Downloading Media Objects

Abstract

Among other things, two or more files are processed that each represent, in a streaming format, a portion of a media item. A file download facility at a user device can download the two or more processed files as if they were a single file.

1 . A method comprising
 downloading two or more files from a server, the files each being expressed in a video streaming format and together comprising all or part of a video,   packaging at least some of the downloaded files in a single file,   the single file containing (a) two or more of the streaming-format files downloaded from the server, and (b) information from which each of the streaming-format files can be identified distinctly, and   delivering the single larger file to a mobile device over the Internet.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the information from which each of the streaming-format files can be identified distinctly comprises a unique identifier for each of the streaming-format files. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  in which the unique identifier is contained in the single file. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the packaging occurs at a server. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  in which the packaging is done by a facility associated with a CDN. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which the number of files downloaded from the server is at least 100. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which the number of files downloaded from the server is at least 1000. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which the packaging comprises also delivering to the mobile device information indicative of a beginning of each of the streaming-format files in the single file. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  comprising
 delivering to the mobile device a manifest file that lists the streaming-format files packaged in the single file. 
 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising
 downloading at least 1000 files from a server, the files each being expressed in a video streaming format and together comprising all or part of a video,   at a server associated with a CDN, packaging at least some of the downloaded files in a single file,   the single file containing (a) two or more of the streaming-format files downloaded from the server, and (b) a unique identifier for each of the streaming-format files,   delivering the single larger file to a mobile device over the Internet, and   delivering to the mobile device a manifest file that lists the streaming-format files packaged in the single file.