Fast-start streaming and buffering of streaming content for personal media player

Abstract

Systems and methods allow playback of a media stream received via a network. The media stream is received and stored in a buffer prior to playback. Responsive to receiving the user command to change the content of the media stream, the buffer is flushed prior to receiving the changed content in the media stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automated process executed by a media player device for playing a media stream received via a network, the method comprising:
 receiving the media stream by the media player device via the network;   storing the received media stream in a buffer of the media player device;   providing the media stream for playback by the media player device;   while the media stream is being provided for playback, the media player device receiving a user command to change the content of the media stream; and   responsive to receiving the user command, the media player device flushing the buffer prior to receiving the changed content in the media stream via the network.   
     
     
         2 . The automated process of  claim 1  further comprising the media player device re-filling the buffer with the media stream containing the changed content, and playing the changed content from the buffer. 
     
     
         3 . The automated process of  claim 2  wherein the playing of the changed content from the buffer comprises initiating playback of the changed content from the buffer at a decreased playback speed. 
     
     
         4 . The automated process of  claim 3  wherein playback of the changed content continues at the decreased playback speed until the buffer fills to a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The automated process of  claim 3  wherein the playing of the changed content further comprises playing the received media stream at a normal playback speed after the buffer is filled to the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The automated process of  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises the media player device time-stretching an audio portion of the media stream while maintaining a pitch level of the audio portion when the playback speed is decreased. 
     
     
         7 . The automated process of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream is received via the network from a remote server, and wherein the method further comprises the media player device transmitting, responsive to the user input, a command to the remote server via the network to thereby direct the remote server to change the media stream. 
     
     
         8 . The automated process of  claim 1 , wherein the user command directs the media player device to change a channel associated with the media stream. 
     
     
         9 . The automated process of  claim 8 , wherein the automated process further comprises after flushing the buffer, the media playback device initially reducing the playback speed of the media stream to allow the buffer to accumulate data from the newly-selected channel. 
     
     
         10 . The automated process of  claim 9  further comprising the media player device increasing the playback speed of the media stream to a normal rate after the buffer has accumulated a threshold amount of data from the newly-selected channel. 
     
     
         11 . The automated process of  claim 1  wherein the receiving of the media stream comprises receiving the media stream in real time from a placeshifting device, and wherein the method further comprises the media player device transmitting, responsive to the user input, a command to the placeshifting device via the network to thereby direct the remote server to change the media stream 
     
     
         12 . The automated process of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer fills at a rate slower than the media stream is received after the buffer is flushed. 
     
     
         13 . A media player device for playing a media stream for a user, the media player device comprising:
 an interface to a digital network, wherein the interface is configured to receive the media stream from a source via the digital network;   a buffer configured to store the media stream as the media stream is received;   an input device configured to receive an input representing a user command to control the content of the media stream; and   a processor configured to respond to the input by flushing the buffer and transmitting an instruction to the source via the network interface to thereby adjust the content of the media stream received from the source, wherein the processor is further configured to again provide subsequently-received adjusted content of the media stream for playback from the buffer after the buffer is flushed.   
     
     
         14 . The media player device of  claim 13  wherein the processor is further configured to initially playback the adjusted media stream from the buffer at a decreased playback speed without waiting for the buffer to fill to the predetermined threshold, and then to subsequently playback the received media stream from the buffer at the normal rate after the buffer has filled to the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the user command represents a user command to change a programming channel in the media stream from a previous program to a newly-selected program, and wherein the content from the newly-selected program is provided for playback after the buffer is flushed. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the instruction directs a the source to change a television channel by the source and thereby receive the newly-selected program.