System and method for synchronized playing of media items on a plurality of remote devices

A method of synchronized playing of a streamed media item, the method comprising:

• playing, by a source device, a media item;
• selecting, by the source device, at least one target device physically independent from the source device with which to share the media item being played;
• determining, by a synchronization server that is physically independent from the source device and from the at least one target device, a source average latency for the source device and a target average latency for each of the at least one target device;
• determining, by the synchronization server, for each of the at least one target device, based on the source average latency and the respective target device's target average latency, a global time offset usable to synchronize playing of the media item being played by the source device up to a predetermined accuracy,
• wherein the predetermined accuracy is achieved by performing multiple sync iterations between the synchronization server and the source and target device(s) to determine an average latency for the devices,
• wherein, at the first sync iteration, a request time is determined based on a current timestamp and a first timestamp of the respective source device and/or target device(s) saved upon or during identification of the source device and/or target device(s),
• wherein, at each sync iteration, a current latency of the source device and/or target device(s) is determined based on the respective request time of the source device and/or target device(s),
• wherein, upon identification of the source device and the at least one target device, the synchronization server checks whether the synchronization server includes a previous sync object for the identified source and the at least one target device generated during a former connection of the specific source and the at least one target device to the synchronization server,
• wherein the sync object includes a source average latency for the source device and additional parameters required to identify the media item, and
• wherein, if the synchronization server includes the previous sync object, the synchronization server further determines, for each of the at least one target device(s), the global time offset to be used to synchronize playing of the media item being played by the source device up to a predetermined accuracy, and
• synchronizing, up to the predetermined accuracy and using the global time offset, playing of the media item by the source device and the at least one target device.

A system for synchronized playing of a streamed media item, the system comprising:

• a synchronization server, the synchronization service being configured to:
• be in communication with each of a source device and with at least one target device physically independent from the source device and selected by the source device, each of the source device and the at least one target device being physically independent from the synchronization server;
• determine a source average latency for the source device and a target average latency for each of the at least one target device;
• and
• determine, for each of the at least one target device, based on the source average latency and the respective target device's target average latency, a global time offset usable to synchronize, up to a predetermined accuracy, playing of a media item being streamed and played by the source device,
• wherein the predetermined accuracy is achieved by performing multiple sync iterations between the synchronization server and the source and target device(s) to determine an average latency for the devices,
• wherein, at the first sync iteration, a request time is determined based on a current timestamp and a first timestamp of the respective source device and/or target device(s) saved upon or during identification of the source device and/or target device(s),
• wherein, at each sync iteration, a current latency of the source device and/or target device(s) is determined based on the respective request time of the source device and/or target device(s),
• wherein, upon identification of the source device and the at least one target device, the synchronization server checks whether the synchronization server includes a previous sync object for the identified source and the at least one target device generated during a former connection of the specific source and the at least one target device to the synchronization server,
• wherein the sync object includes a source average latency for the source device and additional parameters required to identify the media item, and
• wherein, if the synchronization server includes the previous sync object, the synchronization server further determines, for each of the at least one target device(s), the global time offset to be used to synchronize playing of the media item being played by the source device up to a predetermined accuracy.