Systems and methods for selecting an initial streaming bitrate

A media encoding system for providing a media stream to a client over a network, the media encoding system comprising:

• a historical bit rate data store configured to store a plurality of public IP addresses, a plurality of corresponding client identifiers, a plurality of corresponding geographical locations, and a plurality of corresponding bit rate parameters;
• a media encoding module configured to:
• acquire, from the client, client information including a client identifier, a public internet protocol (IP) address, and a geographical location associated with the client;
• query the historical bit rate data store to determine whether historical bit rate data is available based on the client information;
• and
• if such historical bit rate data is available, refining the historical bit rate data from the historical bit rate date store based on the IP address and the geographic location of the client, and setting an initial bit rate parameter for the media stream;
• receive an input signal and encode the media stream according to the initial bit rate parameter;
• calculate quality settings based upon an average of a current value of the initial bit rate parameter which is used for determining the quality settings and former parameter values as well as historical data used in creating the current value wherein the historical data is weighted with older historical data given less weight;
• gather data for computing a set of values comprising a network capacity, an encoder bitrate, and segment transmit times wherein the computed values of the gathered data are averaged over a period of time to reduce effects caused by short term transients;
• a network interface configured to receive requests for the media stream and to transmit the encoded media stream based on the computed values to the client over the network;
• a control module configured to adjust the bit rate parameter for encoding of subsequent segments in real time based upon a transmit time of at least one of the segments.

A system for transmitting an encoded media stream to a client over a network, the system comprising:

• a historical bit rate data store configured to store a plurality of public IP addresses, a plurality of corresponding client identifiers, a plurality of corresponding geographical locations, and a plurality of corresponding bit rate parameters;
• a media encoding module configured to:
• acquire, from the client, client information including a client identifier, a public internet protocol (IP) address, and a geographical location associated with the client;
• query the historical bit rate data store to determine whether historical bit rate data is available based on the client information;
• and
• if such historical bit rate data is available, refining the historical bit rate data based on the IP address and the geographic location of the client, and setting an initial bit rate parameter for the media stream;
• receive an input signal and encode the media stream according to the initial bit rate parameter;
• calculate quality settings based upon an average of a current value of the initial bit rate parameter used for determining the quality settings and former parameter values as well as historical data used in creating the current value wherein the historical data is weighted with older historical data given less weight;
• and
• gather data for computing a set of values comprising a network capacity, an encoder bitrate, and segment transmit times wherein the computed values of the gathered data are averaged over a period of time to reduce effects caused by short term transients;
• a network interface configured to receive requests for the media stream and to transmit the encoded media stream based on the computed values to the client over the network;
• and
• a control module configured to adjust the bit rate parameter for encoding of subsequent segments in real time based upon each iteration, or when a change occurs in a buffer utilization or in a segment transmit time.