Streaming media segments

Abstract

In various implementations, a server is configured to execute instructions stored in storage that when executed perform operations that include receiving a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to stream a video segment of multimedia content to a client device. The video segment is of a video sub-stream of the multimedia content. The operations further include sending the video segment and an audio segment to the client device based on the HTTP request for the video segment. The sending pushes the video segment and/or the audio segment to the client device. The audio segment is of an audio sub-stream of the multimedia content. A plurality of segment sets may be pushed based on the HTTP request for the video segment. Each segment set can include an additional video segment and an additional audio segment that correspond to at least partially concurrent portions of the multimedia content.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A media streaming system comprising:
 a server configured to execute instructions that when executed cause the server to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request message specifying a first media segment to stream to a client device; 
 identifying a number of sets of media segments to push, starting with the first media segment, pursuant to a push strategy defined by the client device, without the client device providing identifiers for each of the media segments; and 
 streaming the sets of media segments to the client device in response to the request message. 
   
     
     
         2 . The media streaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the HTTP request message from the client device includes a header extension, a URL, or a URI that specifies the number of sets of media segments to push. 
     
     
         3 . The media streaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the HTTP request message from the client device specifies the number of sets of media segments for the server to push by designating the first media segment and at least one of an ending media segment or a number of consecutive media segments for the server to push. 
     
     
         4 . The media streaming system of  claim 1 , wherein each set of the sets of media segments comprises a video segment and a corresponding audio segment. 
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by a server from a client device, a request message specifying a designated number of consecutive media segments to stream without specifically designating identifiers for a subset of the consecutive media segments; and   streaming the designated number of consecutive media segments from the server to the client device in response to the request message.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the request message from the client device specifies the designated number of consecutive media segments for the server to stream by designating a first media segment and at least one of an ending media segment or a value indicating the designated number of consecutive media segments for the server to stream. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the request message is a first message from the client device specifying the designated number of consecutive media segments for the server to stream, the method further comprising receiving a second message from the client device specifying a first media segment for the server to stream, wherein streaming the designated number of consecutive media segments starts from the first media segment and is responsive to both the first message and the second message from the client device. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the request message from the client device specifies the designated number of consecutive media segments to stream using at least one of a header extension, a URL, or a URI. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to push variable quantities of the consecutive media segments, the variable quantities for the server to push specified by the client device across subsequent communications in a media stream of multimedia content including the designated number of consecutive media segments. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to push variable quantities of the consecutive media segments, the variable quantities for the server to push specified by the client device based on a battery or power level of the client device. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to push variable quantities of the consecutive media segments, the variable quantities for the server to push specified by the client device based on a bitrate of a media stream of multimedia content including the designated number of consecutive media segments. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to push variable quantities of the consecutive media segments, the variable quantities for the server to push specified by the client device based on an amount of sub-stream switching in adaptive bitrate streaming. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the server is configured to push variable quantities of the consecutive media segments, the variable quantities for the server to push specified by the client device based on stability of bandwidth available to the client device. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the consecutive media segments form a first sub-steam of multimedia content, the method further comprising, for each of the designated number of consecutive media segments, streaming an at least partially concurrent media segment from a second sub-stream of the multimedia content. 
     
     
         15 . One or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
 sending, by a client device to a server, a request message specifying a starting media segment and a push strategy defining a number of sets of consecutive media segments for the server to push in response to the request message;   receiving, by the client device from the server, a media stream with the sets of consecutive media segments pushed by the server using the push strategy specified by the request message; and   playing back, by the client device, the sets of consecutive media segments.   
     
     
         16 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the request message from the client device specifies the number of consecutive media segments for the server to push using at least one of a header extension, a URL, or a URI. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising determining, by the client device, variable quantities of the consecutive media segments for the server to push across subsequent communications in the media stream. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising determining, by the client device, the number of sets of consecutive media segments for the server to push based on a battery or power level of the client device. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 18 , the operations further comprising determining, by the client device, the number of sets of consecutive media segments for the server to push based on a bitrate of the media stream. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising determining, by the client device, the number of sets of consecutive media segments for the server to push based on an amount of sub-stream switching in adaptive bitrate streaming.