System and method for automatically selecting encoding/decoding for streaming media

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, over a network, from a media server and at a media client, a first portion of a media, wherein the media was encoded with a first encoder on the media server, wherein a selection of the first encoder is based on a first decoder available on the media client, the first decoder corresponding to the first encoder, and wherein the selection of the first encoder is further based on quality of service parameters;
• receiving, over the network and at the media client, a second portion of the media, the second portion of the media being encoded with a temporary encoder when a second decoder is not available at the media client associated with a second encoder which is identified as preferable for encoding the second portion;
• obtaining the second decoder;
• and
• after obtaining the second decoder, receiving a third portion of the media that is encoded using the second encoder.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, over a network, from a media server and at a media client, a first portion of a media, wherein the media was encoded with a first encoder on the media server, wherein a selection of the first encoder is based on a first decoder available on the media client, the first decoder corresponding to the first encoder, and wherein the selection of the first encoder is further based on quality of service parameters;
• receiving, over the network and at the media client, a second portion of the media, the second portion of the media being encoded with a temporary encoder when a second decoder is not available at the media client associated with a second encoder which is identified as preferable for encoding the second portion;
• obtaining the second decoder;
• and
• after obtaining the second decoder, receiving a third portion of the media that is encoded using the second encoder.