Proxy Apparatus and Method for Streaming Media Information and for Increasing the Quality of Stored Media Information

A method of streaming information to a user device, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for a version of media information from the user device;
• determining a bandwidth of a connection associated with the user device, wherein the determining is performed by a gateway proxy device;
• determining if the version of media information has missing data packets based on a listing of missing data packets associated with the version of media information;
• transmitting a retransmission request to a media server if the version of media information is determined to have missing data packets, wherein the retransmission request requests the missing data packets or all data packets of the version of media information from the media server;
• receiving the missing data packets or all the data packets of the version of media information from the media server;
• and
• streaming the version of media information to the user device based on the determined bandwidth or a bandwidth lower than the determined bandwidth, wherein the streaming is performed in response to the request for the version of media information from the user device.