Quicker startup

A client media device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the client media device to:
• launch a streaming media interface application executed on a client media device;
• perform a first check on a memory of the client media device to determine presence or absence of first cached data, the first cached data including content of a home page of a user's account associated with a content source and at least one title page with respect to at least one video stream provided by the content source;
• retrieve the first cached data from the memory and process the first cached data to initiate displaying the content included in the first cached data;
• receive a user request for a video stream selected by the user;
• perform a process for user authentication, wherein performing the process for user authentication is delayed until after initiating displaying the content included in the first cached data;
• send a sample request for a sample video stream of the user-selected video stream to a streaming media server;
• receive the sample video stream from the streaming media server before the user is authenticated;
• initiate a sample streaming session to play the sample video stream on the client media device;
• receive the content of the user-selected video stream in response to a determination that the user is authenticated;
• and
• initiate a first streaming session to play the content of the user-selected video stream on the client media device, wherein playing the sample streaming session is concurrent with performing the process for user authentication, and the first streaming session is not initiated until the sample streaming session is finished.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions are executable to cause one or more electronic processors of a client media device to:

• launch a streaming media interface application executed on the client media device;
• perform a first check on a memory of the client media device to determine presence or absence of first cached data, the first cached data including content of a home page of a user's account associated with a content source and at least one title page with respect to at least one video stream provided by the content source;
• retrieve the first cached data from the memory and process the first cached data to initiate displaying the content included in the first cached data;
• receive a user request for a video stream selected by the user;
• perform a process for user authentication, wherein performing the process for user authentication is delayed until after initiating displaying the content included in the first cached data;
• send a sample request for a sample video stream of the user-selected video stream to a streaming media server;
• receive the sample video stream from the streaming media server before the user is authenticated;
• initiate a sample streaming session to play the sample video stream on the client media device;
• receive the content of the user-selected video stream in response to a determination that the user is authenticated;
• and
• initiate a first streaming session to play the content of the user-selected video stream on the client media device, wherein playing the sample streaming session is concurrent with performing the process for user authentication, and the first streaming session is not initiated until the sample streaming session is finished.