Switching media streams in a client system based on environmental changes

A computer system, comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program code executable by the processor via the memory to implement a method for switching media streams of a video in a client system, said method comprising:

• said processor playing a first media stream in a SHOW mode in the client system as the first media stream is being received from a content providing system;
• during said playing the first media stream, said processor switching from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, said switching preserving video content continuity of the video, said second media stream differing from the first media stream with respect to a differentiating characteristic, wherein timecodes identifying relative time within the video are distributed in the first media stream and the second media stream, and wherein said switching comprises:
• pausing said playing the first media stream;
• and
• after said pausing and at a real time corresponding to having determined a matching timecode of said timecodes within a specified tolerance, in the first and second media stream, transitioning from playing the second media stream in a HIDE mode to playing the second media stream in the SHOW mode and stopping the first media stream from being paused and being played,
• wherein a pausing rank is associated with each timecode in the first and second media streams and denotes a relative rank to pausing said playing the first media stream, wherein the method comprises constraining said pausing to occur at a timecode in the first media stream at which the associated pausing rank is not less than a predesignated pausing rank threshold.

A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for switching media streams of a video in a client system, said method comprising:

• said processor playing a first media stream in a SHOW mode in the client system as the first media stream is being received from a content providing system;
• during said playing the first media stream, said processor switching from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, said switching preserving video content continuity of the video, said second media stream differing from the first media stream with respect to a differentiating characteristic, wherein timecodes identifying relative time within the video are distributed in the first media stream and the second media stream, and wherein said switching comprises:
• pausing said playing the first media stream;
• and
• after said pausing and at a real time corresponding to having determined a matching timecode of said timecodes within a specified tolerance, in the first and second media stream, transitioning from playing the second media stream in a HIDE mode to playing the second media stream in the SHOW mode and stopping the first media stream from being paused and being played,
• wherein a pausing rank is associated with each timecode in the first and second media streams and denotes a relative rank to pausing said playing the first media stream, wherein the method comprises constraining said pausing to occur at a timecode in the first media stream at which the associated pausing rank is not less than a predesignated pausing rank threshold.