Method for managing adaptive progressive downloading of digital content which is broadcast in real time

A method for managing adaptive progressive downloading of digital content broadcast in real time, within a multimedia stream player terminal, the method comprising:

• obtaining a description file of the digital content, comprising a list of time segments of the digital content to be downloaded each associated with several encoding rates of the digital content;
• determining an encoding rate of the time segments to be downloaded for real time rendering of the digital content, according to a resource constraint of the multimedia stream player terminal;
• wherein, if the determined encoding rate is less than a maximum encoding rate provided in the description file, implementing a selection of an option:
• downloading the time segments at the determined encoding rate and rendering the digital content in real time;
• or
• downloading the time segments at an encoding rate higher than the determined encoding rate and rendering the digital content offline;
• wherein the selection takes account of contextual information resulting from a choice expressed by a user via an interface of the multimedia stream player terminal;
• and
• wherein the option of downloading the time segments at an encoding rate higher than the determined encoding rate and rendering the digital content offline comprises:
• a phase of pre-storage of time segments at the higher encoding rate in a buffer memory of the multimedia stream player terminal, for a pre-storage duration, the pre-storage duration being determined so that the buffer memory is empty at an end of the offline rendering;
• a joint phase of storage of time segments at the higher encoding rate and offline rendering of the digital content from time segments extracted from the buffer memory, starting at an end of the pre-storage duration;
• and
• wherein at least two pre-storage durations are determined for at least two encoding rates higher than the determined encoding rate, the choice of the user comprising a second selection, via the interface, of one of the at least two pre-storage durations.