Apparatus and methods for monitoring and optimizing delivery of content in a network

A method for providing a list of devices selected from one or more client devices associated with a subscriber account, the one or more devices capable of data communication with a content delivery network configured for delivery of digital content thereto, said method comprising:

• receiving a request for digital content from a user device;
• determining, based at least on said request and said subscriber account, that the user device is entitled to access the digital content;
• based at least on said determining, accessing one or more device description files, each of said one or more device description files associated with one of said one or more client devices;
• identifying at least two of said one or more client devices that are configured to receive and decode said digital content, the identifying based at least on said one or more device description files;
• evaluating said identified at least two client devices to determine a device recommendation hierarchy, said device recommendation hierarchy comprising at least a highest recommended device;
• and
• causing generation of a notification for display on said requesting user device, said notification comprising said list of devices based at least on said identified ones of said one or more client devices, said list of devices comprising at least the highest recommended device.

Apparatus for use in a content delivery network, said apparatus comprising:

• a data network interface configured to communicate data with a plurality of network entities;
• a processor apparatus, said processor apparatus in data communication with said data network interface;
• and
• a storage apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus and comprising at least one computer program configured to run on said processor apparatus, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
• receive a request for digital content issued from a user device;
• associate said request with a subscriber account based at least in part on data contained in said request;
• based on said association, access one or more device description files, each of said one or more device description files associated with one of said one or more client devices, each of said one or more device description files comprising data relating to one or more device capabilities of each of the one or more client devices;
• identify those of said one or more client devices that are configured to receive said content based at least in part on said data relating to one or more device capabilities;
• determine a device recommendation hierarchy based at least in part on said data relating to one or more device capabilities for the identified client devices;
• and
• cause generation of a notification for display on said requesting user device, said notification comprising a ranked list of devices, said ranked list of devices based at least on the recommendation hierarchy and comprising at least a highest recommended device, the highest recommended device comprising a default device.