponding position in the first plurality of segments and in each corresponding plurality of segments comprises a group of pictures; and

the first segment of each corresponding plurality of segments starts after the second time.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:

each segment comprises a plurality of fragments;

each fragment of each segment of the first plurality of segments and each fragment of each segment of the second plurality of segments starts with an instantaneous decoder refresh frame;

each fragment at a corresponding position in the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments comprises a group of pictures; and

a first fragment of the first segment of the second plurality of segments starts, based on the offset, after the first time.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the system further comprises processing circuitry configured to:

receive, at the computing device, a request to receive the live content item;

identify a third time at which the request was received;

identify a fourth time at which a next instantaneous decoder refresh frame of the first bitstream is available;

identify a fifth time at which a next instantaneous decoder refresh frame of the second bitstream is available;

calculate a first difference between the third time and the fourth time;

calculate a second difference between the third time and the fifth time;

identify which of the first difference and the second difference is smaller; and

select the respective first bitstream or second bitstream associated with the smaller difference; and

respond to the request with the selected respective first bitstream or second bitstream.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first bitstream and the second bitstream are encoded at a first bitrate, and the system further comprises processing circuitry configured to:

encode, using a third encoder, at least a third portion of the live content item into a third bitstream;

package, using the packager, the third bitstream into a third plurality of segments, wherein the third bitstream corresponds to the first bitstream and is encoded at a second bitrate, wherein the first and second bitstreams are different;

encode, using a fourth encoder, the live content item into a fourth bitstream; and

package, using the packager, the fourth bitstream into a fourth plurality of segments, wherein the fourth bitstream corresponds to the second bitstream and is encoded at the second bitrate.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is a first computing device, and the system further comprises processing circuitry configured to:

transmit, from the first computing device to a second computing device, a segment from the first plurality of segments;

identify a low bandwidth condition associated with the second computing device; and

transmit, to the second computing device, a request to disable one or more interactive features associated with a media player at the second computing device.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the group of pictures comprises the instantaneous decoder refresh frame and one or more P-frames.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first bitstream and the second bitstream comprise a moof box after every frame.

19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the offset is based on a target latency.

20 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the offset is based on a target bandwidth of the first bitstream and the second bitstream.