System and method for effectuating fast channel change in an adaptive streaming environment

A client device, disposed in an adaptive streaming environment, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory, coupled to the one or more processors, storing program instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the client device to:
• monitor at least a bandwidth condition relative to a network connection between the streaming client device and a content delivery network;
• determine one or more adjacent channels relative to a current streaming channel of the streaming client device;
• pre-fetch metadata information associated with the one or more adjacent channels;
• responsive to the pre-fetched metadata information, pre-fetch and store initialization information for the one or more adjacent channels;
• and
• if the current streaming channel is changed to a new streaming channel belonging to the one or more adjacent channels, use the pre-fetched initialization information to fetch encoded media content pertaining to the new streaming channel, the encoded media content comprising segments each having a first duration;
• and
• after determining that a user has remained on the new streaming channel for a select time period, request segments, of the encoded media content, each having a second duration longer than the first duration.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions executable by one or more processors of an electronic device, the program instructions including instructions for:

• monitoring at least a bandwidth condition relative to a network connection between the streaming client device and a content delivery network;
• determining one or more adjacent channels relative to a current streaming channel of the streaming client device;
• pre-fetching metadata information associated with the one or more adjacent channels;
• responsive to the pre-fetched metadata information, pre-fetching and storing initialization information for the one or more adjacent channels;
• and
• if the current streaming channel is changed to a new streaming channel belonging to the one or more adjacent channels, using the pre-fetched initialization information to fetch encoded media content pertaining to the new streaming channel, the encoded media content comprising segments each having a first duration;
• and
• after determining that a user has remained on the new streaming channel for a select time period, requesting segments, of the encoded media content, each having a second duration longer than the first duration.