Techniques for positioning key frames within encoded video sequences

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

• partitioning a source video sequence associated with a media title into a plurality of shot sequences;
• determining one or more key frame locations based on the plurality of shot sequences;
• for each of the one or more key frame locations, configuring an encoding application to encode a frame of video content located at the key frame location as a key frame when performing encoding operations;
• causing the encoding application to perform one or more encoding operations on the plurality of shot sequences to generate a first encoded video sequence that can be played back, wherein each frame at the one or more key frame locations is encoded as a key frame in the first encoded video sequence;
• and
• causing the encoding application to perform one or more additional encoding operations on the source video sequence to generate a second encoded video sequence that can be played back, wherein each frame at the one or more key frame locations is encoded as a key frame in the second encoded video sequence,
• wherein, during playback, the media title is switchable between a decoded version of the first encoded video sequence and a decoded version of the second encoded video sequence at the one or more key frame locations.

A system, comprising:

• a memory storing instructions;
• and
• a processor that is coupled to the memory and, when executing the instructions, is configured to:
• determine one or more key frame locations based on one or more shot changes included in a source video sequence associated with a media title,
• for each of the one or more key frame locations, configure an encoding application to encode a frame of video content located at the key frame location as a key frame when performing encoding operations,
• cause the encoding application to perform a first set of one or more encoding operations on the source video sequence to generate a first encoded video sequence that is associated with a first encoding parameter and can be played back, wherein each frame at the one or more key frame locations in the first encoded video sequence is encoded as a key frame, and
• cause the encoding application to perform a second set of one or more encoding operations on the source video sequence to generate a second encoded video sequence that is associated with a second encoding parameter and can be played back, wherein each frame at the one or more key frame locations in the second encoded video sequence is encoded as a key frame,
• wherein, during playback, the media title is switchable between a decoded version of the first encoded video sequence and a decoded version of the second encoded video sequence at the one or more key frame locations.