Digital data processing

A security monitoring system, comprising:

• a camera configured to transmit digital data in a first format, the digital data comprising an audio component and a video component;
• a server side processing device in communication with the camera, the server side processing device configured to transcode the digital data, received from the camera, from the first format to a second format, the server side processing device configured to transmit the digital data in the second format;
• and
• a user side media receiving device in communication with the server side processing device, the user side media receiving device configurable to switch between an obscured mode, an un-obscured mode, a mute mode, and an un-mute mode, wherein the user side media receiving device is configured to:
• responsive to a user of the user side media receiving device switching the user side media receiving device to the obscured mode, transmit an obscured signal to the server side processing device, and wherein
• the server side processing device is configured to:
• stop transcoding and transmitting the video component of the digital data to the user side media receiving device when the obscured signal is received from the user side media receiving device and continue transcoding and transmitting the audio component of the digital data to the user side media receiving side.

A method of operating a security monitoring system comprising a camera, a server side processing device, and a user side media receiving device, the method comprising:

• transcoding, with the server side processing device, digital data, transmitted by the camera in a first format, from the first format to a second format, the server side processing device configured to transmit the digital data in the second format to the user side media receiving device, wherein the user side media receiving device is configurable to switch between a mute mode, an un-mute mode, an obscured mode, and an un-obscured mode;
• responsive to a user of the user side media receiving device switching the user side media receiving device to the mute mode or the obscured mode, receiving, at the server side processing device, at least one of a mute signal and an obscured signal from the user side media receiving device;
• and
• discontinuing the transcoding and transmitting of at least a portion of the digital data by the server side processing device when at least one of the mute signal and the obscured signal is received and continuing the transcoding and transmitting of another portion of the digital data, wherein the portion of the digital data comprises one of:
• an audio component of the digital data or a video component of the digital data, and the other portion of the digital data comprises another one of the audio component or the video component.