Apparatus and methods for thumbnail generation

A method of operating a network packager apparatus for generation of a plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images, said network packager apparatus in data communication with a content delivery network, said method comprising:

• receiving a thumbnail digital data stream previously generated from a video digital data stream, said video digital data stream comprising a first plurality of digitally rendered key frames each separated by transitional video data, said thumbnail digital data stream comprising a second plurality of digitally rendered key frames each separated by one or more null frames, each of said one or more null frames comprising metadata relative to said transitional video data;
• receiving, via said content delivery network, data indicative of a user request for trick mode operation of a user device during playback of digital content;
• based at least in part on said receiving of said data indicative of said user request, extracting a plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images from at least a portion of said second plurality of digitally rendered key frames in said thumbnail digital data stream, said plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images configured for use during said trick mode operation of said user device;
• and
• based at least in part on said extracting of said plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images, storing a first plurality of addresses in a manifest file comprising a digital data structure, each of said first plurality of addresses corresponding to a location of one or more of said plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images.

A packager apparatus comprising:

• a first data interface configured for data communication with a content delivery network;
• data storage apparatus;
• and
• data processor apparatus configured to execute at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program stored on said data storage apparatus and comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said data processor apparatus, cause said packager apparatus to:
• receive, via said content delivery network, data indicative of a user request for digital content generated by a computerized user device;
• based at least in part on said receipt of said data indicative of said user request for said digital content:
• access a thumbnail digital data stream previously generated from a video digital data stream, said digital content associated with said thumbnail digital data stream, said video digital data stream comprising a first plurality of digital key frames each separated by transitional video data, said thumbnail digital data stream comprising a second plurality of digital key frames each separated by one or more null frames, each of said one or more null frames comprising metadata relative to said transitional video data;
• extract a plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images from at least a portion of said second plurality of digital key frames in said thumbnail digital data stream, said plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images configured for use during trick mode operation of said computerized user device;
• and
• based at least in part on said extraction of said plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images, generate a manifest file comprising a digital data structure configured for storage of a first plurality of addresses, each of said first plurality of addresses corresponding to a data storage location of one or more of said plurality of digitally rendered thumbnail images;
• and
• wherein said generation of said manifest file is based at least in part on data indicative of a device type of said computerized user device.