System and method for delivering companion content

1. A method of retrieving content on a client device, said method performed by the client device, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier of a resource location of content program data from a media player that plays a media presentation on a display device separate from the client device, wherein the media player does not send the media presentation to the client device;

downloading content program data from said resource location, wherein said content program data comprises a set of identifiers of content resource locations each associated with a time-offset identifier;

downloading a plurality of items of content from said set of content resource locations; and

displaying at least one of said downloaded items of content when the media presentation reaches a time-offset matching the time-offset identifier associated with the content resource location of said displayed item of content.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from said media player a time-synchronization signal that identifies a current time-offset of the media presentation; and

synchronizing a counter of the client device to said current time-offset, wherein said counter tracks time-offsets for the client device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving from said media player a transport command signal comprising an indicator that the media presentation is not playing in a standard speed play mode; and

pausing said counter in response to said transport command signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the transport command signal is a first transport command signal, the method further comprising:

receiving from said media player a second transport command signal comprising an indicator that the media presentation has resumed playing in a standard speed play mode; and

unpausing said counter in response to said second transport command signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said second transport command signal further comprises a new time-synchronization signal that identifies a new time-offset, said method further comprising synchronizing the counter to said new time-offset.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said media player receives said identifier of a resource location of the content program data by extracting data embedded in said media presentation.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said media presentation does not have an embedded identifier of a resource location other than the resource location of the content program data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifier of a program resource location is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downloading at least one item of the plurality of items is performed before the media presentation reaches the time-offset matching the time-offset identifier associated with the content resource location of said item of content.

10. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program which when executed by a processer of a client device displays multi-channel content, associated with a media presentation, on the client device, said program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a program resource location from a media player;

retrieving content program data from a server based on the received program resource location;

downloading a first set of items of content from content resource locations identified by the content program data;

downloading a second set of items of content from content resource locations identified by the content program data;

displaying said first set of items of content in a first window of said client device during a first set of time-offsets of the media presentation, wherein data identifying said first set of time-offsets is provided by the content program data;

displaying said second set of items of content in a second window of said client device during a second set of time-offsets of the media presentation, wherein data identifying said second set of time-offsets is provided by the content program data.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said program further comprises sets of instructions for:

displaying a first item of content at a first time-offset associated with said first item of content;

displaying a second item of content at a second time-offset associated with the second item of content, when no interaction with the first item of content is received;

continuing to display said first item of content at said second time-offset instead of displaying said second item of content when an interaction with the first item of content is received, said interaction extending beyond said second time-offset.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said program further comprises a set of instructions for automatically displaying said second item of content after said interaction ends.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12 , wherein said program implements said set of instructions for automatically displaying said second item of content after said interaction ends when said interaction ends before a third time-offset associated with a third item of content.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein said program does not implement said set of instructions for automatically displaying said second item of content after said interaction ends when said interaction ends after a third time-offset associated with a third item of content.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said first and second items of content are for displaying in said first window and said program further comprises a set of instructions for automatically displaying a third item of content in said second window.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein said program is for implementing said set of instructions for automatically displaying a third item of content in said second window without regard to said interaction.

17. A media player comprising:

a media reader for reading media presentation data from a machine readable medium, wherein while reading said media presentation data, said media reader extracts an identifier of a resource location from said media presentation data;

an output that sends media presentation data to a display;

a transmitter that broadcasts said resource location from said media player; and

a transmitter that repeatedly broadcasts a current time-offset of the media presentation data while the media presentation data is being sent to the display.

18. The media player of claim 17 , wherein said resource location comprises an identifier of a location of content program data, wherein said content program data comprises a set of resource locations each with an associated time-offset.

19. The media player of claim 18 , wherein said transmitter that broadcasts said resource location is the same transmitter as the transmitter that repeatedly broadcasts a current time-offset of the media presentation data.

20. The media player of claim 18 further comprising a receiver for receiving signals from a client device that receives said broadcasts of the current time-offset.

21. The media player of claim 20 , wherein said transmitter that broadcasts said resource location from said media player broadcasts to a plurality of companion content devices that are less than 200 feet from the media player.

22. A method of providing content to a client device, the method comprising:

providing a media player that plays media presentations, wherein said media player is for extracting, from a media presentation, an identifier of a resource location of content program data on a server that stores the content program data, and broadcasting said identifier to said client device; and

providing a data format for said content program data for use on said server that stores the content program data, wherein said content program data comprises a set of identifiers of content resource locations each with an associated time-offset, wherein said server sends a set of said content program data from said server to said client device in response to a request from said client device.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising editing content program data associated with a particular media presentation after distributing at least one copy of said media presentation, wherein said edited content program data is retrievable by a client device because a distributed copy of the media presentation that has not been altered after distribution is played on the media player.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising sending a set of said edited content program data to a client that previously received a set of content program data before said editing.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein said request is based on said identifier.

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the media player is further for broadcasting a transport command signal comprising an indicator that the media presentation is not playing in a standard speed play mode.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the transport command signal commands a client device to pause a counter of the client device.