Apparatus and method for content playback utilizing crowd sourced statistics

1. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory connected to the processor to store instructions executed by the processor to:

collect playback statistics from at least one of a plurality of devices, wherein the playback statistics comprise audio attributes or video attributes of playback of specified content;

perform an evaluation of the playback statistics;

establish a playback configuration for the specified content based upon the evaluation of the playback statistics;

receive, from a first device of the plurality of devices, a request for the playback configuration for the specified content; and

transfer the playback configuration for the specified content to the first device.

2. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to re-evaluate the playback statistics at least once after the playback configuration has been established.

3. The server of claim 1 , wherein the playback statistics are aggregated for a specified device type, wherein the specified device type is a category of playback devices to which the device belongs.

4. The server of claim 1 , wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the specified content or aggregated playback configuration information for the specified content.

5. The server of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation is performed in response to (i) a specific request for the playback statistics or (ii) a discrete query for the playback statistics.

6. The server of claim 1 , wherein the playback configuration is established after a predetermined number of initial statistics are available for evaluation.

7. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to deliver streaming content to at least the first device of the plurality of devices, wherein the streaming content originates at a content source remote from the server.

8. The server of claim 7 , wherein the content source comprises at least one instance of content, including at least one of on-demand video, on-demand music, or on-demand games.

9. A content player, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory connected to the processor to store instructions executed by the processor to:

receive content over a network;

receive, from a server, an indication to fetch a playback configuration, for at least one segment of the content, in response to a query from the content player of whether to collect statistics;

fetch the playback configuration, from at least one device of a plurality of devices comprising the server and at least one other content source; and

perform playback of the content in accordance with the playback configuration, wherein the playback configuration comprises settings of at least one of audio attributes or video attributes, customized for the content player, for the at least one segment of the content.

10. The content player of claim 9 , wherein the audio attributes comprise at least one of volume level, peak volume, equalization, dynamic range, speaker configuration, room acoustics, or codec used.

11. The content player of claim 9 , wherein the video attributes comprise at least one of video histogram, colorimetry information, scene changes detected, codec used, container format, raw video data, or metadata.

12. The content player of claim 9 , wherein the playback configuration comprises separate playback configuration information for multiple segments of the content or aggregated playback configuration information for the content received over the network.

13. A method, comprising:

collecting playback statistics from at least one of a plurality of devices wherein the playback statistics comprise audio attributes or video attributes of playback of specified content;

performing an evaluation of the playback statistics;

establishing a playback configuration for the specified content based upon the evaluation of the playback statistics;

receiving, from a first device of the plurality of devices, a request for the playback configuration for the specified content; and

transferring the playback configuration for the specified content to the first device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

re-evaluating the playback statistics at least once after the playback configuration has been established.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the playback statistics are aggregated for a specified device type, wherein the specified device type is a category of playback devices to which the device belongs.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the specified content or aggregated playback configuration information for the specified content.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the evaluation is performed in response to (i) a specific request for the playback statistics or (ii) a discrete query for playback statistics.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the establishing is performed after a predetermined number of initial statistics have become available for evaluation.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

delivering streaming content to at least the first device of the plurality of devices, wherein the streaming content originates at a content source remote from a server.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the content source comprises at least one instance of content, including at least one of on-demand video, on-demand music, or on-demand games.