Heuristics for streaming live content

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• transmitting a first request for first content;
• receiving first metadata associated with the first content, the first metadata identifying a first minimum allowable delay between a client playhead for the first content and a live playhead for the first content, the first minimum allowable delay representing a lower bound on an actual delay between the client playhead for the first content and the live playhead for the first content;
• determining that the first minimum allowable delay is lower than a delay threshold;
• prior to initiating streaming of the first content, selecting a first streaming heuristic from among a plurality of streaming heuristics in response to determining that the first minimum allowable delay is lower than the delay threshold, each of the streaming heuristics employing a bitrate selection algorithm configured to request content fragments;
• requesting, using a first bitrate selection algorithm corresponding to the first streaming heuristic, a first fragment of the first content at a first bitrate and a second fragment of the first content at a second bitrate lower than the first bitrate, the first fragment and the second fragment corresponding to a same segment of the first content, the first fragment and the second fragment being independently displayable, wherein the second fragment is requested regardless of whether downloading of the first fragment succeeds;
• determining that the first fragment has not been fully downloaded;
• rendering the second fragment instead of the first fragment;
• transmitting a second request for second content;
• receiving second metadata associated with the second content, the second metadata identifying a second minimum allowable delay between a client playhead for the second content and a live playhead for the second content, the second minimum allowable delay representing a lower bound on an actual delay between the client playhead for the second content and the live playhead for the second content;
• determining that the second minimum allowable delay is higher than the delay threshold;
• prior to initiating streaming of the second content, selecting a second streaming heuristic from among the plurality of streaming heuristics in response to determining that the second minimum allowable delay is higher than the delay threshold;
• requesting, using a second bitrate selection algorithm corresponding to the second streaming heuristic, fragments of the second content;
• and
• rendering the fragments of the second content.

A computing device, comprising:

• memory;
• a display;
• one or more processors configured to:
• transmit a first request for first content;
• receive first metadata associated with the first content, the first metadata identifying a first minimum allowable delay between a client playhead for the first content and a live playhead for the first content, the first minimum allowable delay representing a lower bound on an actual delay between the client playhead for the first content and the live playhead for the first content;
• determine that the first minimum allowable delay is lower than a delay threshold;
• prior to initiating streaming of the first content, select a first streaming heuristic from among a plurality of streaming heuristics in response to determining that the first minimum allowable delay is lower than the delay threshold, each of the streaming heuristics employing a bitrate selection algorithm configured to request content fragments;
• request, using a first bitrate selection algorithm corresponding to the first streaming heuristic, a first fragment of the first content at a first bitrate and a second fragment of the first content at a second bitrate lower than the first bitrate, the first fragment and the second fragment corresponding to a same segment of the first content, the first fragment and the second fragment being independently displayable, wherein the second fragment is requested regardless of whether downloading of the first fragment succeeds;
• determine that the first fragment has not been fully downloaded;
• render the second fragment instead of the first fragment;
• present the first content on the display;
• transmit a second request for second content;
• receive second metadata associated with the second content, the second metadata identifying a second minimum allowable delay between a client playhead for the second content and a live playhead for the second content, the second minimum allowable delay representing a lower bound on an actual delay between the client playhead for the second content and the live playhead for the second content;
• determine that the second minimum allowable delay is higher than the delay threshold;
• prior to initiating streaming of the second content, select a second streaming heuristic from among the plurality of streaming heuristics in response to determining that the second minimum allowable delay is higher than the delay threshold;
• request, using a second bitrate selection algorithm corresponding to the second streaming heuristic, fragments of the second content;
• render the fragments of the second content;
• and
• present the second content on the display.

A system, comprising one or more processors and memory configured to:

• receive a first request for first content from a first client device;
• transmit first metadata to the first client device in response to the first request, the first metadata specifying a first minimum allowable delay between a client playhead for the first content and a live playhead for the first content, the first minimum allowable delay representing a lower bound on an actual delay between the client playhead for the first content and the live playhead for the first content, the first minimum allowable delay being higher than a delay threshold;
• transmit fragments of the first content to the first client device in response to requests from the first client device generated according to a first streaming heuristic, the first streaming heuristic corresponding to the first minimum allowable delay and employing a first bitrate selection algorithm configured to request content fragments;
• receive a second request for second content from a second client device;
• transmit second metadata to the second client device in response to the second request, the second metadata specifying a second minimum allowable delay between a client playhead for the second content and a live playhead for the second content, the second minimum allowable delay representing a lower bound on an actual delay between the client playhead for the second content and the live playhead for the second content, the second minimum allowable delay being lower than the delay threshold;
• and
• transmit fragments of the second content to the second client device in response to requests from the second client device generated according to a second streaming heuristic, the second streaming heuristic corresponding to the second minimum allowable delay and employing a second bitrate selection algorithm configured to request content fragments, the fragments including a first fragment and a second fragment corresponding to a same segment of the second content, the first fragment and the second fragment being independently displayable, wherein the second fragment is transmitted to the second client device regardless of whether transmission of the first fragment to the second client device succeeds.