Methods, systems, and media for presenting media content in response to a channel change request

1. A method for presenting media content corresponding to a channel change request, the method comprising:

retrieving thumbnail content items, wherein the thumbnail content items include an animated representation of undecoded media content from a corresponding content source;

in response to interacting with a thumbnail content item, as a referenced thumbnail, from the retrieved thumbnail content items, causing the animated representation of the media content of the referenced thumbnail to replace displayed media content being presented in a display area by resizing the animated representation from a first size to a second size corresponding to a size of media content being presented in the display area while concurrently processing media content associated with the referenced thumbnail from the corresponding content source that includes decoding media data corresponding to the media content; and

replacing the animated representation of the media content being presented in the display area with the processed media content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thumbnail content items correspond to content sources that have been identified as likely to be interacted with by a viewer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction with the referenced thumbnail is a request to switch from a first content source to a second content source in which a selection of the thumbnail content item that corresponds with a media content item from the second content source has been received.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animated representation of the media content being presented in the display area is replaced with the processed media content in response to determining that the decoded media data corresponding to the media content provided from the corresponding content source is ready for presentation.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising concurrently presenting the media content of the referenced thumbnail in the display area and a first subset of the thumbnail content items from the thumbnail content items that correspond to a first subset of the content source to be presented in a navigation area.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first subset of the thumbnail content items are presented in the first size and wherein the media content is presented in the second size.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving an indication to present additional thumbnail content items; and

in response to receiving the indication to present the additional thumbnail content items, causing a second subset of the thumbnail content items from the thumbnail content items that correspond to a second subset of the content source to replace the first subset of the thumbnail content items, wherein the second subset of the thumbnail content items are presented in the first size and within the navigation area.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the media content provided on the corresponding content source is ready for presentation by determining whether decoded audio data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source and decoded video data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source have been synchronized based on stored information corresponding to the corresponding content source.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that decoded audio data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source and decoded video data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source have not been synchronized at a first time, continuing to present the animated representation corresponding to the thumbnail content item in the display area and continuing to process the media content corresponding to the corresponding content source.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing audio content corresponding to the corresponding content source to be presented in response to interacting with the thumbnail content item from the retrieved thumbnail content items.

11. A system for presenting media content corresponding to a channel change request, the system comprising:

a hardware processor that:

retrieves thumbnail content items, wherein the thumbnail content items include an animated representation of undecoded media content from a corresponding content source;

in response to interacting with a thumbnail content item, as a referenced thumbnail, from the retrieved thumbnail content items, causes the animated representation of the media content of the referenced thumbnail to replace displayed media content being presented in a display area by resizing the animated representation from a first size to a second size corresponding to a size of media content being presented in the display area while concurrently processing media content associated with the referenced thumbnail from the corresponding content source that includes decoding media data corresponding to the media content; and

replaces the animated representation of the media content being presented in the display area with the processed media content.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the thumbnail content items correspond to content sources that have been identified as likely to be interacted with by a viewer.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the interaction with the referenced thumbnail is a request to switch from a first content source to a second content source in which a selection of the thumbnail content item that corresponds with a media content item from the second content source has been received.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the animated representation of the media content being presented in the display area is replaced with the processed media content in response to determining that the decoded media data corresponding to the media content provided from the corresponding content source is ready for presentation.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hardware processor further concurrently presents the media content of the referenced thumbnail in the display area and a first subset of the thumbnail content items from the thumbnail content items that correspond to a first subset of the content source to be presented in a navigation area.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first subset of the thumbnail content items are presented in the first size and wherein the media content is presented in the second size.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the hardware processor further:

receives an indication to present additional thumbnail content items; and

in response to receiving the indication to present the additional thumbnail content items, causes a second subset of the thumbnail content items from the thumbnail content items that correspond to a second subset of the content source to replace the first subset of the thumbnail content items, wherein the second subset of the thumbnail content items are presented in the first size and within the navigation area.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hardware processor further determines whether the media content provided on the corresponding content source is ready for presentation by determining whether decoded audio data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source and decoded video data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source have been synchronized based on stored information corresponding to the corresponding content source.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hardware processor further, in response to determining that decoded audio data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source and decoded video data corresponding to the media content provided on the corresponding content source have not been synchronized at a first time, continues to present the animated representation corresponding to the thumbnail content item in the display area and continues to process the media content corresponding to the corresponding content source.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hardware processor further causes audio content corresponding to the corresponding content source to be presented in response to interacting with the thumbnail content item from the retrieved thumbnail content items.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for presenting media content corresponding to a channel change request, the method comprising:

retrieving thumbnail content items, wherein the thumbnail content items include an animated representation of undecoded media content from a corresponding content source;

in response to interacting with a thumbnail content item, as a referenced thumbnail, from the retrieved thumbnail content items, causing the animated representation of the media content associated with the referenced thumbnail to replace displayed media content being presented in a display area by resizing the animated representation from a first size to a second size corresponding to a size of media content being presented in the display area while concurrently processing media content associated with the referenced thumbnail from the corresponding content source that includes decoding media data corresponding to the media content; and

replacing the animated representation of the media content being presented in the display area with the processed media content.