Methods and apparatus for providing virtual content over a network

1. A computerized method of digitally rendered content management within a content delivery network having a plurality of users, the computerized method comprising:

causing storage of encoded digital content at first storage location of a computerized storage entity;

causing transmission of the encoded digital content to a computerized client device from a computerized network entity of the content delivery network, the computerized client device associated with one of the plurality of users;

enabling at least the one of the plurality of users to, via use of an application computer program configured to execute on the computerized client device at least after decode of the encoded digital content, indicate one or more locations within the decoded digital content with marker data wherein at least one of an addition to, deletion from, or modification of the digital content is to be performed and generate a data structure comprising at least the marker data;

receiving the data structure at a computerized network entity of the content delivery network, the data structure having been uploaded by the computerized client device;

causing storage of the data structure at a second location of the computerized storage entity of the content delivery network, the second location comprising a separate storage location from the first storage location;

causing application of the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the digital content, based at least on the data structure, to generate a version of the encoded digital content implementing the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the digital content, wherein the application of the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the digital content is not performed until data representative of a request to access the version of the encoded digital content is received; and

causing delivery of the version of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling the one of the plurality of users to, via use of the application computer program on the computerized client device, cause insertion of user-selected digital content at the one or more locations via at least use of the marker data.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 , wherein the causing insertion of the user-selected digital content at the one or more locations via at least the use of the marker data comprises causing a computerized network entity of the content delivery network to insert the user-selected content based at least on second data included in the data structure.

4. The computerized method of claim 3 , wherein the second data contained in the data structure comprises at least one of (i) at least a portion of the user-selected digital content, or (ii) data identifying the user-selected digital content.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising

causing storage of the version to a user-specific location of a multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage having a plurality of user-specific locations, each of the plurality of user-specific locations associated with one or more prescribed users, the each of the plurality of user-specific locations is accessible to only its respective one or more prescribed users, and not others of the plurality of users;

wherein the causing delivery of the version of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device comprises causing delivery of the version by accessing the user-specific location.

6. The computerized method of claim 5 , further comprising enabling the one of the plurality of users to add metadata to the version stored in the user-specific location, the metadata being associated with one or more classifications of the digital content as being associated with at least one or more genres.

7. Computerized network apparatus configured to provide digitally rendered content to a computerized client device within a content distribution network, the computerized network apparatus comprising:

digital processor apparatus;

network interface apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus; and

storage apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

cause storage of encoded digital content at first storage location of a computerized storage entity;

cause transmission of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device, the computerized client device associated with at least one user and comprising an application computer program configured to execute on the computerized client device at least after decode of at least a portion of the encoded digital content, the application computer program configured to enable the at least one user to indicate one or more locations within the decoded digital content with marker data wherein at least one of an addition to, deletion from, or modification of, the digital content is to be performed, and generate one or more data structures comprising at least the marker data;

receive at least one of the one or more data structures, the one or more data structure having been uploaded by the computerized client device;

cause storage of the received at least one data structure at a second location of the computerized storage entity of the content distribution network, the second location comprising a separate storage location from the first storage location;

based at least on the received at least one data structure, cause application of the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the encoded digital content to generate a version of the encoded digital content implementing the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification, wherein the application of the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the encoded digital content is not performed until data representative of a request to access the version of the encoded digital content is received; and

cause delivery of the version of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device.

8. The computerized network apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

enable selection of the encoded digital content by the computerized client device;

wherein the enablement of the selection of the encoded digital content by the computerized client device comprises:

an algorithmic comparison, by a computerized process of the content distribution network, of data relating to first digitally rendered content managed and data relating to second digitally rendered content from one or more content sources;

a modification, based on the algorithmic comparison, to one or more conditions relating to the first digitally rendered content; and

provision of respective options to the computerized client device to obtain use of the first digitally rendered content in accordance with the one or more modified conditions and the second digitally rendered content.

9. The computerized network apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:

the at least one user is part of a subscriber group within the content distribution network, and members of the subscriber group are respectively associated with computerized client devices within a prescribed geographic boundary; and

the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

correlate a unique identifier associated with the computerized client device to the version of the encoded digital content to provide authorization for members of the subscriber group to access the version of the encoded digital content via the content distribution network.

10. The computerized network apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

cause notification of at least one member of the subscriber group that the version of the encoded digital content is available for access by the at least one member, the causation of the notification comprising causation of delivery of an electronic message to a mobile wireless device of the at least one member via a cellular service provider network which serves the at least one member.

11. The computerized network apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

associate the computerized client device with the subscriber, the association being determined based at least in part on authentication information, the authentication information configured to enable authentication of the subscriber to the content distribution network.

12. The computerized network apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the authentication information comprises a cryptographic hash utilized to anonymously identify the subscriber and anonymously associate the subscriber to the encoded digital content to which the subscriber has obtained access.

13. The computerized network apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the causation of the delivery of the version of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device comprises:

establishment of a session over at least one downstream transmission pathway from a server apparatus of the computerized network apparatus to the computerized client device; and

wherein the establishment of the session is restricted to at least one prescribed temporal coordinate.

14. The computerized network apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one prescribed temporal coordinate corresponds to at least one prescribed temporal coordinate associated with delivery of the version of the encoded digital content via another distribution channel.

15. Computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a digital processing apparatus of a computerized network apparatus of a content distribution network, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

cause storage of encoded digital content at first storage location of a computerized storage entity;

cause transmission of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device, the computerized client device associated with at least one user, the computerized client device comprising an application computer program congfigured to execute on the computerized client device at least after decode of the encoded digital content and enable designation by a user of the computerized client device of one or more locations within the decoded digital content with marker data indicative of where at least one of an addition to, deletion from, or modification of the digital content is to be performed, the client device further configured to generate a data structure, the data structure comprising at least the marker data;

receive the data structure, the data structure having been uploaded by the computerized client device;

cause storage of the data structure at a second location of the computerized storage entity of the content distribution network, the second location comprising a separate storage location from the first storage location;

based at least on the data structure, apply the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the digital content to generate a version of the encoded digital content implementing the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the encoded digital content, wherein the application of the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the encoded digital content is not performed until data representative of a request to access the version of the encoded digital content is received; and

cause delivery of the version of the encoded digital content to the computerized client device.

16. The computer readable apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the causation of the storage of the encoded digital content at the first storage location of the computerized storage entity comprising causation of storage of respective versions of the encoded digital content associated with individual ones of a plurality of users of the content distribution network at respective ones of user-specific locations of a multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage entity.

17. The computer readable apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the addition, deletion or modification to the digital content comprises one or more annotations added to one or more portions of the encoded digital content, the annotation being viewable on playback of the version of the encoded digital content.

18. The computer readable apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:

the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed on the digital processing apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

receive data representative of a request for access to the version of the encoded digital content from the computerized client device; and

establish a session over a first distribution channel from a computerized network- managed storage entity to the computerized client device based at least in part on the request for access to the version of the encoded digital content;

the access to the version of the encoded digital content comprises access to the version of the encoded digital content via the session;

the establishment of the session is based at least on at least one prescribed period of time; and

the at least one prescribed period of time is related to delivery of at least the version of the encoded digital content via a second distribution channel different than the first distribution channel.

19. The computer readable apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the delivery of the version of the encoded digital content comprises delivery of the version of the encoded digital content via one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers of the content distribution network that are not used for in-band content delivery.

20. The computer readable apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of an addition to, deletion from, or modification of the digital content insertion of user-selected digital content at the one or more locations via at least use of the marker data.